Prosperity for the Many (Not the Few)
The future of work is here. And we are not doing enough to protect workers.
It’s Labor Day—a day when unions and politicians alike take time to celebrate the working class. And I join in honoring the contributions of organized labor and the countless workers who keep our communities moving.
But today, I want to focus on the crisis of affordability facing our workers. It is a problem that Texas Republicans work hard to misrepresent.
They want us to believe that if the government just “gets out of the way” and cuts taxes, the so-called Texas economic miracle will continue. On the surface, it might sound reasonable. But in truth, it’s a bait-and-switch that hurts all of us.
The bait is the promise of easy growth. Republicans claim that Texans’ prosperity relies upon little more than minimal regulations, no state income tax, and “right-to-work” laws.
The truth is that cost-free growth is a myth. A story that the GOP uses to justify tilting the system to benefit the wealthiest Texans while trapping many wage earners in a cycle of living paycheck-to-paycheck. It builds a glass floor that rescues those already at the top while denying upward mobility to those below.
As conservatives are wont to say, there is no such thing as a free lunch.
But for all their talk of resisting socialism, Texas Republicans are offering their most valued supporters a well-subsidized lifestyle. Public goods still get paid for—but the cost falls hardest on those with the least disposable income. The convenience of some is paid for by undercompensating others—namely the essential workers who stock our shelves, build our homes, and keep our communities running.
This isn’t just a labor issue or a concern limited to certain industries. It’s a problem for all of us. And our representatives need to be honest about it.
Automation has already reshaped manufacturing—making goods cheaper and sometimes better. But it has also displaced workers in ways that “retraining” programs alone were never going to fix. Now artificial intelligence is accelerating that transformation, moving into tasks we once thought uniquely and safely human.
If we don’t reckon with how to protect workers in this changing economy, we are ignoring the canary in the coal mine. Left to itself, the free market will continue to cater to those at the top while walling out everyone else.
That’s why the government has a responsibility to act—not someday, but now. We need a bold, forward-looking approach that:
Fully funds quality education at every level;
Builds a genuine social safety net that workers can count on;
Protects workers from exploitation by ensuring fair pay and safe work conditions; and
Ensures that the costs of these policies are borne fairly.
The longer we delay, the more painful the correction will be.
I am committed to fighting for reforms that bring workers to the table and ensure they have a real voice in shaping the economy of the future. Because honoring workers on Labor Day is not enough—we must fight for them every day.
Join me in standing up for fair compensation, safe workplaces, and other protections that ensure that everyone in our community can obtain the dignity of work.
Please consider donating to my campaign for Texas state representative and help send me to Austin to defend the interests of workers in Bexar County and create sustainable prosperity that benefits the entire community and not just the most privileged.