Time to Rein in Corporate Power and Focus on the Working Class

Guest Opinion

By Sam Inglot | Jan. 25, 2025

The 2024 election results reveal that the major divide in Michigan and across the country is not Republicans versus Democrats—it’s the working class versus billionaires and wealthy corporations—and the time to get serious and act is now.

The money and influence of billionaires and corporations causes too many of our elected officials to discount the needs of the working class. In 2025, we need to be prepared to fight for dignity and fairness as the wealthy and well-connected consolidate even greater power. With a new administration in Washington and a Republican House majority in Lansing, it’s long past time to truly examine the role that money has in politics and work to fix this problem.

Donald Trump and Republicans in Washington have consistently shown they are more interested in elevating billionaire tech bros like Elon Musk than paying any mind to working class concerns. And just this month, news broke here in Michigan that outgoing Republican Rep. Graham Filler accepted a lobbying position almost immediately after his term ended—a perfect encapsulation of the revolving door in government that places outsized influence on corporate lobbyists and their backers.

To start, let’s consider the fact that most of us agree that our leaders should deliver on protecting freedoms and prosperity for the working class. Progress Michigan’s Lake Effect poll from December shows three-quarters of Michiganders want an economy that works for everyone and not just the wealthy few, action to protect workers’ rights, and a future which protects our air, water, and environment by holding corporate polluters accountable and pursuing clean energy initiatives.

People are fed up with the role of money in politics and the revolving door of lawmakers turned lobbyists in both Lansing and Washington. The lack of ethics and transparency is bipartisan—shown by the fact that Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) reform once again failed to pass last session despite Democrats having a government trifecta. More than 90 percent of Michiganders want to extend FOIA laws to the Governor’s office and state legislators, so there is no excuse for Republicans to avoid working with Governor Whitmer. Let’s get the job done.

Working Michiganders are up against powerful mouthpieces like the Republican-aligned Michigan Chamber of Commerce, who push for policies that benefit the wealthy few. Instead of wasting taxpayer money on corporate giveaways and half-baked, environmentally-questionable business projects, elected officials should put our money to good use funding schools, affordable housing, and accessible healthcare. We also need the Michigan Legislature to take up important bills to make corporations pay what they owe. Our lawmakers can start by reintroducing Polluter Pay laws to ensure our air and water aren’t exploited and polluted for the benefit of the wealthy and repealing the Death Star law to ensure employers can’t skirt local labor and workforce standards.

Let’s also not forget the fact that workers are protected and recognized most when they’re able to be part of a union, and there is no exception. Unions have long been the driving force to level the playing field between workers and employers. The basic idea of unionization is that when workers band together, their voices become a powerful symphony that cannot be ignored. Over the past year, workers and their unions have exercised their power by going on strike, from nurses employed at MyMichigan Medical Center in Sault Ste. Marie to home care workers who fought to be able to organize with a union.

It’s always best to lead by example, and encouraging this kind of action when needed is one of the best ways to make real gains for the working class.

For too long, the struggles of working class folks have been overlooked at the federal and state levels. We must remember that the most powerful tool we have for real change is standing together, united in our fight against the wealthy corporate lobbyists who are buying off our lawmakers, polluting our environment, and exploiting workers for their own greed.

Our elected officials, and especially the Democratic Party, must come to their senses and honor the power that the working class holds, which means no longer taking these voters for granted.

These are essential steps toward a more inclusive democracy. Our leaders must rise to the occasion and prove that they are willing to buck the status quo, tackle the systemic problems that are too often ignored, and build a future that works for everyday folks.

Sam Inglot is the executive director of Progress Michigan, a nonprofit communications advocacy and government watchdog group.