President Trump Broke His Promises for a Better Economy — Remember the Trump Tax Scam?

Monday, August 24,  2020                                                              

MADISON, Wis. — Today, as the Republican National Convention kicks off under the banner of President Trump making America a ‘Land of Promise,’ Wisconsinites know the truth — President Trump’s promises about improving the economy are empty. The case in point? His signature economic policy, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act — better known as the Trump tax scam. 

Because of the Trump tax scam, Wisconsin residents with the lowest incomes are expected to pay more in taxes, while the wealthiest 1% of residents can expect almost $8,000 in savings. President Trump’s tax giveaways to the wealthy hurt Wisconsinites before the pandemic, and haven’t done any favors to help working people weather the current financial crisis because of it. 

Check out this video from Tim of Appleton, as he discusses who really benefits from the Trump tax scam. “The people who really benefit from Trump’s tax cuts are the people at the top, and what it does is it leaves people like me, like most of my friends and family, out in the cold,” said Tim, a former employee at AT&T’s now-closed Appleton center. “AT&T decided to close our center within a year. The Trump administration cares more about lining the pockets of Wall Street than they do about helping Wisconsinites.”

What’s more, President Trump promised wages would soar under his leadership. But, wages have been stagnant in Wisconsin for 40 years. Adjusting for inflation, the median wage in Wisconsin is only 73 cents higher than it was in 1979. To make matters worse, the president promised to put the American people first in his plans for economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic — but the Paycheck Protection Program has left small businesses behind, and he has refused to extend the $2,400 per month paycheck that kept countless Wisconsin families afloat until the program was left to expire on July 31.

Listen to Becca Cooke from Eau Claire here as she discusses the struggles she’s facing to keep her small business afloat. “I came back to Wisconsin to open my own small business. I didn’t come from an affluent family, so it was really kind of a pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps start,” said Becca Cooke, owner of Red’s Mercantile “I think the 1 percent and corporations are the people that are benefiting from the Trump tax law. You don’t see that trickle down to small businesses.”

So, while President Trump and his allies will tout his economic agenda this week and claim they’ve turned America into a ‘Land of Promise,’ Wisconsinites are living the truth every day. President Trump has broken every promise to build an economy that works for working people — and the Trump tax scam is the case in point.

To speak with an Opportunity Wisconsin spokesperson, please email press@opportunitywisconsin.org

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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.

Opportunity Wisconsin Statement on Jacob Blake

Monday, August 24, 2020 

MADISON, Wis. — Yesterday, Kenosha resident Jacob Blake was shot multiple times in the back, at close range, by a member of local law enforcement.  Opportunity Wisconsin released the following statement in the wake of the shooting: 

Opportunity Wisconsin stands in solidarity with the Blake family, the protestors who have taken to the streets to demand justice, and people across Wisconsin traumatized by the police violence against Jacob Blake last night. The systemic racism that permeates our society requires urgent, intentional action, and Opportunity Wisconsin remains committed to its fight for equal economic opportunity for all, and in its support of those working tirelessly to reform how law enforcement engages with the communities they are sworn to serve. We need leaders who are not only committed to this work, but also to guaranteeing the right of every eligible voter to participate in our democracy, for these tenets are foundational to empowering and protecting Black communities.  

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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Yesterday Marked ‘Black Women’s Equal Pay Day’ — Hear From Black Women Across Wisconsin About What It Means to Them

MADISON, Wis. — Yesterday was Black Women’s Equal Pay Day, which marks the approximate day that a Black woman must work into the next year to make what a white non-Hispanic man made, on average, at the end of the previous year. This disparity in pay, which is part and parcel of the tremendous racial wealth gap perpetuated by the president’s economic policies, has contributed to deepened inequality in Wisconsin. Black women from across the Badger State joined Opportunity Wisconsin in conversation to share their experiences and underscore the importance of ending the economic inequality Black women face in the United States.

Listen to the full conversation here.

Based on ACS Census data, the 2020 wage gap for Black women compared to non-Hispanic white men is $0.62 (cents). August 13, 2020 marks the 226 extra days that Black women worked to earn what the average man earned the prior year, regardless of their experience or job type. In other words, Black women had to work 591 days to make the same amount of money that a white non-hispanic man would have made in 365 days. 

What’s more, especially in a time when the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disproportionately impact Black communities, Black women bear the worst of the president’s botched response and Wall Street-first economy, and are being forced to do more than other demographic groups to make ends meet. 

Some excerpts from the conversation: “Black women hold families together. We are generations past when men are the financial stability in the home. We are generations past when men are the main caretakers,” said Elle Halo of Milwaukee. “As a transgender woman, I cannot make it safer for trans woman. There have been 28 transgender people killed in the country this month, and that’s directly related to the financial problems. The time is now. This right here right now what you are seeing in the country is because you have to do something about it. The racism isn’t on us to deal with.”

“This wage gap deeply affects the fact that I can’t help my son go to college, and he’s got to figure out where he’s gonna get the rest of the money he needs to be able go — to be that next generation in my family to not only go to college, but to complete college,” said Charvonne Carlson of Milwaukee. “If I had the money that I would have had if I was being paid equally, it might not be as difficult.”

“At a time when the pandemic hits the African-American community harder than almost any other community, Black women are bearing a large brunt about how we are expected to use finances to help our children, to help our community, to help each other, and we have a wage gap,” said Selika Ducksworth-Lawton of Eau Claire, Opportunity Wisconsin Steering Committee member. “The wage gap is there, in part, because there have been collaborators that undermine our agency.”

“More than 40 million people are unemployed and struggling, but the wealthiest white men are still going strong and still gaining billions of dollars during this pandemic,” said Martha Collins of Milwaukee. “If we get some form of equity, as it relates to us and our pay, we’d bring the other sisters of color along with us. More brown faces that are also disproportionate in this thing.”

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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. 

Trump’s Sham Unemployment Insurance Executive Order Leaves 700,000 Unemployed Wisconsinites Behind

MADISON, Wis. — This weekend, President Trump announced new executive actions his administration falsely claims will provide much-needed financial lifelines to the millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet during this pandemic.  Since the Trump administration and Senate Republicans refused to extend the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program after it expired on July 31, 700,000 Wisconsinites have been forced to survive on a $2,400 monthly pay cut. 

However, the president’s executive order aimed at reinstating some form of unemployment insurance is a band-aid on a bullet wound. The order, which calls for a 25% pay cut from the original $600 per week people were receiving, is contingent on states providing unemployed residents with $100 of the total unemployment assistance amount. The catch? If a state fails to provide an  unemployed resident with the $100, that resident won’t get any unemployment from the federal government either. This program is built to fail and hurts workers already facing deflated wages, like servers who rely on tips. The truth is: Even if this program worked perfectly, it would still be a 25% pay cut for people newly unemployed during this pandemic.

Check out some of Opportunity Wisconsin’s conversations with newly unemployed Wisconsinites.

“Though President Trump claims that the coronavirus will ‘soon disappear,’ the American economy is still in a state of crisis,” said Chantia Lewis, Opportunity Wisconsin steering committee member and Milwaukee alderperson.  “Wisconsin workers reeling from layoffs and the $600 per week pandemic pay cut deserve better than stagnant job numbers, a fraction of the financial lifeline they were receiving until this point, and a president who prioritizes corporations over small businesses. Wisconsinites need real relief, support for small business, and leaders who will put them and their families first, not prioritize Wall Street wishlists and corporate handouts.”

Last Friday, the Labor Department announced that unemployment is still 6.7 points higher than it was before the pandemic, and the economy is grappling with nearly 13 million fewer jobs compared to the pre-pandemic economy. While Senate Republicans and the Trump administration continue to stonewall progress on a new pandemic relief package that would extend unemployment paychecks, overall job growth has remained stagnant, with nearly 1.2 million workers filing for unemployment last week. What’s more, unemployment remains at the highest it's been since the Great Depression.

Not only has economic recovery faltered as COVID-19 cases spike across the country, but new polling from Navigator Research shows ratings of the economy are at their worst point in three months — 81 percent of Americans now rate the economy negatively, while 60 percent say things are getting worse.

Earlier this month, Opportunity Wisconsin released a countdown clock highlighting the impending pandemic pay cut that nearly 700,000 unemployed Wisconsin workers face starting August 1. Now, that clock is counting forward, to track the number of days Wisconsinites are going without critical financial relief during the pandemic.

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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.

ICYMI: Trump Fails to Extend Pandemic Paychecks for 700,000 Unemployed Wisconsinites

MADISON, Wis. — Today, the pandemic unemployment assistance that has kept millions of Americans afloat will expire. As of today, nearly 700,000 Wisconites will get a $2,400 pay cut per month during this pandemic of unprecedented scale. This week also marks the nineteenth consecutive week that more than 1 million Americans — 1.43 million, to be precise — have filed for unemployment assistance. 

Check out Opportunity Wisconsin’s conversations with newly unemployed Wisconsinites.

On the final day of this lifeline program, President Trump still has yet to approve extending pandemic unemployment assistance. Instead, Trump has prioritized legal immunity, tax cuts, and bailouts for corporations over direct aid to working- and middle-class families. 

Below are recent statements from Mark Westphal, President of the Fox Valley Area Labor Council and Opportunity Wisconsin Steering Committee Member, in response to President Trump’s failure to put Wisconsin families and workers first during this pandemic:

“[Yesterday], we saw tremendously disturbing GDP numbers, which only begin to represent the real fear and pain being felt by workers, small business owners, and middle class families across Wisconsin. So many across the state are continuing to cope with loss of work and income due to this administration's bungled response to the COVID-19 crisis.”

“The loss of $600 in enhanced unemployment benefits will only make the situation worse and negatively impact GDP for the rest of the year. It didn't have to be this bad. If the Trump administration continues to prioritize the wealthy and Wall Street over the well-being of the rest of us, we are going to continue to see the real American economy here in our communities crumble.”

“Right now, Wisconsinites are facing unprecedented unemployment, wage loss, sickness, and incredible financial uncertainty. Now is not the time to let these economic relief measures expire. Wisconsinites can’t take another pay cut during this pandemic.”

Earlier this month, Opportunity Wisconsin released a countdown clock highlighting the impending pandemic pay cut that nearly 700,000 unemployed Wisconsin workers will face starting tomorrow, since President Trump failed to extend vital economic relief by today. Now, that clock will start to count forward, to track the number of days Wisconsinites are going without paychecks during this pandemic.

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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.

U.S. GDP Plummets By A Staggering 35 Percent, Worst Decline On Record

Madison, Wis. — Today, the Commerce Department announced that U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) faced its worst decline on record in the second quarter of 2020, plummeting by a staggering annualized rate of about 35 percent. In fact, experts say the only other comparable economic periods in American history are the Great Depression and the economic slump after World War II. 

In Wisconsin, nearly 700,000 folks remain unemployed. What’s more, this week marks the nineteenth consecutive week that more than 1 million Americans — 1.43 million, to be precise — have filed for unemployment assistance. 

“Today we saw tremendously disturbing GDP numbers, which only begin to represent the real fear and pain being felt by workers, small business owners, and middle class families across Wisconsin. So many across the state are continuing to cope with loss of work and income due to this administration's bungled response to the COVID-19 crisis,” said Mark Westphal, President of the Fox Valley Area Labor Council and Opportunity Wisconsin Steering Committee Member. “The loss of $600 in enhanced unemployment benefits will only make the situation worse and negatively impact GDP for the rest of the year. It didn't have to be this bad. If the Trump administration continues to prioritize the wealthy and Wall Street over the well-being of the rest of us, we are going to continue to see the real American economy here in our communities crumble."

This Friday, the pandemic assistance that has kept millions of Americans and 700,000 Wisconsinites afloat will expire. That means this Friday, nearly 700,000 Wisconites will get a $2,400 pay cut per month during a pandemic. President Trump has prioritized legal immunity, tax cuts, and bailouts for corporations over direct aid to working- and middle-class families. Wisconsin families facing bills without paychecks and struggling to make ends meet right now need extended direct aid. Check out Opportunity Wisconsin’s conversations from last week with newly unemployed folks from across the state who called on President Trump to help families stay afloat during this pandemic and recession.

Earlier this month, Opportunity Wisconsin released a countdown clock highlighting the impending pandemic pay cut that nearly 700,000 unemployed Wisconsin workers will face should President Trump fail to extend vital economic relief by the end of this week. 

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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.
To reach an Opportunity Wisconsin spokesperson, please email press@opportunitywisconsin.org

Gov. Evers, Wisconsin Health Providers Lay Bare Trump Administration Failures Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

MADISON, Wis. — Yesterday, Gov. Tony Evers joined Wisconsin health care providers for a candid conversation about the state of health care amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants focused on the unique challenges they are facing during this unprecedented health crisis in a conversation hosted by Opportunity Wisconsin and Protect Our Care. 

To view the full remarks by Gov. Evers and the ensuing roundtable discussion, please click here.

Moderated by State Rep. Jodi Emerson, the roundtable discussion among health care providers made clear that the Trump administration has failed to adequately respond to the pandemic, and that ongoing efforts to undermine the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would only exacerbate the challenges facing Wisconsin families. 
“At a time when everyone needs to be able to have access to health care and stop the spread of a communicable disease, we’re seeing our federal administration actively working to take down the Affordable Care Act,” noted Emerson, referring to the Trump administration’s ongoing effort to invalidate the ACA via the Supreme Court. 

“It feels 100 percent irresponsible to get rid of the ACA with absolutely no plan to replace it,” added Dr. Lori Whitis. “There’s a huge disconnect in understanding of reality.”

Working- and middle-class Wisconsinites have long struggled with access to affordable health insurance. Today, 15.5 million Americans have already lost or are at risk of losing their health coverage because they or their family members have lost work due to COVID-19.  

In remarks setting the stage for the conversation by providers, Gov. Evers noted that, “It was 3 years ago that Senator John McCain cast his famous thumbs down vote on repealing the Affordable Care Act. Unfortunately here we are 3 years later, and in the middle of a global pandemic no less, and Republicans are still trying to repeal health care for millions of Americans including 2.4 million Wisconsinites who like me have pre-existing conditions.”

Providers also discussed the need to expand BadgerCare, the state’s public health care program for low-income residents, and deliver personal protective equipment (PPE) to front-line health care workers.
“In other states where Medicaid has been expanded, they’re able to come in and see health professionals without the worry that they’re going to be bankrupted by it,” said Dr. Jeff Huebner of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. “And they’re going to be able to afford the care that they need, the tests they need, the treatment they need.

“I always knew that I would probably have to work in a pandemic,” remarked Dr. Julia Kyle. “Never in a million years did I think that in the United States of America, I would be wearing the same surgical mask for days.” 
For interview requests of the health care providers who participated, please contact press@opportunitywisconsin.com 

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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.

About Protect Our Care

Protect Our Care is leading the fight against efforts to repeal and sabotage the Affordable Care Act while promoting access to quality, affordable coverage for all Americans.

New Data Shows Wisconsinites Still Face Steep Unemployment, As Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Expires in Days

Opportunity Wisconsin’s layoff tracker provides in-depth look at historic unemployment continuing to devastate Wisconsinites

MADISON, Wis. — Yesterday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released new data that reveals Wisconsinites are still grappling with devastating unemployment and layoffs nearly five months into the coronavirus pandemic. As of this week, more than 25,000 Wisconsinites have filed for unemployment since March and the most recent rate of unemployment in Wisconsin remains a staggering 8.5 percent. 

Two months ago, Opportunity Wisconsin unveiled a new website to share updated and aggregated job data from across the state. The site has been updated to reflect today’s new monthly jobs numbers and offers data visualizations of the economic pain lingering across the state.

Check out the Opportunity Wisconsin Layoffs Tracker here.

These numbers do not even fully reflect the damage that has been done to workers, small businesses, and the economy during this pandemic. While President Trump insists on more tax cuts for the wealthy and well-connected, as recently as yesterday, Wisconsinites continue to pay the price for Trump’s billionaires-first policymaking. 

“I was lost, confused, and angry when I found out that I was being laid off due to the pandemic. I didn’t know where my next check was coming from, or how was I going to pay my rent. My life was up in the air,” said Shamar Cannon, a former security guard in Milwaukee. “I had no savings, I lived check to check working as a security guard. There were no guarantees, and I didn’t know when, if ever, I would return to work. I was in a living hell, not able to pay my rent, buy food, or support myself.”

The impending expiration of the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits in one week will only exacerbate the crisis, as nearly 700,000 Wisconsinites will soon receive a $2,400/month pay cut. Even if the Trump and Senate Republicans commit to some form of continued unemployment assistance next month, they have firmly stated it will be a mere fraction of the paycheck helping millions stay afloat right now. If President Trump and the Republican-controlled Senate allow these benefits to expire or slash them to pennies, they will deliver yet another pay cut to Wisconsinites who have already been hit the hardest.
Under such dire circumstances, Wisconsinites need the president to put us and our communities first by extending pandemic unemployment assistance. President Trump cannot continue to put the whims of Wall Street over Wisconsin families.  

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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