WHEREAS, the Coalition for Economic Improvement is a group of more than 20 Treasure Valley business, non-profit and government agencies working together to empower low- and middle-income taxpayers to improve their economic situation by Creating Assets, Savings and Hope (CASH); and

        WHEREAS, the Coalition works with the community by helping individuals and families build strong financial futures through financial education training aimed at maximizing their assets and access to tax credits, including the federal Earned Income Tax Credit; and

        WHEREAS, last year the program prepared tax returns for 1,862 Treasure Valley residents and helped them claim $907,316 through the Earned Income Tax Credit, which increased the total amount refunded to taxpayers to nearly $2 million; and

        WHEREAS, returns are prepared by teams of volunteers, who receive 40 hours of training from the IRS, and many of the volunteers are retired accountants or have a background in finance;

        NOW, THEREFORE, I, C.L. “BUTCH” OTTER, Governor of the State of Idaho, do hereby proclaim February 1, 2007 to be

NATIONAL  EARNED  INCOME  TAX  CREDIT  DAY

in Idaho.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of the State of Idaho at the Capitol in Boise on this 29^th day of January in the year of our Lord two-thousand and seven and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred thirty-first and of the Statehood of Idaho the one hundred seventeenth.       

BEN YSURSA
SECRETARY OF STATE