One down

I hate applications, but I'm thinking that my one completed internship application may not be enough. Perhaps, I should get on the ball. I've applied to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. I'm almost done with my Congressional Budget Office application, that's due at midnight tomorrow. Apply for the sexy ones first.

I have a question that I'd like answered, but apparently nobody has really answered it. Joe Soss says that I should answer it myself, which seems hard. I guess that's why I'm in graduate school, to answer questions. Here's the question: I'm looking at Earned Income Credits. It's a nice state tax policy and a complement to the Earned Income Tax Credit. Past data indicate that EICs are much better incentive to get people into work and off of welfare than is the typical southern welfare policy of small welfare benefits and harsh sanctions. It would seem that EICs would be a great component to any state's welfare program that would have very small administrative costs. It would also get people into work and subsidize their wages. Seems like a good idea to me. It also seems to be policy that is very consistent with most of the southern states that handouts are bad and people should work for the money. This policy not only rewards work, it provides an incentive for work. I'm thinking of changing my stats project to looking at this question. It's late though. It would mean a ton of work. So, if anyone has any ideas, send them my way. And yes, I know that this kind of policy can't work in Texas because there is no state income tax which makes it difficult to provide someone with a refundable state income tax credit.

UPDATE: Not that anybody is keeping score at home, but I now am officially applied to the CBO as well.