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THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE December 23-29, 2009 Page D-4
Recalibrating
Saying goodbye to
Obamanomics
‘the lost decade’
By Victor L. Marsh Sr.
Earned Income Tax Credit nor, Jennifer M. Granholm has
(EITC) payments to poor and
munity as a “Friends” mara-
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
tried to change this by adding
By Dr. Jason Johnson
working families automatic.
EITC information to the state’s
thon.
We’re at the end of a really
President Bush did this a few
website (www.michigan.gov/
strange 10 year period in both
Is it any wonder why Demo-
(Second of Two Parts)
years ago when practically
eitc). American and African Ameri-
crats were out of power?
every American got a check in
Economic stimulus
the mail for $600 as the first
It’s working here in Michi-
can history.
2005: It’s almost as if 2005
round of economic stimulus. gan but think of the impact
was America’s punishment for
must occur from
I am generally hesitant to
President Obama would have
re-electing George W. Bush in
give a whole decade a nick-
2004.
bottom up
This time, President Obama
in reminding all Americans
name but in the wake of the
should target only those U.S.
to file for EITC in a nationally last 10 years I’d have to refer
This year Condoleezza
We’ve learned from the first families with income under
Rice was named secretary of
round of economic stimulus
televised public service an-
to the early 2000’s as “the lost
$42,000 per year and are state just in time to be caught
that Wall Street really doesn’t deemed eligible for EITC (go
nouncement paid for by the
Decade.”
buying shoes and watching a
care about Main Street Amer- to www.irs.gov/eitc for more
Ad Council or the Gates Foun-
Broadway play while New Or-
ica. We also know that seven info).
dation or the Democratic Na-
On just about every mea-
surable level, Americans are
leans was destroyed by Hurri-
out of every ten jobs createded
tional Committee.
worse off today than they
cane Katrina. You can’t make
in the U.S. begin and end with The federal budget for EITC
The implementation of
were ten years ago, and as I
up this kind of incompetence.
small business. is about $40 billion per year,
so this is revenue neutral; no
making EITC payments auto-
ran through the last decade
2006: The Democrats final-
Yet with record profits, no new money is needed to fund
matic is not rocket science
the low points definitely out-
ly retake Congress after being
real record of small business this benefit.
nor is it brain surgery.
weighed and seemed to be out-
Jason Johnson
out of power for 12 years. And
lasting the high points.
loans being made by our na-
ness scandals dispelled any
then proceed to kowtow to
Making EITC payments au-
The federal government has
tion’s financial institutions.
notion that the Bush admin-
Bush for just about any policy
tomatic to some of the poor-
everyone’s address that filed
When you really think
Only a Presidential Executive
istration wasn’t covering for
that he calls for. You could
est families in our country, taxes with the IRS last year, so
about it, you’ll be happy to see
hardly the tell the difference
Order will change this phe-
including military personnel,
he new mil-
massive corporate fraud and
in polices out of Washington
nomenon or an amendment
there is no reason not to mail
the first decade of t
who often neglect to file, would
lennium fade into history.
graft cross the nation.
despite this supposed “take-
to the American Economic Re-
payments ahead of schedule
create the economic stimulus
Even worse, thousands of
over” by the left.
covery Act to redirect dollars.
given the poor shape of the
President Obama hoped for
I’ve compiled some of my
Black stand-up comedy rou-
economy.
basic thoughts of the key
tines were made obsolete
2007: I’ve written about
Across urban and rural
from our world banking lead-
Mr. President, please mail
events of the last year, and all
when the worst serial killer
2007 in a previous column.
America, linkages must be
ers.
eligible Americans their EITC
in all it was a pretty sad series
in a decade, “the D.C. Sniper,”
I’ll sum it up in four names:
made by the Treasury De- When you add the typi- of events.
turned out to be a Black guy.
Barry Bonds, Michael Vick,
partment to ensure that local cal EITC benefit of $4, 500 to
checks now and create the
Don Imus and the Jena 6. Not
2000: We started the first
Didn’t see that one coming.
banks possess the mandate to Child Tax Credits, Energy Tax
surge in the economy you en-
really a banner year in Ameri-
year of this decade with an
loan to small businesses and Credit, and Homestead Tax
visioned at the beginning of
I guess the universe made
can race relations.
election that was stolen, a
therefore play a pivotal role in Credits offered by some states,
this year.
up for it by Denzel Washing-
former vice president emascu-
our nation’s economic recov- many Americans would realize
ton and Halle Berry getting
2008: The longest reality
This would be a wonderful lated on a national stage, and a
ery.
a tax benefit of almost $6,000,
Oscars that year. Even though
show in the history of poli-
nation that didn’t realize what
if not more.
Christmas gift to almost 40
they were for playing a drug
tics ended with Barack Obama
we’d gotten ourselves into.
Secondly, like his predeces-
million Americans. dealing gangster with a badge
being elected the first African-
The cool thing about EITC
American president of the
sor, President George W. Bush,
Be honest. Would you vote
and a concubine for a racist
is that you can back-file up
Victor L. Marsh Sr. is a De-
United States.
President Barack Obama must
for Bush again if you could
cop, respectively.
to three years, so if you never
troit native and a nationally
get money in the hands of
turn back the clock?
filed that IRS Form W-5 (and
recognized expert on EITC.
2003: This year was the
The jury is still out as to
“normal” Americans and not
whether that election was a
do not pay for tax preparation Google: The Delta Initiative:
2001: Shoe Bombers, An-
beginning of the Second Gulf
the ones who command multi-
good one or not.
if you’re poor, call Information A Seven State Southern Strat-
thrax and September 11 — you
War where the American
million dollar bonuses, but us
or 211 in metro Detroit for free
couldn’t come up with a more
public was convinced that
Heading into this next
working folks who try to live
egy for Implementing EITC
tax assistance help), there is
miserable year than 2001 for
it made sense to invade Iraq
decade we have massive un-
and pay our bills day-to-day.
Campaigns by Mr. Marsh,
an economic windfall waiting
former Ingham County Chair
national security and Ameri-
to stop a bunch of terrorists
employment, wars going on
can pride.
who were from Saudi Arabia.
in two nations and a center
Make EITC
for you.
Linda Sims and MSU Profes-
Makes sense to me, when I
left party that is so inept and
The shame of it all, of sor Dr. George Rowan, chair-
Even worse is that these
really want a Big Mac, I always
beholden to financial inter-
payments
course is that many Ameri- man, AARP of Michigan. In
events led to the Patriot Act, a
drive straight for Burger King.
ests that they can’t pass basic
cans fail to file.
series of laws that have quietly
automatic
January, Mr. Marsh will serve healthcare reform.
turned America into a police
2004: Everyone hoped that
In Michigan, we typically
as chief of staff to incoming
state in the subsequent nine
the 2004 presidential election
This doesn’t necessarily
For years now I’ve been leave a half billion dollars by Detroit City Council President
years.
would be Bush vs. Gore, round
look like a recipe for initiating
advocating the need to make not filing for EITC. Our gover- Charles A. Pugh. two, but it wasn’t. a new golden age in America.
2002: In 2000 we saw our
government stolen, in 2001
When Gore decided he’d
However, we have to re-
we saw our national security
had enough, the Democrats
member that the possibilities
UP almanac published
taken, the only thing that was
decided that the best way to
are endless. No one would
left to go belly up was our eco-
beat Bush was to nominate
have believed in 2000 that in
nomic system and that hap-
a non-charismatic patrician
eight years there would be a
“Michigan’s Upper Peninsula Almanac,” by love, offer a smorgasbord of “interesting facts,
pened in 2002.
from the Northeast who had
Black president, so if that can
about as much drawing power
happen, the sky should be the
Ron Jolly and Karl Bohnak, published by The
entertaining trivia, records and numbers, myths
Enron and various big busi-
in the African-American com-
limit for the 2010s.
University of Michigan Press, might just as
and legends, and anything else you’d want to
well have been titled “Everything You Always
Wanted to Know About Michigan’s Upper Pen-
know about Michigan natural North.”
It pays to advertise in the
insula and Then Some.”
Jolly is a veteran radio broadcaster. Bohnak
Michigan Chronicle
That is how comprehensive the 580-page
is a meteorologist. Both have been published
book is. The authors, clearly on a mission of previously. 313-963-5522
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