Letters to the editor: Tax credits, Brooks column and mask order

Tax credits

At United Way of Treasure Valley, we fight for many who work hard at low-wage jobs yet can barely make ends meet. They find it nearly impossible to cover even essentials such as food, transportation to and from work and electric bills. One way we help struggling workers is by connecting them with the federal Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit.

The EITC encourages work, boosts incomes and reduces poverty among families with children.

Expanding the EITC for childless adult workers would supplement the limited earnings of struggling workers doing essential jobs including preparing food, providing in-home health services and child care, as well as handling, packaging and transporting goods. Because these workers are largely excluded from the EITC, they are the only group in our country that is taxed into poverty.

Policymakers could consider making a one-time change in the EITC and CTC design to make them more effective during the current downturn by allowing filers to use their income from 2019 or 2020 when calculating their 2020 EITC and CTC, as policymakers have done for families affected by hurricanes and natural disasters in the past.

The EITC and CTC stimulate the economy because lower-income people tend to spend rather than save what modest income they have in order to meet basic needs. We urge Sens. Jim Risch and Mike Crapo to let the rest of Congress know the EITC and CTC make a difference in the lives of hardworking Idahoans.

Nora Carpenter, President and CEO, United Way of Treasure Valley

Brooks column

The opinion piece “The rotting of the Republican mind,” by David Brooks and printed in Monday’s Idaho Statesman demonstrates in a palpable way the absolute abyss that is leftist thinking. Mr. Brooks proudly demonstrates in numerous ways how the “ignorant” citizens outside major metropolitan areas of this country are unworthy miscreants.

What he and his ilk don’t care to understand is there is a vast difference between diplomas and common sense. Likewise, education and wisdom are not the same. A single Idaho farmer will demonstrate a greater mastery of technical knowledge, asset and risk management in a single harvest than he and his inept brethren might hope to muster in a lifetime. That same farmer will regularly utter more words of common wisdom in a single conversation than the fine Mr. Brooks will write in his entire career.

Mr. Brooks also seems to be completely blind to the fact that his distorted view of reality is the foundational bedrock of the Cancel Culture, Wokedom, CHOP, and so much more. Not to mention that his ethical mindset is first cousin to cultural evils that created Nazism and more. Liberty dies when epistemic regimes snuff out humility, wisdom and kindness.

Dan Bridges, Boise

Mask order

Thank you Mayor McLean!

Finally a good idea for how to enforce the mask mandate, as simple as it is elegant.

And best of all, it’s working!

Offices where not even employees meeting the public were universally wearing masks are now wearing them.

Friday I went to Albertsons and to my surprise they had security guards at the door and roving around to enforce the rules.

I get that employers don’t want their employees to confront obnoxious customers, but why has it taken nine months to find a solution. The Apple Store hired security in March. But better late then never.

The mayor’s new mandate gives companies a justification for enforcement. And apparently the risk of losing their licenses is incentive enough to do the right thing. It’s as simple and effective as liquor law enforcement.

Harry Reifschneider, Boise