Tag Archives: Income Inequality

Pass the American Stability Act!

America is suffering from twin wage and tax crises, and today, the Patriotic Millionaires are excited to announce a bold, innovative solution we’ve worked on with our allies on the Hill! Today, with support from our organization and a number of cosponsors, Representative Summer Lee (PA-12) has introduced the American Stability Act, a landmark bill which will enact the largest wage increase and tax cut for … Continue reading Pass the American Stability Act! »

The Business Case for Paying the People

My name is John Driscoll. I am a member of the Patriotic Millionaires and a Senior Advisor to Walgreens Boots Alliance and the EQT Group. Previously, I was the CEO of CareCentrix, Group President for New Markets at Medco, and Executive Vice President at Walker Digital. I have built my career helping develop and lead high growth companies in health care and technology. We normally … Continue reading The Business Case for Paying the People »

The Gap Between 36% and 1,460%

The strike has begun. The United Auto Workers union has walked off the job amid their dispute with the Big Three automakers. Among their demands is a 36% pay increase across the life of their new four-year contract. At first glance, that might seem like a big jump, but in context, it’s actually a modest request for their wages to match the growth in productivity UAW workers … Continue reading The Gap Between 36% and 1,460% »

Economic anxiety and the labor immune response

We at the Patriotic Millionaires spend a great deal of time talking about wealth inequality, from the drag it puts on our economy to the way it acts like jet fuel for extreme politics. But one aspect of wealth inequality we don’t regularly touch on is the emotional and human toll brought on by its effects. A recent New York Times guest essay asked a very simple … Continue reading Economic anxiety and the labor immune response »

Understanding the Ableist Subminimum Wage During Disability Pride Month

Although many do not realize it, pride doesn’t end in June–it rolls right into July with Disability Pride month! With more than 61 million Americans living with a disability, and many more likely to develop some form of disability throughout their life, this month is desperately needed. Unfortunately, this significant minority is often overlooked by society and grossly discriminated against in the labor field. Workers … Continue reading Understanding the Ableist Subminimum Wage During Disability Pride Month »

Statistics Matter: Why Averages Aren’t Useful When Talking About the American Economy

When people talk about economic statistics and how people in the country are doing, they tend to use the word “average” a lot. We hear about the average family’s wealth, or the average personal income, or the average amount of debt. But thanks to out-of-control inequality, the average, or the total amount divided by population, is actually a pretty unhelpful statistic.  Let’s say we have … Continue reading Statistics Matter: Why Averages Aren’t Useful When Talking About the American Economy »

Inequality is Out of Control

If the last year has taught us anything, it’s that we can no longer ignore the widening disparity between the richest Americans and the rest of the country. We’ve seen billionaire wealth (and some billionaires themselves) skyrocket to unprecedented levels, while most Americans are just struggling to get by. This is simply unsustainable – we are reaching a point where inequality is so extreme that … Continue reading Inequality is Out of Control »

Reconciliation Negotiations Are Heating Up

It’s time to get down to business. After months of leadup and preliminary negotiations, committees in the House are just days away from releasing the first official details of the Democrats’ multi-trillion-dollar reconciliation bill. There’s a lot at stake here, with trillions of dollars of support for American families and tax hikes on the rich hanging in the balance as a few centrist Democrats seek … Continue reading Reconciliation Negotiations Are Heating Up »

Overcoming the Opposition

Earlier this week, after months of negotiations, a bipartisan infrastructure bill passed in the Senate. This was followed quickly by a $3.5 trillion budget that sets the stage for Democrats to pass a reconciliation bill that would make one of the largest investments in American families in the last half century. But while we’re in a moment of great opportunity, there are, as always, many … Continue reading Overcoming the Opposition »

Wealth Gap on the Rise

Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, millions of Americans have faced financial hardship and economic instability. Some have lost their jobs or been furloughed, many have been uprooted from their homes or have even become homeless (not to mention the millions that have gotten severely ill and hundreds of thousands that have died). Even well beyond the peak of the pandemic, 24 million adults … Continue reading Wealth Gap on the Rise »

It’s Time for Pennsylvania to Raise its Minimum Wage

Earlier this month, Pennsylvania hit a shameful milestone: 15 years since the state’s minimum wage was last raised. Governor Tom Wolf and Democratic state lawmakers took this opportunity to call on the state’s Republican-led legislature to join them and take action in addressing Pennsylvania’s wage crisis. Gov. Wolf has pushed for policies that would immediately raise the state’s minimum wage to $12/hour, with subsequent $.50 … Continue reading It’s Time for Pennsylvania to Raise its Minimum Wage »

It Is Time We Reexamine the Cost of Reaganomics

President Ronald Reagan was a popular United States President. Upon leaving office, 63 percent of Americans overwhelmingly approved of the job he had done during his 8 years in office. His post-presidency popularity was solidified with efforts led by lobbyist and anti-tax activist Grover Norquist to convince local governments and private associations to name public spaces after Regan to preserve his legacy— particularly his tax … Continue reading It Is Time We Reexamine the Cost of Reaganomics »

Life Without A Living Wage

Unsplash | Dan Smedley

Being poor in America is expensive. The 16% of our population that lives in poverty faces a daily barrage of hidden fees, fines, and predatory interest rates almost perfectly designed to keep them trapped in poverty.  To be poor in America is far more difficult and complicated than it is often presented as. Things can quickly spin out of control when hidden costs start to … Continue reading Life Without A Living Wage »

Explaining The Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act

On Monday, March 1, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, and Rep. Brendan Boyle took a stand against out-of-control wealth inequality by introducing The ‘Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act’ to Congress. So what will this tax do? It’s a virtual copy of the wealth tax that Warren ran on in her 2020 presidential campaign. A wealth tax is a yearly tax on the net worth, essentially assets … Continue reading Explaining The Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act »

Parliamentarians, Byrd rule, and reconciliation

With only 50 Democrats in the Senate, supporters of President Biden’s COVID relief package don’t have the 60 votes necessary to overcome the filibuster and pass it as standard legislation. They also haven’t demonstrated a willingness to abolish the filibuster, leaving Senate Dems with one option: budget reconciliation. This process allows a simple majority to pass legislation by incorporating it into the budget, but it … Continue reading Parliamentarians, Byrd rule, and reconciliation »

COVID- 19 Relief Cannot Be a Short-Term Fix

Unsplash | Bp Miller

In a major report this year, global anti-poverty charity Oxfam estimates that the poor could take over a decade to recover from the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis. Meanwhile, their wealthier counterparts have already recovered – and then some – after just nine months of the pandemic. COVID undoubtedly played a role in expediting the increasing wage inequality in our country, with U.S. Billionaires … Continue reading COVID- 19 Relief Cannot Be a Short-Term Fix »

Economic Recovery and The Fight for $15

Now that Joe Biden has been officially sworn in as the 46th President of the United States, we have a Democratic Congress in lockstep with the new administration on an array of critical economic relief measures. We can now begin the real work toward economic recovery. That starts with raising the minimum wage. President Biden has already made his stance on the job and wage … Continue reading Economic Recovery and The Fight for $15 »

Republicans Have Failed Essential Workers for Months. Don’t Do It Again.

For the past two months, Republicans twiddled their thumbs in the Senate doing nothing as the worst crisis in a century wreaked havoc on their country. Over that same period, millions of front-line workers were experiencing the nightmare of COVID-19 each and every day: indignant customers refusing to observe health protocols, hospitals overflowing with sick and dying patients, demanding delivery and factory quotas, corporate bosses … Continue reading Republicans Have Failed Essential Workers for Months. Don’t Do It Again. »

A Wealth Tax Is the Perfect COVID Stimulus Measure

If you think back to the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis in the US in March, you might remember all the doomsday headlines about the stock market tanking to record lows and investors losing millions of dollars as a result. Three months later, those headlines have entirely disappeared, and there’s a reason for that: the stock market has recovered almost all of the losses incurred … Continue reading A Wealth Tax Is the Perfect COVID Stimulus Measure »

Inequality Propounded

Post originally appeared on WalkerViewPoints on 3/26/20 Inequality has steadily escalated since the days of Reagan and Thatcher. It’s now deeply ingrained in every aspect of our society. And, no matter what the major problem of the world, the less fortunate always get the short end of the stick. The environment is a good example. As we continue to pollute our water, who is forced to … Continue reading Inequality Propounded »