Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts with the label #TaxJustice

4: “How Did We Get Here?”

  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...