Comments by "SmallSpoonBrigade" (@SmallSpoonBrigade) on "Transit Workers Union: Worker REBELLION INEVITABLE If Federal Aid For Transit Left Out" video.

That's how the tax burden got shifted to the poorest people. Things which were federal responsibilities not that long ago are now state and local responsibilities. At the state and local level most states have a sales tax in addition to or instead of an income tax and the sales tax is much harder to avoid for the poor than the rich. Money that isn't spent doesn't get taxed and winds up appreciating as investments in most cases. On top of that, the cuts that are made are virtually always to things that disproportionately benefit the poor and working classes, so not only are they paying in a disproportionate amount to taxes, they're also getting less out of the system when they need it. The end result is that our tax policy alone, pretty much ensures that wealth will trickle to the top.
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Yes, if the transit workers, teamsters or even the grocery workers strike for even a day or two, you'd rapidly find the economy grinding to a halt and the politicians tripping over themselves to give in to demands.
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@Robbedem The barrier to striking in Europe is a lot lower than it is in the US. In the US if you lose your job, you lose your health insurance and unemployment doesn't pay very well. The main reason for those $600 a week stimulus enhancements were that in many parts of the US, the unemployment checks are too small for anybody to survive on for very long. The main issue with the $600 a week is that essential workers didn't get any of that and for months we were working our asses off for less than what folks were getting on unemployment and it's only been in the last month where I've finally had more money than I would have had on unemployment.
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