Indiana Democratic Party 2-16-19 Weekly Radio Address Podcast

Chairman John Zody and the Indiana Democratic Party 2-16-19 Weekly Radio Address Podcast

TRANSCRIPT:

This is Chairman John Zody, bringing you the weekly podcast for the Indiana Democratic Party.

Today, I want to focus on one of our core issues as Hoosier Democrats – livable wages.

I know you have heard that our Republican lawmakers believe that all our state or nation needs for success are tax cuts for the wealthy. They’re stuck in a loop of believing tax cuts for the top 1% will benefit the rest of the 99% of us. Our laws are in place to keep our economy running strong and improve our quality of life. The sad part is, Indiana GOP and DC Republicans are too out-of-touch to notice their policies are hurting everyday Hoosiers.

To level the playing field, let’s talk about how the minimum wage is $7.25 and has stayed that way for 10 years in Indiana. The cost of home ownership, child care, utilities, and gas prices has risen steadily since 2009. We’re seeing more and more families struggle to make ends meet. Not because they’re not working, not because they are trying to afford a luxurious lifestyle, but because Republicans time and time again have refused to advocate for livable wages – and have refused to enact policies that will allow wages to keep up.

Why raise the minimum wage, for instance? For the simplest answer, there is no two–bedroom apartment in America that can be covered on a $7.25/hour wage. Workers take home their pay to feed their families and pay the bills – and stagnant wages – including the minimum wage is making it difficult to keep up.

The Republican tax bill, passed in 2017, at its core is believing that billion-dollar companies will use their tax cuts to pay higher wages for the employees or add more training/education opportunities. For the most part, this hasn’t happened – reinforcing the idea that trickle down economics doesn’t work. Higher wages will support a more skilled workforce, as higher paid employees typically stay longer on the job and have better performances – and a better quality of life.

We can’t revisit the minimum wage problem in another decade- the time to raise workers’ pay is now. It’s too expensive to be poor in this economy and our lawmakers need to remember their constituents, their needs – and the importance of a livable wage.

Two Indiana State Democratic legislators have already introduced legislation to raise the minimum wage steadily over the next few years, and address the rising cost of living. I hope to see this legislation pass and with a Republican-led supermajority, it will require more support from the public to get this passed.

Our fight is for the long haul, especially in Indiana. We need more folks to come off the sidelines in 2019. You can get involved with the Party at indems.org/join.

Also, please follow the IDP on Facebook and Twitter. Simply search INDems – that’s I-N-D-E-M-S on Facebook and Twitter, and follow us to get the latest news about our candidates and what we’re doing to hold our counterparts at the Statehouse and in Washington accountable.

Thank you for listening.