Workers got a bump in their paychecks this week thanks to the “Making Work Pay” tax credit enacted in February as part of the economic stimulus package. It’s the Main Street version of the Wall Street bailout, but in bite- sized chunks. The credit amounts to 6.2 percent of a worker’s earned income up to $400 for the year. Married couples filing jointly are eligible for up to $800. That means about $10 per paycheck for most workers. Here’s what a few of them had to say Friday:
Rob Rivera, 38
Aurora; owns a sprinkler business
“What stimulus? I won’t see it. I’m self-employed, and I just have to keep paying taxes. Uncle Sam tells me what I owe.”
Chris Baca, 36
Arvada; custom car painter
“It gives you a little more flexibility with what you are doing. Maybe I’ll take the kids out for a Pepsi once in a while; $10 adds up.”
Phillip Tinnin, 26
Commerce City; UPS worker and auto-tech student
“It’s not much; $400 is not going to make a difference unless they gave it to me all at once and not over a whole year.”
Cassie Schepers, 28
Denver; associate at Vitamin Cottage
“Anything makes a difference. I’d take $10 extra any day. It will just go to bills.”
Imed Hassan, 34
Denver; shuttle driver
“Maybe I’ll go to the movie theater with it. It’s better for the economy. You’ll see it around in people’s spending.”
