criminal justice system. She works with the Tax Alliance for Economic Mobility, whose mission is to advance equity and reduce poverty. “We meet quarterly and discuss the asset-building budget of the tax code, which includes the billions of dollars that go back to households in the form of tax credits and deductions. Those funds are incredibly skewed toward wealthy households,” says Bastien. Of her time at Heller, Bastien notes three things that helped her advance her career. “First, being able to talk concretely about how our policy structures actually directly impact the finances of households. Second, Mike Doonan’s infamous ‘road map’ and the strong presentation skills I learned in the MPP program. And third, at Heller I practiced and built experience at calling out policy issues that affect people of color, which has been very important to me in my work.”
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