beenie

Don't read this if you're

Don't read this if you're sick of me ranting about taxes and EIC and CTC
A while back, I ranted about Earned Income Credit and the Child Tax Credit. I was very upset that friends of ours claimed children they didn't even have custody of, got a fat refund and used it to finance their honeymoon to Belize. I was flamed by a few people on a debate board because "the government gives them a check, and it's their money, you can't tell them how to use it." I know I'm not alone though, because I *did* have people who agreed with me (especially in my social group, since the guy was bragging that his kid bought him the tickets, and it was a huge slap in the face to some of our friends struggling on $7.50 an hour that this guy, who sat on his ass for 6 months, got this fabulous reward and there they are financing it). Then the idea came to me. People on WIC are told what they can use that money for, and that's government-provided money, is it not? Make EIC and CTC like WIC. Any money you'd receive over and above whatever you'd get back without those credits is given to you in the form of a voucher, good for housing (rent/mortgage), utilities, child care. EIC is meant to help people who are having a hard time getting by, and the CTC is meant to help kids. I think one person summed it up best: "If you're getting the EIC, it means you're poor. Poor people don't go on cruises. CTC is supposed to help you care for your children since they're so expensive. Kids don't need to go to Disney." I'm sorry if that makes me a bitch. If it does, so be it.

Flat tax. Everyone pays the same percentage of their income. Let the government dole out money after everyone has paid their same percentage. And if anyone else knows of a government-funded "helping those less fortunate" program that just hands people a check and doesn't specify what it must be spent for, I'd love to hear about it.