Low Income

Posted on ColoradoPols

A new, independent analysis of presidential candidate Mitt Romney's tax plan reveals that the only Americans who will benefit are the wealthy. From Ezra Klein:

Compared to current rates, Romney's plan would cost a family in the bottom 20 percent $157 and save a family in the top 1 percent $82,000.

This bill represents a net opportunity gain for Colorado. It establishes an accountability mechanism within the state's higher education performance contracts that specifically addresses institutional commitment to, and support for, retention and success of low income and minority students.

The support services specified in the bill align with actions proven to succeed. Requiring institutions to provide these services could help these students stay in school and complete their degrees.

A compilation of data used in the 2004 "Opportunity Lost: When Hard Work Isn't Enough for Colorado Families" report.

I n our free market economy, the ultimate gateway to opportunity is a good income that allows a family to accumulate assets and save for the future. And unlike health or education, wealth can be stored, shared with one???s family, and passed on from generation to generation.

Policy Brief explaining need for need-based financial aid in Colorado.

Colorado should increase its EITC from 10 percent to at least 20 percent of the federal credit. And it should make the credit available in all years, not just when there is a TABOR surplus.

The next governor and legislature should commit to eliminating the cliff effect from all state programs. They should review all the programs and laws involved and the interactions among them, and implement a comprehensive solution as soon as possible. A key component should be a sliding eligibility scale that gradually phases out benefits so that a family never loses more than it gains when its income increases.

This issue brief provides a one-year update for several of the indicators included in the Bell???s April 2004 report, "Opportunity Lost: When Hard Work Isn't Enough for Colorado's Working Families."