The cash assistance program was created to be a reliable back-up for the lowest-income families; today the program reaches only a small share of families in need. Cash assistance (Transitional Assistance for Families with Dependent Children or TAFDC) provides a small monthly cash grant to families with children or to pregnant people only if they …
Massachusetts Cash Assistance – A MassBudget Data Droplet Read More »
At a Crossroads Created by COVID: Families Moving Along the Road to Opportunity in Massachusetts Executive Summary Read the full report here. PART 1: THE PROMISED DESTINATION. We may have promised the children of Massachusetts that they can arrive at a bright tomorrow full of opportunity, but we have allowed many obstacles to get in …
At a Crossroads Created by COVID: Executive Summary Read More »
We may have promised the children of Massachusetts that they can arrive at a bright tomorrow full of opportunity, but we have allowed many obstacles to get in the way of that promise for too many of our children. On top of that, these past two years have created new obstacles, and have also put Massachusetts at an important crossroads. The twin health and economic emergencies of the pandemic and subsequent downturn have made long-standing racial and economic inequities worse.
To the Joint Committee on Revenue December 13, 2021 RE: Testimony in support of An Act to increase family stabilization through the earned income tax credit (H.2871/S.1841) and An act providing a minimum income to all Massachusetts families (S.1852). Chairman Hinds, Chairman Cusack, and distinguished members of the Joint Committee on Revenue: Thank you for …
Testimony to expand the Earned Income Tax Credits for low-income households Read More »
All businesses in the Commonwealth depend on investment in public programs and infrastructure that ensure a well-educated workforce and reliable, far-reaching transportation networks. These public systems may be especially important for smaller businesses, which can’t create their own distribution networks, shuttle services, training programs and childcare centers. In November 2022, Massachusetts will vote on the …
Our Commonwealth celebrates small businesses as a way for ordinary working people to build wealth and pursue a productive life more independent from the large corporations that dominate our economy and society. Proposals for corporate tax cuts often claim their aim is to help small businesses, even when most of the benefit would go to …
Three Progressive Tax Policies to Help Small Businesses in Massachusetts Read More »
October 6, 2021 Chairman Murphy, Chairman Crighton, and distinguished members of the Joint Committee on Financial Services: Thank you for the opportunity to testify on this important matter. I write in opposition to House Bill 1234. As Attorney General Attorney General Maura Healey has maintained, a company like Uber or Lyft assigns tasks to their …
October 1, 2021 Chairman Rodrigues, Chairman Michlewitz, and distinguished members of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means: Thank you for the opportunity to testify on plans for using the nearly $5 billion in unassigned federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for Massachusetts. I am a Senior Analyst at the Massachusetts Budget and Policy …
Os imigrantes de Massachusetts sofreram riscos desproporcionais trabalhando na linha de frente durante a pandemia. No entanto, milhares deles e suas famílias que trabalham e pagam impostos estão impedidos de receber um benefício importante por meio do Crédito Fiscal por Remuneração Recebida (EITC), porque não são elegíveis para receber um Número da Previdência Social (Social …
Fim da Desvantagem Fiscal Contra o Trabalhador Imigrante Read More »
Immigrants in Massachusetts have shouldered an outsized risk as frontline workers during the pandemic. Yet thousands of them and their families who work and pay taxes are prevented from receiving important support through the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) because they are ineligible for a Social Security Number. If the Commonwealth extended its EITC to …
Ending the Tax Penalty Against Working Immigrants Read More »