The Rising Tide

Let’s be clear: this isn’t about turning America into something it’s not. It’s about rebuilding what once made it great—and  fixing what’s been stolen from working people  for the last 50 years. A  pro-democracy economy  means  you have a say  in how your country and your workplace run. It means wealth comes  from  work—not from rigging the system. Here’s what that could look like: 1. Jobs that actually pay enough to live on. Not three side hustles. Not relying on credit cards. A single, full-time job should pay for food, rent, health care, and savings. That’s not a radical idea—that’s what your grandparents had. 2. Healthcare tied to your humanity—not your employer. The richest country in the world shouldn’t have people dying because they can’t afford insulin or avoiding checkups because they lost their job. A healthy population is a strong nation. 3. Schools that build futures—not debt. From vocational training to public universities, education ...

  You didn’t imagine it—America used to work better for regular people. One income could support a household. Wages rose with productivity. Pensions were common. Kids could go to college without lifelong debt. So what happened? Step by step, the rules were changed. And not in your favor. 1. The War on Unions (1970s–present): Unions—once the backbone of the American middle class—were systematically weakened. Why? Because unions meant better pay, safer workplaces, and political power for workers. So corporations lobbied to gut them. Today, union membership is half of what it was in 1983—and so are your workplace protections. 2. Tax Cuts for the Rich (1980s–present): In the 1950s, the top tax rate was over 90%. Under Reagan, it dropped to 28%. Today, billionaires pay a  lower effective tax rate  than many middle-class families. These cuts didn’t “create jobs.” They  concentrated wealth at the top , while public services crumbled. 3. Deregulation of Wall Street (1990s–20...