The document discusses how the economy has failed the 99% over the past 30 years as the 1% have gotten richer by pushing down wages and shipping jobs overseas. It argues that the middle class is the true engine of the economy and that we need policies that invest in people and make our democracy work for regular Americans again by reforming campaign finance and taxing Wall Street speculation. Finally, it says Americans must organize together to demand an economy that creates good jobs, makes corporations and the wealthy pay their fair share, and puts people over profits.

1. An America that Works for the 99%
Why isn’t the economy working?
For 30 years, the 1% have got richer at the expense of the 99%.
 For the past 30 years the rich got richer while the middle-class and working families got
squeezed and crushed.
 Corporations pushed up profits by pushing down wages and benefits and shipping our
jobs overseas.
 The richest 400 families own more than 150 million Americans, half the country.
Taxes on the richest were cut in half.
 The rich can’t spend enough to keep the economy going. The $100 million
earned in one year by the CEO of Bank of America could have provided median
incomes to 2000 families.
 If our nation’s economic growth had been shared fairly for the past 30 years,
wages would be 60% higher than they are now.
 Corporations are sitting on $2 trillion in cash – instead of creating jobs in
America they are making CEOs and shareholders richer. Corporate taxes are at
an historic low in terms of the economy and share of federal revenues.
 As the 1% grabbed more and more, the 99% got squeezed, saved less and borrowed
more, particularly from their houses. When the housing bubble burst, the government
bailed out Wall Street but let homeowners go underwater, drowning the economy.
How do we get our economy moving forward again?
By making our economy work for the 99%.
 The American middle-class is the engine of the economy. We all do better, when we all
do better.
 The people who wrecked our economy should be paying for it, not profiting from
it. Deregulating Wall Street and trickle-down tax cuts for the rich didn’t create
jobs. Workers who get decent wages and benefits, who can support their
families, who shop on Main Street – that’s who create jobs. It’s simple really: Our
economy works better when every American who wants a job is working.
 A strong middle-class, the engine of the economy, is built by the decisions we make
together.
 Decisions to invest in our people, expand opportunity and provide security - a
world-leading education, quality affordable health care, protections at work,
retirement security.
 Decisions that will pave the way for businesses to innovate and meet the future:
green jobs; fuel efficient cars and high speed rail; fixing our crumbling; bridges,
roads, water and sewer lines; a modern, energy-saving electric grid; high-speed
internet in every home and business.
Prepared for the Progressive Economic Narrative Group by USAction Education Fund 1

2.  Writing rules that boost businesses that do the right thing: create good jobs here
in America; make safe products; safeguard our food, water and air; save energy
and make and install green sources of energy.
What do we – the 99% – have to do together for our country?
Make our democracy work for us, the 99%.
 We’re not broke, we’ve been robbed... By the Wall Street speculators who wrecked our
economy and got bailed out. By the corporate lobbyists who bought our democracy out
from under us. By the super-rich who paid politicians to cut their tax rates in half while
their incomes went up 500%.
o Over the two years of the 2007-2008 election cycle, politicians, parties, and PACS raised
$301,000 every hour of every day, to influence and win federal elections.
 We know the problem – our democracy has been robbed by the 1%. It’s up to us to
organize together, in our communities across the country, to make our democracy and
our government work for the 99%.
We are fighting for and America that works for the 99%, with liberty and justice for all:
 Good jobs for everyone in America.
o Rebuild our infrastructure, create green jobs for energy independence,
educate our kids and care for our elders, pave the way for businesses
that create good jobs in America.
 Make Wall Street, corporate America and the super-rich pay.
o Tax Wall Street speculation to pay for Main Street job creation.
o End tax breaks for corporations that ship profits and jobs overseas.
o Ending the Bush tax breaks for the rich could cut tuition in half for every
two and four year college student in America.
 Invest in our families: educational opportunities for our children, keeping Social
Security, Medicare and Medicaid secure.
 End corporate control of our democracy – put our democracy back in the hands
of the 99%.
o Stop corporate funding of elections.
o Make it possible for candidates who refuse big money contributions to
win with the support of contributions from the 99%.
The choice is clear. We stand with the 99% - the working families and the small businesses that
create two-thirds of American jobs. They stand with the 1% - the Wall Street speculators and
CEOs who cut our wages, crashed our economy and shipped our jobs overseas. The question
we have to ask every member of Congress is: which side are you on?
Prepared for the Progressive Economic Narrative Group by USAction Education Fund 2