Friend,

I’ve been on the road.

On Thursday night, I was in Parma, Ohio for a rally with hundreds of workers to raise the minimum wage. I joined One Fair Wage, an outstanding grassroots organization, which is collecting hundreds of thousands of signatures for a ballot item that will raise the minimum wage from $10.45 an hour to $15 an hour in Ohio by January 1, 2026. It would also phase out the current tipped minimum wage of $5.25 an hour by 2029. If this initiative is successful nearly one million people in Ohio will receive an average raise of more than $2,100 a year. This effort is being opposed by the well-funded National Restaurant Association — who want to maintain starvation wages in that state.

The bad news is that we have been unable to raise the federal minimum wage in Congress from an absurd $7.25 an hour to a living wage. Three years ago, as part of the American Rescue Plan, I led the effort for a $15 an hour minimum wage. We received 42 votes. Not one Republican voted to raise the minimum wage and 8 Democrats also voted against it. How pathetic is that!

The good news is that, as a result of Congress’ failure to act, workers are taking action at the state level. Since 2013 the people of 12 states — New Jersey, South Dakota, Arkansas, Alaska, Washington, Maine, Colorado, Arizona, Missouri, Florida, Nevada and Nebraska — have voted on ballot initiatives to raise their state’s minimum wage. Every single one of these initiatives passed, none with less than 55% of the vote.

The success of these ballot items reflects the reality that ordinary people understand that we are living in a rigged economy. Today, we have more income and wealth inequality than at any time in the history of this country. While the very rich become much richer, 60% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck and millions are struggling to put food on the table and pay the rent.

Let’s all do everything we can to support the workers of Ohio in their struggle to earn a living wage.

Bernie joined One Fair Wage and hundreds of workers to rally our movement in Parma, OH
Photo Credit: Mark Naymik

On Friday afternoon, I was in Westchester County, New York for a rally to support the progressive Congressman Jamaal Bowman in the New York 16th district Democratic primary race. In my opinion, this is one of the most important House elections in modern American history. Why is that?

Yes, Jamaal Bowman and his opponent George Latimer disagree on some of the major issues facing our country. Jamaal believes that healthcare is a human right available to all regardless of income. His opponent does not. Jamaal thinks that at a time of massive income and wealth inequality the billionaire class should start paying their fair share of taxes. His opponent does not. Jamaal believes that climate change is an existential threat to our planet and requires bold action. His opponent does not.

But the truth is that their differences of opinion on many issues is not what makes this campaign unique. What makes this campaign so important and so unprecedented is that a right-wing billionaire-controlled super PAC is spending more money to defeat Bowman, $14.5 million, than any non-party group has ever spent in a House race in the history of our country. Other super PACs are spending millions more.

In other words, this campaign is not about a clash of ideas. It is a clash over the future of American politics and our very way of life.

It is a clash between democracy — the radical American idea that ordinary people can have a say in the future of their society — and oligarchy — a government which is owned and controlled by the very rich and corporate interests.

And here is what is particularly obscene. The donors behind these super PACs, AIPAC's United Democracy Project and the crypto-backed Fairshake, are not only spending a huge amount of money to oppose Jamaal in the Democratic primary but they are also making large donations to right-wing extremist Republican candidates — including Donald Trump. These are Republicans trying to determine the outcome of a Democratic primary.

The truth is that for the billionaires who control these super PACs, it doesn’t matter much whether you are a Democrat or a Republican. It only matters that you support the corporate agenda and corporate Establishment neo-con foreign policies — including the horrific war in Gaza waged by the right-wing extremist Netanyahu government. The defeat of Bowman would not only result in the loss of a strong, progressive member of Congress, it would be a profound message to every member of Congress that if you oppose corporate interests the billionaire class will take you down. The Big Money interests will completely dominate the legislative process.

On Saturday afternoon, in the Bronx, New York, I was pleased to join Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Nydia Velázquez, and others at another rally in support of the Bowman campaign. The temperature at the rally was really high, and so was the passion. The people of NY-16 are determined to get out the vote and not let billionaires buy this election.

In solidarity,

Bernie

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