Please sign Petition to keep Child Tax Credit

Posted by Bob S. on February 5, 2010.

When It Comes to Child Care, Why Won’t the President Let Parents Decide?
February 04, 2010 | From Tony Perkins at Family Research Council

Dear American citizen,

When Congress passed tax relief for families in 2001 and 2003, some Members of Congress insisted the tax cuts be staggered and temporary, resulting in a large scheduled tax hike in 2011.

If these cuts are not made permanent,next year American families will face one of the largest tax increases in history. On average, taxes would increase $1,800 per taxpayer, and 48 million married couples will face an average hike of $3,007, with many paying more than if they merely cohabited. A family of four earning $40,000 would see a tax increase of over $2,300. If the President’s tax relief is allowed to expire at the end of 2010, Americans will pay about $280 billion more in taxes each year.

Instead of addressing this problem, President Obama’s recently submitted budget includes a proposal that seeks to increase the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit. The proposal is limited only to families making less than $115,000 a year. To be clear, this is not an expansion of the Child Tax Credit, but an attempt to use the tax code for social engineering.

The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit is for families where (a.) both parents work, (b.) there is only one parent and that parent is working, or (c.) one parent is working and the other is in school. Households where a parent stays at home to care for children get no break. This not only steers funds to government-approved daycare facilities, but also discriminates against families that have two working parents who might otherwise choose to have one parent stay home with the children.

In fairness to all, the President should first make permanent the Child Tax Credit, and then go further by increasing the credit to $5,000 for all households. This would let families decide how to spend the money they earn — money that might even convince a parent to stay at home to care for their kids, which is the optimal environment for any child.

Please sign the petition asking Congress to empower parents to make the decisions that are best for their child. Increase the Child Tax Credit and make it permanent for all families!

Thank you for taking action today and God bless you.

Here is the Petition’s text:

Dear President Obama and Members of Congress,

Tax breaks specifically targeted at families with children serve the country’s best interest in more ways than one. More dollars in parents’ pocketbooks mean greater investment in and better material care for the next generation from those most attuned to children’s needs, their parents.

Most experts agree that the best environment for any child is a home where one parent stays home to raise the child. In this economy that scenario becomes harder and harder to achieve. The choice to either raise a child at home or hire others to assume this responsibility is a decision for parents, and not one for the federal government. Please help parents have better options.

The best remedy for parents would start with making permanent the Child Tax Credit which is set to expire at the end of this year. We would then ask that you go even further and increase the credit to $5,000 per child for all households, thus letting more families decide how to spend the money they have earned.

We ask you to please support this effort before it is too late and families are hit with devastating tax increases in 2011!

Thank you

Child Tax Credit.