What does it take to get by these days? This latest edition of The Cost of Living in Iowa answers this question. The report details how much working families must earn in order to meet their basic needs and underscores the importance of public work support programs for many Iowans, who despite their work efforts, are not able to pay for the most basic living expenses.
The basic-needs budgets constructed for this report represent a very frugal living standard; using costs as of 2015 (with the exception of health insurance), the budgets are based on what is needed to “survive” rather than “thrive.” This includes allowances for rent, utilities, food prepared at home, child care, health care, transportation, clothing and other household necessities. The basic budget does not include savings, loan payments, education expenses, any entertainment or vacation, social or recreational travel, or meals outside the home.
What if Arkansas were a national leader in children’s education and health? What if we had one of the lowest rates of child poverty in the nation instead of one of the highest? What if our abused and neglected children received the attention they deserved from caseworkers who weren’t overloaded?
The Governor’s FY17 Budget Article 13 increases the minimum wage to $10.10 next year and expands the state earned income tax credit from 12.5 percent to 15 percent of the federal credit (the Governor indicated an interest in further expanding the EITC pending available resources following the mid-year revenue forecast). Senator Goldin and Representative Slater have each introduced bills (S 2156 and H 7347) to further increase the EITC to 20 percent of the federal credit. Lawmakers have made real progress in these two areas over the past several years and future process to raise the labor and living standards of our workers going forward is well warranted.
As an alternative to the Governor’s proposed phased increase in the state’s minimum wage to $15 by 2019 in New York City and by mid-2021 outside of New York City, Assemblyman Brian Kolb recently proposed to increase the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) from 30% to 45% of the Federal EITC. The bill memorandum in support of his proposed legislation states: “Expanding the EITC is a much better alternative because it would put more money in the
taxpayers’ pockets, boost the economy and create employment opportunities for the unemployed.”
While the state’s EITC is a beneficial program for working people receiving low- and moderate wages and should be enhanced, for several reasons, it is not a substitute for increasing the state’s minimum wage. In fact, it does not even come close.