5
Street roots
Nov. 25, 2011
Working poor Oregonians pay more in income taxes than poor in other states
A
s poverty continues to rise in Oregon,
a new report published this month
X JLsaid that Oregon remains among a
minority of states that tax the income of
working poor families and that its tax is
among the highest.
In 2010, Oregon income taxes kicked in at
$19,900 for a married couple with two
children, about $2,414 below the poverty
line for a family that size, according to the
Washington, D.C.-based Center on Budget
and Policy Priorities (CBPP). Of the 41
states plus the District of Columbia that levy
an income tax, only nirie states taxed four-
person families earning less. The vast
majority — 27 of the 42 with income taxes —
do not tax the working poor.
“Taxing the work effort of poor families
makes it that much harder for them to
escape poverty,” said Jason Gettel, policy
analyst with the Oregon Center for Public
Policy, who reviewed the re p o rt “Those
families and our state as a whole would be
better off if poor, working families could
devote all of their income to putting food on
the table, paying for transportation, housing
and health care costs and covering other
basic needs.”
The report also showed that some
working poor Oregon families pay among
the highest amounts of income taxes of
families anywhere in the country. A two-
parent family of four living at the poverty
Brie ($22,314 in income) had to pay $234 in
Oregon income taxes in 2010. Only three
other states — Alabama, Hawaii and Georgia
— would give this family a higher income tax
bill.
Near-poor Oregon families fared even
worse, according to the re p o rt It noted that
an Oregon two-parent family of four with
income of 125 percent of the-poverty line,
or $27,893, faced a tax bill of $799 in 2010 -
the third highest in the nation, with
Alabama and Kentucky being the only states
that levied higher income taxes.
The CBPP’s analysis arrives at a time
when poverty is on the rise both at the
national level and in Oregon. U.S, Census
Bureari data released in late September
showed that 120,000 more Oregonians lived
below the poverty line in 2010, compared to
2007, before the start of the recession.
According to Gettel, the most effective
way for Oregon to eliminate the income tax
on poor, working families with children is
through an increase in Oregon’s Earned
Income Tax Credit (EITC), which is
patterned after the federal EITC.
Oregon has an EITC, but it is “too small
for the task at hand,” noted Gettel. Oregon’s
EITC is 6 percent of the federal tax credit
Source: The Oregon Center fo r Public Policy.
The Oregon Center fo r Public Policy is a
non p a rtisa n research institute that does
in-depth research a n d analysis on budget, tax
a n d economic issues.
Wolves at the zoo
By Jason Wolf
P H O T O B Y ISR A EL B A Y E R
Vendor Darren Alexander (N E 15th Avenue an d Alberta Street) poses with M ike Rice, the Portland Trail Blazers T V
commentator, a t the Portland Trail Blazers ann u a l H arvest D inner on Nov. 1. The day long event serves a hot meal
an d offers a range o f services to people experiencing homelessness a n d poverty in the region.
Keep on bidding!
Sold! On Sisters runs
g o o d , lo c a l, f o o d .
• 7 nights at Eagle Crest Resort near Redmond
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• Computer, Knitting & Bike Advocacy lessons
111
• Romantic night at the Heathman Hotel
■ I
shosoxsa@gmail.com
through 9pm December 1st
A few fantastic donations:
a iB S
As I approach, my heart pounds for J am near
I am going to see something I love and hold very dear
Through the excitement, I feel my blood coarse through
every vein
I’m getting impatient and it’s driving me insane
But the wait is over and I can feel my breath leave
When my eyes make contact, I cannot believe
Three majestic wolves in a place they call home
Unfortunately they are limited to where they roam
I can’t help but stare at this magnificent creature
Its ability to survive is an amazing feature
I wish these wolves could tell me their story
Of all their hardships and all their glory
One wolf was black and the other two were gray and white
I only wish I could have stuck around long enough to hear
them howl at night
There was one wolf pacing, seemingly on alert
Were there pups involved that it didn’t want anyone to hurt?
I wasn’t there long before I had to take myself away
Because if I hadn’t I would’ve been there all day
I felt something strong deep down inside
As I was leaving it felt like a part of me had died
•H andm ade holiday Man Cards
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& your money is matched!
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Through Dec.3 1 , all donations matched S0( on the $1, & new
donors also matched $1 for $1 by the Collins Foundation & Rose
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