League Addresses The Widening Gap Between Rich And Poor

The Scarsdale League of Women Voters (LWVS) hosted speaker Felicia Wong at the Scarsdale Golf Club on May 6th. Each year the league invites a speaker to discuss a pressing political issue and this year's topic was income inequality and the widening gap between rich and poor in the United States. League President Deb Morel started the luncheon by recognizing those in attendance including County Legislator Ben Boykin, Village Trustees, past league presidents, current league members and two Scarsdale High School students who were among the 60 attendees.

Wong, who is the President and CEO of the Roosevelt Institute, presented their views on suggested economic and political reforms to decrease inequality and promote shared prosperity, which they believe will improve the overall economy.

The Roosevelt Institute was inspired by the legacy of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt's policies to reimagine America as "a place where hard work is rewarded, everyone participates, and everyone enjoys a fair share of our collective prosperity." They believe that, "when the rules work against this vision, it's our responsibility to recreate them."

The Roosevelt Institute conducts in depth research in political science, social sciences, and economics to identify how to implement their ideals. Through an active campus network, they bring together multiple generations of intellectual thinkers to empower younger generations to speak up. Recently, Chief Economist of The Roosevelt Institute, Joseph Stiglitz, led the team to publish "Rewrite The Rules", a new book that identifies the roots of inequality and provides a road map to alleviate it. The book calls for a rewrite of the tax code, equal wages for women and minorities, and regulation to ensure equal opportunity.

Wong suggested that the current state of the 2016 election indicates that the country may be ripe for significant social change. She discussed how more radical candidates on both sides of the election, like Trump and Sanders, signify the public's desire for new policies. She argued that "trickle-down" economics has not created shared prosperity and "race-neutral policies" have heightened race and class segregation rather than decreasing barriers for minorities.

Wong argued that excessive and unproductive growth at the top, limited public investment, and lack of specific policies targeted to increase equality cause stagnation at the middle and bottom of the economy. In addition, Ms. Wong debated that now is the best time to act because the presidential election is so different than others in the past.

The Roosevelt Institute's website lists steps our society needs to take in order to reach their goals of equality and shared prosperity in the economy.

• Reform the tax code
• Build strong local economies
• Counter undue influence of financial sector
• Eradicate child poverty
• Build worker power and improve working conditions
• Prepare workers for the new economy

Wong called for the increase of the minimum wage to $15 and addressed the fear that a rise in wages would cause job losses. Instead she said, that "a rising tide raises all boats." She referenced Seattle where a phased-in increase in the minimum wage to $15 has not impacted employment statistics.

Wong also presented the results of recent polls they conducted to assess public opinion about their policies. She reported the following findings:

"84 percent of voters believe that leveling the playing field in favor of working Americans and small businesses will lead to greater economic growth, and raise the incomes and living standards of the middle class and working families. Raising taxes on the CEOs and the wealthy, reforming our financial markets, curbing corporate short-termism, paid leave, and investing in infrastructure all received over 70 percent of public support."

For more information about the Roosevelt Institute and their mission please click here.
and to find out more about the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale click here.

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