📢 Tax the Rich, Save Democracy: Why We Need a Billionaires' Income Tax Now

Friends,It’s time we say what everyone knows but too few in power will admit: our system is rigged for billionaires. While working families pay taxes on every paycheck, the ultra-wealthy hoard unimaginable fortunes and pay less—sometimes nothing.How? Because our tax code lets billionaires live off borrowed money, stash their assets in shell companies, and pass them to their heirs without ever paying what they owe. They don’t sell stock—they leverage it. They don’t pay taxes—they delay them forever. They don’t play by the same rules—they write them.Senator Ron Wyden and Representatives Steve Cohen and Don Beyer have a solution: The Billionaires Income Tax Act. It’s simple, fair, and long overdue. The bill according to Americans for Tax Fairness would:* Effects fewer than 1,000 households, all of whom are ultrawealthy.* Raises an estimated $560 billion over 10 years.* Ends the “Buy, Borrow, Die” loophole.* Establishes fairness by taxing billionaires the same way workers are taxed.As Fair Share for America Executive Director Kristen Crowell reminds us, “Working families are taxed on every paycheck. Billionaires shouldn’t get out of paying their fair share just because their wealth is tied up in Wall Street assets.”When the wealthiest billionaires manipulate tax law to protect their power, the consequences ripple through every community. Rising inequality erodes mobility, corrupts politics, and fractures community trust. Economists warn that when taxes on extreme wealth are too low, oligarchies form and entrench themselves. Look around—that’s already happening.💸 What’s at StakeEvery time billionaires dodge taxes, our roads crumble, our schools shrink, and our hospitals close. The bill for their greed gets handed to us—the middle class, the working poor, the small business owner just trying to make payroll.A fair tax system would restore balance:* It would level the playing field and reaffirm that no one is above contributing to America’s success.* It would reduce inequality and crime—because countries with fairer taxes have safer, healthier communities.* It would stabilize the economy, boosting demand as working families spend what they earn.* It would prevent dangerous wealth bubbles, the same kind that led to the Great Depression, the 2008 crash, and what I believe we might be seeing soon.* And it would fuel innovation, because investing in people—education, research, infrastructure—drives progress.Meanwhile, Trump’s America is showing us exactly where concentrated wealth and unchecked power lead:* A gold-plated Oval Office while federal workers face layoffs.* Coal mines reopened while clean energy programs are gutted.* Civil rights lawyers fired for defending fair housing.* Cronies handed TikTok ownership through backroom deals.* And a militarized domestic policy turning our cities into “training grounds.”This is not democracy—it’s plutocracy. And it’s why tax reform is a moral imperative.✊ The People’s MandateThe rich have benefited the most from this country—our roads, courts, educated workforce, and stability. They built their empires on public investment. It’s time they reinvest in the public good.Extreme inequality is not just unfair—it’s dangerous. It corrodes democracy, concentrates political power, and silences the people. That’s why we must act now.Tell Congress to pass the Billionaires Income Tax. 👉 Sign the letterWhen you sign, share it. Please send it to friends. Please post it in your networks. Write your representatives. The window to make change is narrow—but the people can widen it with collective pressure.We’ve done it before. We can do it again.Because progress and power belong to the people.Together, we can protect and empower those we love, champion our rights, freedoms, and democracy, hold our leaders accountable to the people’s will, and inspire voters to make a meaningful difference.Laurie Woodward Garcia (paid with hugs and kisses, not bought by special interests), People Power UnitedPeople Power United is a group of community members that champions freedom over fascism, progress, and power to the people.People Power United is community-powered, heart-driven, and people-led. We are powered by people. Not billionaires. Not PACs. Not special interests. Just us. You make that possible.People Power United is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe