Last week Ralph Klein missed a golden opportunity to discuss ways to improve AISH - Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped.

This past September his government launched a review of the AISH program, and produced a 20-page information booklet with questions for discussion. Instead of making questionable remarks about AISH, Klein should have tried to answer the questions in his government's discussion book.

For example, should AISH recipients, 13% of whom are employed, be allowed to keep more of their own earnings Right now, a single person on AISH, receiving $850 per month plus medical benefits, can keep only the first $200 of her monthly earnings. The government takes away 75% of her monthly earnings in excess of $200, by deducting those earnings from the $850 AISH payment. Once a person's retained earnings reach $482, 100% of any additional earnings are deducted from the $850, dollar-for-dollar.

In other words, an AISH recipient who is able to work can never keep more than $482 of his own monthly earnings. Here is how "AISH math" works: earn $500 and keep $275; earn $1,000 and keep $400; earn $1,350 and keep $482; earn $2,000 and keep $482.

Allowing AISH recipients to keep more of their own earnings would provide them with a higher standard of living. Further, work is a fundamental component of human dignity, providing people with higher levels of self-confidence and self-respect. Work provides opportunities to meet and interact with other people, to belong to a team, to develop one's skills, to use one's talents, and to diminish isolation and loneliness.

Allowing AISH recipients to keep more of their own earnings costs taxpayers nothing. In fact, more participation in the work force is likely to reduce mental and physical problems, resulting in lower health care costs. The opportunity to work more could help some people - depending on the nature of their handicap - to transition off of AISH entirely. But the current policy encourages people to stay on AISH by capping monthly earnings at $482.

Further, in light of the labour shortage which exists in many sectors and industries, Alberta's employers would benefit from having more people available to work.

This maximum income cap of $1,332 ($850 + $482) should be abolished. Further, AISH recipients should be able to keep 50% of their earnings in addition to AISH benefits, not just 25% or 0% as is now the case. As a person's earned income rose from $200 per month to $1,900 per month, the $850 AISH benefit would be gradually phased out.

The federal government must also do its part, by stopping its cruel practice of taxing income away from people who don't even earn enough to pay for their basic needs. Canada's basic personal exemption - the earnings on which no income tax is payable - is a paltry $8,021 per year. The basic personal exemption - as well as the spousal exemption - should be increased to $15,000 each. That would allow every family to keep $2,500 per month to pay for food, clothing, rent or mortgage, transportation, utilities, and other basic needs.

This is one answer to one of the questions about AISH. Perhaps Mr. Klein will see fit to participate in this discussion too. That would be of more help to AISH recipients - and to all Alberta taxpayers - than the comments he made last week.