Missy StuffDog Celebrates St. Patrick Day at Parade

Live chart: US federal budget

Puppy Shake, Rattle & Roll

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INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 2014 Theme: Inspiring Change

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 2014 Theme: Inspiring Change

Misconceptions and Realities About Who Pays Taxes — Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Most of the people who pay neither federal income tax nor payroll taxes are low-income people who are elderly, unable to work due to a serious disability, or students, most of whom subsequently become taxpayers.  (In years like the last few, this group also includes a significant number of people who have been unemployed the entire year and cannot find work.)

Moreover, low-income households as a group do, in fact, pay federal taxes.  Congressional Budget Office data show that the poorest fifth of households paid an average of 4.0 percent of their incomes in federal taxes in 2007, the latest year for which these data are available — not an insignificant amount given how modest these households’ incomes are; the poorest fifth of households had average income of $18,400 in 2007.[6]   The next-to-the bottom fifth — those with incomes between $20,500 and $34,300 in 2007 — paid an average of 10.6 percent of their incomes in federal taxes. 

Moreover, even these figures greatly understatelow-income households’ totaltax burden because these households also pay substantial state and local taxes.  Data from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy show that the poorest fifth of households paid a stunning 12.3 percent of their incomes in state and local taxes in 2011.[7]

When all federal, state, and local taxes are taken into account, the bottom fifth of households pays about 16 percent of their incomes in taxes, on average.  The second-poorest fifth pays about 21 percent

Misconceptions and Realities About Who Pays Taxes — Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Missy StuffDog takes a trip to the Renaissance Festival

Missy StuffDog Goes to the Crowley Louisiana Rice Festival

Missy StuffDog does a Oscar Selfie

Missy StuffDog does a Oscar Selfie: Missy StuffDog does a Oscar Selfie

Missy (StuffDog) at the Mardi Gras 09

A plea for Medicaid coverage for our suffering citizens: Letter

We believe the Legislature should prevail upon Gov. Bobby Jindal to reconsider his decision not to expand Medicaid and ask him to reverse the changes made to the program Jan. 1, 2014. We ask that everyone at or below the federal poverty level who has diabetes, hypertension and heart or respiratory disease receive medications to control these diseases.

This will improve the qual­ity of their lives and minimize the costs of treating the future preventable complications. The state and the city of New Orleans did a remarkable job of opening community health clinics in New Orleans after Katrina. What sense does it make for some of our patients to come to the clinics, receive high quality care, and leave without the means to treat their medical problems?

Jennifer Avegno, M.D.

Clinical assistant professor of emergency medicine Interim LSU Hospital New Orleans

Joseph Kanter, M.D.

Chief resident, emergency department, Interim LSU Hospital

New Orleans

Elmore Rigamer, M.D.

Medical director of Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans

New Orleans


http://www.nola.com/opinions/index.ssf/2014/03/a_plea_for_medicaid_coverage_f.html

http://www.nola.com/opinions/index.ssf/2014/01/medicaid_expansion_kicks_off_b.html