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In The News

Tax credit should be expanded to those without children

Source: TimesRecorder

By James C. Blythe

June 3, 2017

In my 12 years in Zanesville, I have seen our neighborhoods grow. New shops and restaurants on the north end of town, a new recreation center and exciting new construction downtown. Nevertheless, many people in our region still can barely make ends meet.

That’s because thousands of workers doing important, low-wage jobs in Muskingum, Perry and Morgan counties are missing out on one of our most powerful tools to help working people get a fair shot - the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). The EITC largely excludes low-wage workers who aren’t raising children, even though they’re working hard and trying to get ahead.

Our tax policy should boost workers, not leave them behind. That’s why I’m calling on Senators Sherrod Brown and Robert Portman, as well as Representative Patrick Tiberi to expand the EITC to include workers not raising children. That would help 502,000 low-wage men and women in our state put food on the table, pay for transportation to work and meet other basic needs. It also would enable workers to contribute more to our local economy because when workers can keep more of what they earn, they can buy necessities from local businesses.

I hope our representatives in Congress work with the new president to expand the EITC for workers not raising children so our community continues to grow and thrive.

James C. Blythe

Board President of United Way of Muskingum, Perry and Morgan counties