On the heels of President Trump’s destructive budget proposal, Milwaukee area residents gathered with Alderwoman Chantia Lewis and Supervisor Marcelia Nicholson to discuss how his economic agenda has impacted working Wisconsinites
MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Today, Opportunity Wisconsin held a community roundtable at Coffee Makes You Black in Milwaukee to uplift the stories of working- and middle-class Wisconsinites who are struggling under President Trump’s economic agenda. This event comes days after President Trump unveiled his 2021 budget, which significantly slashes programs and services aimed at supporting Wisconsin’s workers, while giving a leg up to the wealthy and well-connected.
View and download photos from today’s event.
“We are not going to see any change until we start seeing a change in these issues - like wages, affordable housing, and jobs that allow you to make ends meet,” said Chantia Lewis, President of My Lewis Company, City of Milwaukee Alderwoman, and Opportunity Wisconsin Steering Committee member. “There are people who say that the economy is booming, but that’s not true.”
In 2027, Wisconsinites with the lowest incomes are expected to pay more in taxes because of President Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, while the wealthiest 1 percent of residents will receive nearly $8,000 in savings. 1 in 4 Wisconsinites will ultimately see a tax increase under this law. This year, Wisconsin’s top 1 percent, those earning more than $542,700 - will get a nearly $40,000 tax cut, but in comparison, those earning less than $23,900 will get a measly $30 tax cut.
“This [since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was enacted] is the first time in my life that I’ve ever owed taxes, because I couldn’t take advantage of credits that I had in the past when I was a public school teacher,” said Marcelia Nicholson, Vice President of the Milwaukee Area Service and Hospitality Workers Organization (MASH) and Vice-Chairwoman of the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors. “For that job, I invested money into supplies for the kids, but this past year I was only able to deduct $250, even though I invested around $2,000 into supplies, and I couldn't get a tax break for that, but wealthy folks get tax breaks for buying boats.”
Wages have been stagnant in Wisconsin for decades — adjusted for inflation, the median wage in Wisconsin has only risen 73 cents since 1979. Instead of giving hard-working Wisconsinites a boost, President Trump blocked a federal minimum wage increase, a move that denied more than 800,000 Badger State residents a pay increase and resulted in $3 billion in lost wages.
Many of these same workers are now facing sky-high debts and are being forced to decide between daily necessities like food and medicine just to survive. In 2017, 22 percent of Wisconsin residents stopped taking the prescription drugs they need because the costs were too high.
“I’ve worked several jobs across Milwaukee, and dealt with not being able to take one paycheck home..and I started a business because of that,” said Milwaukee small business owner Brittany Thomas. “But it takes money to make money. To sustain a business it takes money and if I'm not making enough money with my 9-to-5 to pay my bills, I can’t sustain the business. I had 2 or 3 jobs at one time and still could not pay my rent at times. As a business owner, when I made a profit, I had to decide if it would be put back into my business or if it would go to bills like my home, food, and lights. It was definitely a struggle.”
About Opportunity Wisconsin
Opportunity Wisconsin is a coalition of Wisconsin residents fighting for an economy that works for working people. Through our stories, we’re elevating the real consequences of the destructive economic policies championed by President Trump and his allies these past three years, and showing how they have made Wisconsin’s economy worse off. Join us in demanding our elected officials focus more on growing the economy for middle class folks and expanding opportunity for all Wisconsinites, not just the wealthy few. To learn more about Opportunity Wisconsin, visit OpportunityWisconsin.org or stay connected on Twitter at @OpportunityWI and on Facebook at Facebook.com/OpportunityWI.
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