WASHINGTON — As Congress continues to negotiate legislation that would increase taxes on ultra-rich households and corporations that have enjoyed decades of unfair tax breaks and loopholes, Health Care for America Now joined leading national tax fairness advocates in launching the Tax the Ultra-Rich Now (TURN) campaign, a national campaign to raise awareness about the ways that concentrated wealth among a growing number of billionaires perpetuates inequality and skews democracy. TURN partners aim to mobilize voter support for taxing the ultra-rich, particularly in communities of color, and to expose how the billionaire class is leveraging wealth to keep dangerous politicians—including some who supported the Jan. 6 insurrection—in power.
The TURN campaign will expand public support for taxing the ultra-rich by collaborating with grassroots organizations across five key states – Georgia, North Carolina, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin – with a focus on organizations centered in communities of color. National partner organizations include Americans for Tax Fairness, Other98, Working America Education Fund, Working Families Party, and the Excessive Wealth Disorder Institute.
During the pandemic, billionaires’ fortunes grew by 70 percent even as millions of Americans struggled to maintain their health and livelihoods. These excessive gains would largely go untaxed under our status quo even as the growing gap in wealth inequality corrodes our society and corrupts our democracy,” said Health Care for America Now Executive Director Margarida Jorge. “The American public has been ready for a fairer tax system for a long time, with taxing the ultra-rich ranking among the top policies supported by Americans from all walks of life. This Congress has an opportunity to take us in a better direction by finally holding the ultra wealthy accountable for paying more of what they owe in taxes and starting to address the rigged tax system that enables the super wealthy to get richer at the expense of everyone else.
TURN launches with a webinar today at 2 PM Eastern featuring Gabriel Zucman, author of Hidden Wealth of Nations, and leaders from state organizations working on the TURN campaign.
