Letters to the Editor

Thank You, Winthrop, For a Successful First Year With Project Play!

Dear Editor,

As we wrap up our series of “Winter Play Days” and look forward to getting outside again this spring and summer, Project Play would like to take a moment to thank the many members of our community who have made our first year in operation a success. From community “swap shops” to kids’ concerts at the Farmers’ Market to the family dance party in French Square to sensory play workshops with FKO to pop up play days at Harbor City Church, it has been quite a year and we simply couldn’t have done it with you! 

We have seen first hand what a groundswell of support there is in this community for programs and initiatives that bring together families and caregivers with young children for opportunities to connect through music and play, and to gain access to the many resources that exist for people raising and caring for babies and young children. Our approach has very much been fueled by partnerships which has allowed us to leverage our collective resources and offer more for our community than if we’d worked in isolation. For example, our partnership with For Kids Only (FKO) Afterschool has led to the creation of the “Rise and Shine Playgroup” that now takes place in their beautiful new facility every week day from 9:30-11:30 am when the building would otherwise be empty, and yet so many little ones who are too young to attend school (or after school programming) are looking for activities and ways to play with other children. We successfully applied for a MassCultural Council grant in 2023 that allowed us to add weekly sensory play workshops and monthly musical entertainment or other seasonally themed events to the playgroup program, and have been lucky enough to store much of our (growing!) collection of pop up play equipment in the FKO storage shed. Thank you, Debbie Kneeland and Niki Preston!

Harbor City Church has been another integral partner as we sought ways to keep the fun from our summer Farmer’s Market pop up play and music programs going through the winter and they graciously opened their beautiful space in the Wadsworth Building to us to host free “Winter Play Days” every other Saturday from January through March. Thanks to support from local sponsors, we were able to bring in live children’s musical entertainment to each play day and make it totally free for all to enjoy. Thank you, Jason and Micah Tallent and everyone at Harbor City Church!

As we head into Spring, we are excited to kick off another two-part series of “Music for Babies” (12:00) and (new!) “Music for Tots” (11:00) with Evan Haller of Music at the Blissful, taking place this Saturday 4/20 and 4/27 at the EB  Newton School (Lyceum Room, 1st floor). Thanks to a generous grant from the Winthrop Cultural Council, both classes are completely free to attend! Email projectplaywinthrop@gmail.comto sign up (for either or both classes). We have also partnered with Winthrop Mothers Out Front to host a “Spring Swap Shop” on Saturday 5/11 in the old Middle School Gym (45 Pauline St) from 3-5 (donation drop and screening 1-3) where you can “swap and shop” for both baby/kids/maternity and general household items and clothing. Finally, we hope to roll out another festive outdoor season of pop up play and music at Winthrop Farmers Market- stay tuned to our website and social media for updates on all of these exciting happenings!

If you, your business or organization is interested in partnering with Project Play and helping us to put together even more fun, free programming for babies, young children and their grown ups, please get in touch with us! We would love to work together and find ways to support one other and our shared community. projectplaywinthrop@gmail.com 

We would like to wholeheartedly express our gratitude to everyone who has come out to enjoy our events and programs, especially these people who have donated their time, tallents and financial resources to making it all possible:

• Senator Lydia Edwards

• Rep. Jeff Turco

• Bob “Papa” DeLeo

• Seth Williams, Reference Real Estate

• Breanna Suther, Chatter & Chew Speech Therapy

• Kurt Millar aka DJ Cuzzi

• WInthrop Marketplace

• Jenny Golic, Lantern Residential

• Lantern Residential

• “Captain Ralph” Tufo

• Dmitriy Khesin, Coldwell Banker

• Winthrop Cultural Council

• Winthrop Charities

• FKO Afterschool

• Harbor City Church

Thank you, Winthrop!

Julia Wallerce, Liz Bryant, Caitlin Perry, Elana Cogliano- Project Play Winthrop

On Federal Taxes

Dear Editor,

I just finished doing my federal income tax return and noticed the pie charts showing the major categories of federal income and outlays for fiscal year 2022 (in the IRS tax year 2023 Form 1040 instruction booklet).

The federal income for fiscal year 2022 was $4.897 trillion (about $15,000 per person in the US) and outlays were $6.273 trillion (about $19,000 per person in the US), leaving a deficit of $1.376 trillion (about $4,000 per person in the US).

The Federal income was made up of 42% from personal income taxes; 7% from corporate income taxes; 24% from Social Security, Medicare, unemployment, and other retirement taxes; 6% from excise, customs, estate, gift, and miscellaneous taxes; and 21% from borrowing to cover the deficit.

The Federal outlays were 33% for Social Security, Medicare, and other retirement; 17% for national defense, veterans, and foreign affairs; 25% for social programs including Medicaid and related programs, and public health and research; 15% for physical, human, and community development including the environment, transportation, assistance to schools and college students, job training, and science programs; 3% for law enforcement and general government; and 7% for interest on the debt.

At the end of fiscal year 2022, the federal debt was about $30.8 trillion (about $95,000 per person in the US). It has increased every year since fiscal year 1956! Since that time, we have had 13 Presidents: Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Clinton, George W. Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden.

National debt can be measured by comparing the national debt level when a president enters office to the level when a president leaves, and calculating the percentage of increase in debt during the presidency.

According to the U. S. Treasury Department, the top five presidents since 1956 who had the largest percentage increase to the national debt during their term(s) in office are: Reagan (161%), George W. Bush (73%), Obama (64%), George H. W. Bush (42%), and Nixon (34%). The five presidents in that time with the smallest percentage increase are: Kennedy (6%), Eisenhower (8%), Biden (9%), Johnson (12%), and Ford (16%).  The remaining three presidents and their percentage increase are: Clinton (29%), Carter (30%), and Trump (33%).

According to the independent, nonpartisan Tax Foundation, the corporate income tax rate has decreased from a high rate of 52.8% in 1968 at the end of Lyndon Johnson’s presidency to the present rate of 21% which became law in 2018 during Donald Trump’s presidency.

In the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, the top personal income tax rate remained high, never dipping below 70%.  In 1981, under Reagan, the top rate was cut from 70% to 50%, and in 1986, the top rate was cut again to 28%. In the 1990s, under Clinton, the top rate was increased to 39.6%, but in 2001, under George W. Bush, the top rate was cut to 35%. In 2012, under Obama, the top rate went back to 39.6%, but it was lowered to 37% in 2018 under Trump.

William H. Schmidt