Double-digit unemployment. Dramatically increasing income inequality. Politicians owned by millionaires and lobbyists. As sure as the sun rises, every day brings news that the richest few are getting even richer, and big banks and corporations get away with abusing the rules because the politicians they fund let them write the rules. Right now, the average wealth of the top 1% is higher than it’s ever been, while working Americans’ wages are now a lower percentage of our economy than they’ve ever been.
As members of the supercommittee charged with reducing the federal deficit, Michigan Congressmen Dave Camp and Fred Upton should be fighting for the middle class. But after collecting $1.3 million in political contributions from Wall Street and other special interests, Rep. Camp won’t even hold a town hall meeting to listen to his constituents – despite finding time to attend an “economic forum” in Utah.
Rep. Upton only collected $908,000 from Wall Street and special interests, but he still hasn’t held a town hall since August 15th. There, he faced a rowdy crowd upset over his votes on tax policy and cuts to Medicare. It’s easy to see what his constituents were so angry about: this year, Upton and Camp both voted for the “Cut, Cap and Balance” Act, citing the need to get government spending under control. Apparently they forgot about the $25 billion Wall Street bailout they both supported in 2008.
It’s time for the 99 percent to fight back – and the Michigan Nurses Association is leading the way. Just this week they’ve put up billboards and radio ads across the congressional districts of supercommittee members, Congressmen Dave Camp and Fred Upton. Want in on the fun? Listen to the ads and check out the billboards, then share with your friends and family on Facebook and Twitter!
Between the two Congressional Districts they represent, 160,000 people live without health insurance, 25 percent of families deal with hunger daily, and about 20 percent of residents live in poverty. Michigan’s unemployment has been in double digits for months and currently sits at 11.1 percent.
Meanwhile, Rep. Camp is worth about $6.75 million and Rep. Upton is worth about $16.3 million, and they refuse to take the time to listen to the hard-working Michiganders who can’t afford to make big political contributions. But you can make sure they hear from you! Call Reps. Dave Camp and Fred Upton at their offices and deliver a simple, important message: they need to come back home and hold a town hall meeting in Michigan so they can hear from the 99 percent of Michiganders who can’t buy access with money.