Issue Position: Economic Justice

Issue Position

We need an economy that works for all of us, not just the 1%. One percent of the U.S. population owns 40% of all wealth, while 80% of the population owns only 7% of all wealth. Low-income and middle-class families are struggling. Working families are the engines of our economy. They spend their hard earned dollars, contribute to economic growth and help all of us.

Minimum Wage

Anyone who works full time (or even more) should be able to afford decent housing, transportation, food, clothing, and health care. Raising the state minimum wage and indexing it to inflation is an important step to ensure this. The current minimum wage does not cover basic necessities. As an economist I know that real world economic data shows that increasing the minimum wage actually helps state economies by pumping money into the marketplace, creating new revenue for businesses and creating new jobs.

In addition to advocating for increasing the minimum wage I would advocate for tax reform initiatives to help working families and small businesses. As a legislator I would discuss the importance of extending unemployment benefits and increasing the earned-income tax credit with our U.S. senators and representatives.

Source