The Real Gulf of America

Voltaire observed centuries ago that "the comfort of the rich depends on an abundant supply of the poor." Today, this statement rings truer than ever in the United States, where the divide between the wealthy and the working class continues to expand at an alarming rate.

The real "Gulf of America" is the distance between the rich and the working class. This gulf is not a geographical feature, but a harsh economic reality that divides our nation. Recent data paints a grim picture: in the first quarter of 2024, the top 10% of earners owned nearly two-thirds of the total wealth in the United States, while the bottom 50% possessed a mere 2.5%. This disparity is not just a statistic; it is purposeful profiteering by the Republican Party that has permeated our society since the Reagan administration. 

Take, for instance, Tennessee's recently passed "Education Freedom Act." This $447 million statewide school choice program, set to launch in the 2025-2026 school year, will provide $7,300 per year to students for private school tuition. It's a thinly veiled attempt to funnel public funds into private institutions that will worsen educational inequalities and leave public schools even more underfunded. We have seen in other states that nearly three-quarters of voucher recipients are the wealthy who already send their children to a private school. Now that will become a reality in Tennessee.

Then there's Elon Musk, the world's richest man, whose empire has been built on the back of government subsidies. Musk's companies have benefited from at least $38 billion in government contracts, loans, subsidies, and tax credits over the past two decades. In 2024 alone, his firms received commitments of at least $6.3 billion from state and local governments. Expecting Elon Musk to crack down on fraud, in his Orwellian named Department of Government Efficiency, is like expecting billionaires to willingly step up and pay their fair share of taxes.

Adding insult to injury, President Trump's recent proposal to sell "gold card citizenship" for $500 each is a blatant example of how this administration believes that wealthy can buy their way into privileges that remain out of reach for the average American. This scheme not only makes citizenship a commodity, but it also reinforces the notion that in America, everything—including basic rights—has a price tag. 

These examples illustrate a disturbing trend: the rich are not just getting richer; they're actively shaping policies and exploiting systems to maintain their wealth at the expense of the poor. The consequences of this widening gulf are dire. As wealth concentrates at the top, opportunities for upward mobility diminish for the rest of us. The American Dream becomes increasingly elusive, replaced by a nightmare of perpetual struggle for the working class. Any trip to the grocery store reinforces the sobering reality that we are all struggling, and impending tariffs are only going to make this problem worse. Is this what it means to put “America First”?

To address this crisis, we need policies that prioritize the well-being of all citizens, not just the privileged few. This includes taxing the rich and making them pay their fair share, investment in public education and infrastructure, and closing tax loopholes that only the rich can take advantage of. Cutting Medicaid and Social Security in order to give the rich further tax breaks is the absolute last thing Congress needs to do.

It is up to us to ensure that the rich take no comfort in the increasingly abundant supply of poor folks who are trying to make ends meet and provide for themselves and their families. It's time to bridge the Gulf of America and create a society where prosperity is shared, not hoarded. Only then can we claim to be a nation of true opportunity for all.

Mike Stein

Chair, Coffee Co. Democratic Party