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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (June 17, 2015)
Page 6 June 17, 2015 New Prices Effective May 1, 2014 Martin Cleaning Service O pinion Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Residential & Commercial Services Minimum Service CHG. $45.00 A small distance/travel charge may be applied CARPET CLEANING 2 Cleaning Areas or more $30.00 Each Area Pre-Spray Traffic Areas (Includes: 1 small Hallway) 1 Cleaning Area (only) $40.00 Includes Pre-Spray Traffic Area (Hallway Extra) Stairs (12-16 stairs - With Other Services) : $25.00 Area/Oriental Rugs: $25.00 Minimum Area/Oriental Rugs (Wool) : $40.00 Minimum Heavily Soiled Area: Additional $10.00 each area (Requiring Extensive Pre-Spraying) UPHOLSTERY CLEANING Sofa: $69.00 Loveseat: $49.00 Sectional: $109 - $139 Chair or Recliner: $25 - $49 Throw Pillows (With Other Services) : $5.00 ADDITIONAL SERVICES • Area & Oriental Rug Cleaning • Auto/Boat/RV Cleaning • Deodorizing & Pet Odor Treatment • Spot & Stain Removal Service • Scotchguard Protection • Minor Water Damage Services SEE CURRENT FLYER FOR ADDITIONAL PRICES & SERVICES Call for Appointment (503) 281-3949 Subsidizing Idle Rich While Poor Kids Go Hungry A tax code stacked against working people S cott K linger To hear some pol- iticians tell it, Amer- ica’s welfare system is facing a grave cri- sis: Millions of poor people, they say, are idling away their time eating lobster and relaxing on cruises. Kansas Gov. Sam Brown- back, for example, recently signed welfare reform rules ban- ning people receiving public as- sistance from using their $100 a week in benefits to buy steak or seafood, go to swimming pools, or take cruises. Meanwhile, some members of Congress are taking aim at food aid for hungry Americans. They want us to associate “hungry” with “too lazy to work.” They’re lashing at an imagi- nary problem. Who benefits from the Sup- plemental Nutrition Assistance by Program (SNAP), otherwise known as food stamps? Nearly half of recipients are children, 16 percent are disabled adults who can’t work, and 9 percent are se- nior citizens. Nearly a third of people who get food stamps have a family member who is working, many at big box retailers like Wal-Mart or fast food establishments. These folks may not be able to get enough hours to work full-time, or their employers pay them so little that even with a full-time schedule, they can’t pay for rent and util- ities and still afford enough food for the family. Even 5,000 active-duty mil- itary families rely on public as- sistance because their pay is not enough to raise a family on. But that’s only half the prob- lem. While these politicians are restricting the public assistance that many Americans use to make ends meet, they’re also busy cutting taxes for the idle rich — who, as it happens, al- ready have plenty of disposable income for expensive seafood and luxury cruises. The House, for example, passed a bill repealing the estate tax. That tax affects just one out of every 700 estates left by Ameri- cans who die each year, but it’s a crucial source of revenue. Repealing it will save the nation’s multi-millionaires and billionaires about $27 billion a year. It means that the heirs to the Wal-Mart fortune — who’ve collectively inherited nearly $150 billion in wealth — will pass on nearly $60 billion more to their kids when they die. Opponents of the estate tax claim that it prevents people from passing on family farms or small businesses, but that’s non- sense. In 2013, the feds taxed just 120 estates that were comprised primarily of a farm or a small business, according to the Tax Policy Center. These families paid an average tax rate of less than 5 percent. Meanwhile, the tax code re- mains stacked against working families. The idle rich who live off investments pay a maximum rate of 20 percent on dividends and gains. Working parents, though, can pay nearly double that. One out of every five chil- dren in America lives in poverty. In the wealthiest country in the world, nearly 16 million of our children and nearly 5 million of our elders lack food security. But congressional leaders think the first piece of business should be to ensure that those who pay little in life leave noth- ing of their great fortunes to the common good after they die. Hard-hearted politicians think that if they paint the people who get food stamps as lazy and un- deserving, it will blind us to what’s really going on: They’re handing out more tax cuts for those who can afford caviar and champagne and more budget cuts for those trying to put the bare essentials on their kitchen tables. Scott Klinger is the Director of Revenue and Spending Pol- icies at the Center for Effective Government. Distributed via OtherWords.org