A lot of my conversations are focused on changing the minds of people. I know, that’s most often a fruitless effort, but every once in a while something clicks and perception is changed, and those are the moments I live for because if we can get one less person out here thinking harshly about economic justice issues then we’ve moved the needle.
It’s a tough sell. I mean, from what I have learned, most of us weren’t born with a silver spoon in our mouths. We’ve worked hard to get what we have, regardless of the quantity of things, and, in turn, we expect everyone else to work just as hard. But that’s where the great divide happens.
I read a comment the other day on a post about livable wages the other day. A woman told the world that she had done it on her own. She had worked two and three jobs to pay for child care and to support her family. She followed up with the fact that there wasn’t any unemployment bonus for her when she was working and she didn’t get one penny from the government. There was this moment for me when, knowing full well that she wanted people to make the same declaration, my heart broke.
She didn’t get a lot of accolades in that post because what she said was the exact opposite of what others were saying: Maybe life isn’t about working yourself ragged merely to survive. Maybe parents, single parents especially, shouldn’t have to work three jobs and sacrifice priceless time with their families to simply get by.
We’re not getting medals of honor for cheating ourselves out of time with those who mean the most to us to work ourselves to death. We should all be able to work and live, not work to live. And if our only argument against help for others is that we didn’t have it, then our minds need to be changed. The oppressive rhetoric of this country has allowed us all to be brainwashed into thinking that this struggle is right. But guess what? It’s not.
The pandemic has shown without a doubt that our nation is far from right, and the government has a plan to provide help. One way is extending the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit. President Biden’s American Family Plan includes monthly payments to families with children from July through December. $250 per child ($300 for children under 5) would make a huge difference in the lives of some families.
This would be the beginning of a real economic foundation for families if passed, and the cutoffs would make sure that the families who need it the most would receive it. These are the families who will most likely spend the money, putting it right back into local economies and businesses, rather than tossing it into a savings somewhere because they won’t suffer without it.
Biden wants those making $400k a year to pay higher taxes to pay for it. I don’t know about you, but I think it’s about damn time. And if you live in West Virginia, you won’t carry a penny of this burden. Why? Because we don’t make $400,000 in West Virginia. In fact, according to an article in USA Today, we have the lowest number of the top 1% in the entire nation. Top 1% in West Virginia share 11.1% of our income. Our governor is one of the state’s only billionaires, and I’m fighting the urge to mention that he doesn’t pay his taxes, so it’s my opinion that he should be paying more than the rest of us.
Also, you might think that $250 a month wouldn’t make a difference in the life of a family, but it absolutely will. I am thinking about those families with kids who need child care this summer who may be able to afford a day camp where there are no more spots in centers. It can be money that goes to the grocery store. Maybe it will help someone buy a car so they can expand their job search or choice. It may allow them to run an air conditioner this summer or buy a pool pass. Regardless, this will be game changing for so many West Virginians … and it won’t cost any of us making less than $400 thousand a year anything.
Some of us don’t believe that our government shouldn’t help. I’m of the mind that the government created this system with poor construction and they should be responsible for repairing it since the floor collapsed. If you haven’t, and I know there are reasons, filed your taxes, do so. Call Senators Manchin and Capito and tell them to pass this expansion. I just gave you 400 thousand reasons why.
Onward,
Amy Jo
