DETROIT – U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib spoke about corporate influence and her desire to “unrig the tax system” at a rally in downtown Detroit last Tuesday Morning.

The “Tax the Rich” rally featured legislators from across the state and supporters who want to see their taxes spent responsibly.

With the Democratic Presidential Debates in Detroit, Tlaib, a Detroit Democrat, was able to speak to a larger media presence and promote the organization. The rally featured a giant inflatable “Trump chicken” balloon.

The “Tax the Rich” bus is parked near the Fox Theatre in Detroit, Michigan as Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) speaks nearby on July 30, 2019. (Noah Broder/Medill News Service)

As she stood across the street from Comerica Park and Ford Field, Rep. Tlaib said that the money spent on the stadiums could have been used for a better purpose.

“We know what it means when we’re the ones having to pay the cost to subsidize our schools, our city services subsidized for stadiums,” Tlaib said. “Where $400 million got away from school aid funds.”

“Tax the Rich” is a movement that formed as a response to the 2017 tax cuts and as a continuation of a 2017 Tax March in which protesters around the country marched to call for President Donald Trump to release his tax returns.

Rep. Tlaib spoke about the 2017 tax cuts, and said they are doing damage to the country and to the people of Detroit.

“We know that the Trump tax scam gave massive giveaways to corporations and the wealthy,” Tlaib said. “We know that this is nothing new. It is our time to end corporate influence over our government and it’s time to unrig the tax system.”


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