James Talarico

A person who's listening to this podcast right now in Texas can't afford to make their ends meet.

They're trying to figure out where they're gonna get enough money to pay the mortgage and the childcare bill and insurance and utilities and transportation.

Now with gas prices rising,

And they're trying to figure out why do I feel like I'm drowning when I work hard?

Why can't I seem to get ahead no matter how many hours I put in?

And what I'm trying to point out

is that it is the folks at the very top who've corrupted our political system and who have rigged the economy in their favor.

That is the real problem.

It's why I say that the real fight in this country is not left versus right, it's top versus bottom.

Because whether you're a little more progressive or a little more conservative, whether you like Democrats or like Republicans, we're all getting screwed.

None of us can afford our housing.

None of us can afford childcare.

None of us can afford our prescription drugs.

None of us can afford to put our kids through college.

And so we have to figure out how to unrig this economic system.

And it starts by getting the corruption out of our politics.

I'm not trying to demonize these billionaire mega donors, again, loving my enemies.

I think the world that we're going to build with shared prosperity, with more wealthy people who pay their fair share in taxes and who don't use all the loopholes to get out of it, I think that world is going to be better for all of us.

whether you're wealthy or whether you're working class.

And I think it will lead to more success, not less, because I want people to be successful.