so carmelo nieves is left out. he made about $20,000 last year working part-time as an aide for disabled adults. >> it benefits the single parents with the kids. and i'm not against that. i'm not against that. but you've got to show some fairness in the sense of, alright, we got single adults that are working just as hard as them. >> reporter: gordon berlin is trying to help people like nieves. he's president of m.d.r.c., a new york nonprofit group focused on improving policies and programs for the poor. >> in the united states, we are mostly focused on poverty as a child problem. it's been very hard to build support for the working poor who don't have dependent children. >> reporter: berlin is an advocate for expanding the e.i.t.c. to low-income workers without children. >> i think we're facing a crisis in low-wage work, and it threatens the american dream. i know that sounds melodramatic, but i think the facts would bear me out. >> reporter: for example, berlin notes, that a male who only graduates from high scho