No relief for regular workers

I was happy to read in 9B News Governor Little’s announcement of a funding bill for schools in such desperate need of facilities repair and replacement. It’s House Bill 521. It sounds on the surface like a tax reduction for regular Idahoans also is included in the bill.

But on reading HB521, I see that it’s a very tiny reduction and a continuation of Idaho’s flat income tax. It’s well known that Idaho’s flat tax penalizes the lowest income workers the most and advantages the richest Idahoans the most.

Last year was my husband’s last year earning a wage, at age 71. I’ve been on Social Security since I turned 69 but he’s younger, so he took advantage of lower income tax by continuing to work after qualifying for Social Security retirement.

Beginning this year, our only incomes are from Social Security retirement. So, thankfully, we no longer will owe income taxes.

But I think of all those who have not yet reached our ripe old ages. Their Idaho income tax burden on, say, $30,000 taxable income will now be $1,708 compared to previous years with that same taxable income, for which they owed $1,767.

No real relief for regular Idaho workers, who under the flat-tax system are taking it in the shorts.

Clarice M. McKenney
Bonners Ferry