1. It’s not fair, it’s not moral! Income inequality is at record rate and getting worse. The working class is working harder/longer hours with substandard pay with minimal benefits. It’s been a consistent trend for the last several decades, starting with the Reagan Administration. At the same time the wealthy upper 1% are getting much, much richer taking a greater share of the economic pie in America.
2. America is the hardest working nation among developed economies of the world. Long hours, minimal vacation time, rising health care costs and with the COVID related inflation every essential purchase is much more expensive. American workers are regressing, not progressing. Most developed nations in the world have more job protection/benefits than us like paid parental leave, guaranteed 4 weeks paid vacation, heavily subsidized health care, heavily subsidized or free college/trade school tuition, child care subsidies …etc.
3. We were told that if we work hard, obeying the rules we would benefit socially and economically but it’s NOT happening. “Upward mobility” use to be the trademark of America but now we as a nation have lost that benefit. The working class has become a permanent substandard caste struggling to survive with little opportunity to progress and getting worse for our children.
4. The rich in America have “gamed the system” as they control major components of government (complete control of the Republican Party). They have been getting regular tax cuts/benefits starting from the Reagan/Republican Administration and capped off with a HUGE $2 Trillion tax cut under the trump/GOP administration with a pittance to the working class.
5. How can the most affluent nation on planet earth have the highest percentage of people/children living in poverty compared to all developed nations of the world? Clearly, our socioeconomic system needs a major overhaul. The current system is NOT sustainable and already creating record numbers of dysfunctional people who are dying from violence, illegal drug overdoses, becoming homeless along with the mental health crisis especially among our children.
6. Democrats acknowledge our problematic socioeconomic system/income-wealth inequality and want to see dynamic change, but Republican obstructionism and the massive power of corporate lobbyists continue to temper progress. Democrats desperately need “Governing Power” to legislate big initiatives. Without a big win November, dynamic change will not occur. The status quo benefits the rich and the Republican Party.
7. Recently Democrats have been successful in passing legislation that benefit the working class like:
■ Much higher minimum wage increases
■ Establishing new rules to protect/enhance overtime pay
■ Increasing the availability of health insurance to 23 million Americans/ObamaCare
■ Consumer Protection via getting rid of excess banking fees, ticket surcharges, hidden fees on many products/services in total saving consumers Billions of Dollars/year.
■ Substantial increase in IRS budget so they can be aggressive on the rich who avoid paying their taxes. What they don’t pay, the working class must pay!
■ Started the process of eliminating the massive college debt ($1.5 trillion) accumulated by most working-class students. No other developed nation has college debt issues.
All of these initiatives are opposed by the Republican Party. Their focus is more tax cuts for the rich and significantly reducing Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, college assistance …etc.
8. The rich feel they are the only entity that can create wealth thus they demand a huge share of the economic pie in America. But in reality, there are many valuable components in creating wealth and jobs. The workers at every level contribute much value to any product or service AND government infrastructure is essential. Government builds the roads, bridges, airports, legal system, police and military to protect everyone, vital water/sewer and utility facilities along with a massive contribution towards education from pre-K to our University System. All of these components are essential and catalytic in creating wealth. The workers and government need/demand a bigger share of the economic pie and they deserve it. Concentrated wealth is destructive to any civilized society.
9. There is a distinct difference in policy priorities of Democrats and Republicans as they relate to the working-class in America.
Democrats have and still strongly support the working class that create opportunities for them to progress with a higher quality of life. It’s been their mission since FDR. The legislative evidence is overwhelming!
Republicans continue to support rich individuals and large corporations. They are led by a scandalous multi-billionaire with multiple mansions, a gold plated toilet that meets with the titans of Wall Street at Mar-a-Lago resort to plan further tax cuts for the rich, less regulations for polluters and Wall Street Banks and more cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and possibly end minimum wage laws!