Sanders: ‘For a Start’ Billionaires ‘Going to Start Paying Their Fair Share of Taxes’

In 1995 the median American household income was $52,600 in today’s money. This year it’s $53,600. That’s 20 more years on the job with just a 2% raise. In a similar time frame raises for CEO up more than 200%.
[ Applause ]
>> Sorry.
>> We’re going to continue here. And secretary, you’ll get a chance on this too. But as I pointed out, CEO pay up 200% in that time. For that family up just 2%. You’ve all said you would raise the minimum wage. But senator Sanders, speak to that household tonight. 20 years, just a 2% raise. How as president would you get them a raise right away?
>> First of all, we recognize that we’ve got a rigged economy. As you’ve indicated. Middle class in this country for the last 40 years has been disappearing. Are we better off today than we were when bush left office? Absolutely. But as you’ve indicated, for millions of American workers, people in New Hampshire, all over America, they’re working longer hours for low wages, deeply worried about their kids. So what do we do? First statement we make is we tell the billionaire class they cannot have it all. For a start. They’re going to start paying their fair share of taxes. Second of all is you raise the minimum wage to a living wage. 15 bucks an hour over the next several years. Next thing you do, pay equity for women workers. Women should not be making 79 cents on the dollar compared to men.
[ Applause ] Next thing that we do, real unemployment. Official unemployment 5%. Real unemployment 10%. Youth unemployment off the charts. We rebuild our crumbling infrastructure, our roads, our bridges, our rail system. We create 13 million jobs with a trillion-dollar investment. Furthermore, in a competitive global economy it is imperative that we have the best-educated workforce in the world. That is why I’m going to have a tax on Wall Street speculation to make certain that public colleges and universities in America are tuition-free.