Policy for the People

Last month saw yet another record in terms of the fortunes held by the nation's superrich. In July 2024, the roughly 800 billionaires in the U.S. were collectively worth about $6 trillion, the highest amount ever. In light of this, it seemed like a good time to replay a prior episode of Policy for the People examining the need to tax extreme wealth. In August of last year, Bob Lord of Patriotic Millionaires joined us to discuss why taxing the rich is essential in order to shrink inequality and save our democracy

Next year, 2025, is setting up to be a pivotal year when it comes to how our nation raises the money needed to pay for public services — things like health, housing, the nation’s safety net, and more.The reason for this dates back to 2017. That year, Congress enacted the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, better known as the Trump tax cuts. This tax package contained massive changes to our tax system that mostly amounted to huge tax cuts for the rich and corporations. For procedural reasons, as well as to mask the true costs of these massive tax cuts, Congress made some parts of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act temporary. It gave them an expiration date. And that expiration date is 2025.The expiration of parts of the Trump Tax plan offers an opportunity to reassess our nation’s tax policy, explains Samantha Jacoby, Deputy Director of Federal Tax Policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. 

Recently, the IRS announced that its Direct File program is expanding. This is a big deal.Filing a tax return is complicated. It’s costly. This is a bad situation for everyone, especially families struggling to get by on low wages. The complexity and cost of filing taxes deters many low-income workers from claiming the tax credits for which they are eligible, undermining some of the nation’s core anti-poverty strategies.But with Direct File, a new system is beginning to take shape, one that will provide a simple and free way for people to file their tax returns. Courtney O’Reilly, a Senior Program Manager on the Tax Benefits team at Code for America, explains what IRS Direct File is and why its expansion is an exciting development. Then, Daniel Hauser of the Oregon Center for Public Policy discusses what the situation looks like in Oregon – the harm inflicted on Oregonians from our complex and costly tax filing system, as well as efforts to create a better system.

The month of May began with the celebration of International Workers’ Day. May Day, as it’s often called, dates back to the late 19th Century, when labor movements that counted on heavy participation by immigrant workers agitated for better working conditions. Today in the U.S., May Day celebrates both the labor movement and the immigrant community.In that spirit, this episode of Policy for the People focuses on both the labor movement and immigrants. Anthony Capote of the Immigration Research Initiative discusses the findings of a report he co-wrote titled Immigrants in the Oregon Economy: Overcoming Hurdles, Yet Still Facing Barriers. Also, Kathy Lara of the Oregon Center for Public Policy talks about the latest figures on labor activity in Oregon, as well as the challenges that workers seeking to form a union continue to encounter.

With tax season coming to an end, it’s a good moment to discuss the vital role that our tax system plays in our lives. At its best, the tax system makes the economy work better for everyone. At its worst, it deepens existing economic injustices.In this episode, we focus on two aspects of the tax system.  First, we discuss Oregon’s record-breaking kicker, which is sending massive tax rebates to the rich, while giving little or nothing to those struggling the most. OCPP’s Daniel Hauser explains the policy and discusses how to make the kicker work better for Oregonians.In the second half of the show, we focus on the importance of having a well-funded Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Joe Hughes from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy discusses the long-term erosion of the agency’s budget, as well as recent efforts to turn things around.

With lawmakers in Salem having wrapped up their work, we take a look at a couple of legislative developments that perhaps you have not heard about, but which could make a big difference in the economic well-being of many Oregonians.We begin the show by discussing legislation that better protects Oregonians from unfair debt collection practices. Chris Coughlin, Policy Director at Oregon Consumer Justice, talks about the just-enacted Family Financial Protection Act.In the latter half of the show, Candice Vickers, Executive Director of Family Forward Oregon, discusses an effort to get the legislature to put sufficient resources into a vital state child care program, Employment Related Day Care.

We’re talking taxes today on Policy for the People, specifically from the vantage point of the Oregonians with the fewest resources, those who are struggling the most to make ends meet.  In our first segment, we hear about a brand new tax credit in Oregon designed to shore up the lowest-income families with young children in our state. Tyler Mac Innis of the Oregon Center for Public Policy explains who qualifies for the Oregon Kids’ Credit and why the creation of this new tax credit is a very good thing.But despite the positive development that the Oregon Kids’ Credit represents, Oregon’s tax system as a whole is one that continues to weigh more heavily on the lowest income families than anyone else. Miles Trinidad of the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy discusses the recently released report Who Pays? 

Once again, the possibility of a federal government shutdown is upon us. This renewed threat ultimately arises out of competing visions of the role of government and the kind of nation we want to have, our guest on this episode explains. Sharon Parrott is President of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Sharon discusses those competing visions, as well as the prospects for enacting legislation that can improve the lives of people throughout our country.

Hunger in Oregon is rising rapidly, a reflection of the economic insecurity afflicting so many families.In this episode of Policy for the People, we speak with Susannah Morgan, President of the Oregon Food Bank. As Susannah explains, the level of hunger right now is the worst that she has seen in her 28 years of working in food banks in several states.But as she points out, neither hunger nor poverty are inevitable. They are the result of public policy choices, and we can make better policy choices. 

Dr. Stephen Bezruchka, former emergency room physician, discusses economic inequality's impact on health. Also, income inequality in Oregon is examined, and the relationship between economic inequality and health outcomes is explored. The podcast also discusses the impact of racism on health outcomes and geographical differences in life expectancy.