Policy Fix

Anti-immigration advocates claim that undocumented #immigrants are a drain on taxpayer dollars and take advantage of public benefits. Anne Kim explains why this is a myth.

Did you know that in 23 states, a new government program will let you file your taxes for free? Anne Kim tells you about the government's DirectFile program and about the tax prep industry's efforts to block it. Links to sources: Direct File: https://www.irs.gov/filing/irs-direct-file-for-free GAO Report: https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-25-106933.pdf ProPublica: https://www.propublica.org/article/inside-turbotax-20-year-fight-to-stop-americans-from-filing-their-taxes-for-free ProPublica: https://www.propublica.org/article/turbotax-maker-linked-to-grassroots-campaign-against-free-simple-tax-filing Open Secrets: https://www.opensecrets.org/federal-lobbying/clients/summary?cycle=2023&id=D000026667 Open Secrets: https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/h-r-block/summary?id=D000022016 Open Secrets: https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2023/09/tax-prep-companies-lobbying-against-free-file-face-scrutiny-from-lawmakers/ IBISWorld: https://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/industry/tax-preparation-services/1399/ POLITICO: https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2024/07/republicans-introduce-bill-to-block-direct-file-00170628 TaxNotes: https://www.taxnotes.com/featured-news/house-republicans-urge-trump-end-direct-file/2024/12/11/7p52w National Consumer Law Center: https://www.nclc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Rpt_2021_Tax_Time.pdf H&R Block Annual Report: https://investors.hrblock.com/static-files/21dc5fdd-67e6-4ca2-bee8-3f44c73a3447

Elon Musk and his DOGE initiative are looking to cut government waste and reduce the federal deficit. They've proposed slashing departments and firing staff. But they're overlooking one simple fix. Anne Kim explains.

Social Security is going broke, and some people argue that "private accounts" are the best way to save the program. Journalist and lawyer Anne Kim explains why Social Security privatization won't work and suggests a better way to ensure the program's future financial footing. Sources cited: Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget: https://www.crfb.org/blogs/cbo-social... CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/31/politi... Social Security Administration: https://www.ssa.gov/oact/trsum/ Macrotrends.net: https://www.macrotrends.net/2324/sp-5... Federal Reserve: https://www.federalreserve.gov/econre... Pew Research Center: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-rea... Federal Reserve Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking: https://www.federalreserve.gov/public... Lending Tree: https://www.lendingtree.com/credit-ca... Lending Tree: https://www.lendingtree.com/student/s.... Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances: https://www.federalreserve.gov/public... CNBC: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/11/19/bank-... Bank of America: https://institute.bankofamerica.com/e... CNBC: https://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/04/a-bri... Vanguard – How America Saves: https://institutional.vanguard.com/co... Social Security Administration – Maximum Taxable Income: https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/cbb.html Congressional Budget Office: https://www.cbo.gov/budget-options/60955 National Association of Social Insurance: https://www.nasi.org/discussion/socia.... U.S. Census Bureau: https://www.census.gov/library/storie... Yahoo Finance: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/elon-m... US News: https://money.usnews.com/money/retire... Image credits: Jeff Bezos: Steve Jurvetson - Flickr: Bezos’ Iconic Laugh, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index... Elon Musk: Gage Skidmore, via Wikimedia Commons Mark Zuckerberg: Anthony Quintano, via Wikimedia Commons