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Opinion articles do not
necessarily reflect or represent the
views o f The Portland Observer
O pinion
Child Tax Credits
Don’t Always Help
Policy C en ter reveals that m ore
than 5 0 -p ercent o f black fa m i­
lies earn less than the $10,750
r e q u ire d to q u a lif y fo r the
credit.
by J udge G reg M athis
B la c k f a m ilie s
W hen it w as passed
a re n ’t the only ones
fo u r years ago, the fed­
that are m issing out
eral C h ild Tax C redit
on this b en efit: 47-
jo in e d the E arned In­
percent o f H ispanic
co m e T ax C redit as a
f a m ilie s
d o n ’t
key so u rce o f incom e
q u alify eith er. The
support for poor w ork­
stu d y s h o w s th a t
ing fam ilies and their
over
1 9 - m illio n
child ren .
P u b licized as a way Judge Greg Mathis A m erican fam ilies -
nearly 75-percent o f
to “ put m oney back
into the hands o f those who them are w orking fam ilies - re ­
need it m ost,” the C hild Tax g ard less o f race, are too poor to
C redit has becom e an im portant receiv e the full benefit.
In the w ake o f H u rric a n e
part o f what is co n sid ered the
la rg e s t fe d e ra l a n ti-p o v e rty K atrin a, a d isa ste r that opened
program . H ow ever, the poorest m ainstream A m e ric a ’s eyes to
o f A m erica’s fam ilies, m ost o f the class and racial d isp a ritie s
them black and H ispanic, a re n ’t in this co u n try. P resid en t B ush
p rom ised to ‘u p lift’ the poor.
b en efitin g .
If the p resid en t w ants to stay
In the sim plest o f term s, the
CTC reduces a fam ily ’s tax b u r­ tru e to his w ord, he can begin
den or in creases the am ount o f by low ering the annual incom e
a file r’s tax refund check. To lim its for the C T C , op en in g the
receive the credit, a w orker has d oor for m ore fam ilies to get
to earn more than $ 10,750 a year. m uch needed fin an cial relief.
Single parents w ith annual in ­ Such a change w ould m ake a
com es o f up to $75,000 and m ar­ sig n ific a n t d iffe re n c e in the
ried parents w ith com bined in ­ liv es o f m any p o o r fa m ilie s
com es up to $110,000 are a l­ acro ss th is co untry and be a
lowed to take the m axim um d e ­ real step to w ard s c o m b a tin g
duction o f $1,000.
p o v e rty .
U nfortunately, m any A m eri­
Judge Greg M athis is ch a ir­
can child ren , esp e c ia lly c h il­ man o f the Rainbow PUSH-Ex-
dren o f color, a re n ’t e lig ib le to cel Board and a national board
receive the CTC. A study re ­ mem ber o f the Southern C hris­
c e n tly re le a se d by th e T ax tian Leadership Conference.
i f
MEANEST
p o e -e o N E
CONSERVATIVE!
ms
N7 e s T
Poorest families
aren’t benefiting
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Voter ID Reforms Increase Disparities
Add barriers to
the ballot box
by
R yan H aygood
As thousands celebrated the
40th anniversary o f the Voting
Rights Act Aug. 6, the media re­
broadcast black and white im­
ages o f nonviolent black Ameri­
c an s b e in g te a r-g a sse d and
clubbed on “Bloody Sunday.”
For many, such marches for the
right to vote are faded memories
of a bygone era. Thai was, until
one month later, when television
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again focused the nation’s atten­
tion on another tragedy: Hurricane
Katrina.
What we saw in New Orleans
was the result of more than just
broken levees. We saw
the intersection of race
and class, laid bare for
all to see how such
factors often d eter­
mine life or death.
Today, exploitation
of a growing fear of
alleged voter fraud
threatens to hinder
access to the ballot box by requir­
ing voters to present a photo ID.
Many of our nation’s most vulner­
able — the poor, elderly, and mi­
norities - may not have the means to
acquire such identification.
The National Commission on
Federal Election reform, co-chaired
by former President Jimmy Carter
and James Baker, recently recom­
mended federal legislation requir­
ing all voters to present a “Real ID”
card in order to vote. To obtain this
type of card, documentary proof
would be required of an indi vidual ’s
full legal name, date of birth, Social
Security number, primary address
and citizenship.
Unfortunately, the commission’s
“Real ID” recommendation is more
draconian than any ID requirement
adopted in any state to date - in­
cluding Georgia’s new widely criti­
cized law, which President Carter,
New Orleans did not have access to
a car and thus are less likely to
possess a driver’s license. Hun­
dreds of thousands displaced by
Katrina may never recover their
Exploitation o f a growing
fear o f alleged voter fraud
threatens to hinder access to
the ballot box. _ Ryan Haygood
ironically, has condemned as “dis­ identity papers left behind or ob­
tain new records from government
criminatory.”
While the anti-fraud benefits of offices and hospitals whose records
photo ID measures are suspect, were destroyed. These citizens, and
there is strong evidence that such many like them across the country,
requirements will reduce political will be politically disfranchised by
participation by otherwise eligible the com m ission’s ID proposal.
Four decades after passage of
rural, elderly, disabled, poor and
racial minority voters, who are less the Voting Rights Act, the Hurri­
likely to have photo identification cane Katrina experience reminds tis
or the money or means to acquire how necessary the legislation still
is to protect our nation’s minorities
one.
Like the warnings about the ca­ and poor from voting laws that ig­
pacity of New Orleans’ levees to nore the impact of race and class
withstand a major hurricane, a photo and create new barriers to the bal­
ID requirement will predictably in­ lot.
Ryan Haygood is assistant coun­
crease the ranks of the disfran­
sel at the NAACP Legal Defense
chised.
Many who were left behind in and Educational Fund.
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Luther
King
Corridor
Located
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Heart o f
Portland
The Great Textbook Robbery
Fighting back
by J im
H ightower
Students, already beleaguered
by skyrocketing tuition and fees,
now face sticker shock when pur­
chasing required texts. A congres­
sional study finds that students
today are averaging $900 per se­
mester for books.
A w atc h d o g g ro u p c a lle d
C ALP1RG has issued a report called
“Ripoff 101,” documenting that the
giant publishers are raising prices
of college texts at a rate three times
higher than the prices of general
books.
CALPIRG finds three main rea­
sons for the inflated costs. First,
the publishers issue new, higher-
priced editions every three years or
so, even though there’s little sub­
stantive change in the material.
Second, at least half of the books
are now sold "bundled” with un­
necessary CD-ROMs and flashy
workbooks that drastically bloat
the price - even though two-thirds
of college faculty say they “rarely”
or “ never” use these add-ons.
Third, publishers jack up the price
simply because they can.
Students are a captive market.
Professors say, “Buy this book,”
and there’s little choice but to pay
the ripoff price. Also,like drugcom-
p an ies, p u b lish e rs have been
c charging Americans more than they
charge consumers overseas. On
average, the same books cost 20
percent more here than in England,
for example. In many cases, the
overcharge is much greater - a cal­
culus textbook, for example, sells
for $ 132 here, but only $62 in Brit­
ain.
The good news is that students,
some faculty, and a few lawmakers
are fighting the gouging. To learn
what steps you can take, go to this
w eb
site:
w w .m a k e te x t
booksaffordable.com.
Jim Hightower is the best-sell­
ing author o f ‘‘Thieves In High
Places: They 've Stolen Our Coun­
try And It's Time To Take It Back."
For More Details
Contact:
Chuck or Mark Washington
2 Spaces Available
Joyce Washington Plaza
Everyone Deserves Chance
School Inequity Truths
Oregonians should oppose any further cuts in federal
services for the poor and middle classes of this great
nation. The current proposal before Congress would
potentially cut $35 to $50 billion from vital services.
Among these cuts would be slashing the Guaranteed
Student Loan program. I personally have benefited from
this program as was able to finish my post graduate
degree only because these low interest loans were avail­
able to off set the enormously high cost of higher educa­
tion.
I was not seeking a free ride, but rather a chance to
expand my horizons and provide the education necessary
to benefit the society and a nation that has given me so
much. Others now deserve the same chance.
I will not be silent in the face of a fiscally irresponsible
budget that will slash programs for the poorer and middle
classes in order to allow the upper classes to retain or
increase their wealth. Enough is enough!
Byrd’s opinion piece on the real issues facing
school reformers (Portland Observer, Oct. 12)
was excellent. H erexamples of inequity in Port­
land Public Schools bring into focus the intrin­
sic mindset of some in teaching and school
administration.
Discrimination can be pinpointed and brought
to light. Racism, however, is more elusive. As a
term to describe motivation it is near death from
the exhaustion of overuse. The boy cried “w o lf’
so many times that when one came along no one
listened to him, with dire consequences to the
boy and maybe even the wolf.
Well meaning people often cannot perceive
prejudiced attitudes within themselves or our
society any more than a goldfish in a bowl
knows he or she is a fish. One remedy would be
to listen.
The Rev. Dennis J. Parker, Southwest Portland
Sheila Brown, Northeast Portland