AI: “If you want, I can:
Turn this into a two-page policy brief with citations and budget ballpark numbers for each solution.”
Wali-G: “Yes. Turn this into a policy brief if I were the President of the United States.”
ChatGPT said:
Excellent — let’s make this presidential.
Below is a draft policy brief titled “Restoring the American Middle Class: A Presidential Policy Agenda.” It’s written as though you, President Wali-G, are outlining your administration’s strategy to Congress, the press, and the American people.
The White House
Policy Brief: Restoring the American Middle Class
President Wali-G
Date: October 2025
Executive Summary
The American middle class — the foundation of our nation’s prosperity and democracy — has faced sustained erosion over the past quarter century. Wages have stagnated while costs for housing, health care, education, and childcare have outpaced income growth. Policy choices from both the Right and the Left have too often favored short-term gains and top-heavy growth over long-term stability for working families.
This Administration will launch a comprehensive Middle Class Renewal Agenda — a nonpartisan, evidence-based framework to restore economic fairness, rebuild opportunity, and secure peace and stability for future generations.
I. The Challenge: 25 Years of Policy Drift
| Policy Area | Impact on Middle Class | Primary Policy Failures |
|---|---|---|
| Tax & Fiscal Policy | Wealth concentrated at the top; underfunded public services | Regressive tax cuts (2001, 2017), loopholes favoring capital gains |
| Financial System | Home equity & savings lost in 2008 crash | Deregulation and weak consumer protections |
| Trade & Globalization | Manufacturing jobs offshored; regional decline | WTO/China entry without labor safeguards |
| Education & Debt | Crushing student loans; delayed home ownership | Tuition inflation, unchecked federal lending |
| Health Care | Rising premiums, cliff effects | ACA design gaps, subsidy volatility |
| Labor & Wages | Declining union density; stagnant real wages | Right-to-work laws, weak collective bargaining rights |
| Housing | Rising rents, low supply | Restrictive zoning, local opposition |
| Privatization | Loss of quality and oversight in public services | Outsourcing without accountability |
| Justice & Incarceration | Community and income instability | Harsh sentencing, limited reentry support |
| Public Investment | Infrastructure & care deficits | Bipartisan underinvestment in physical and human capital |
II. Presidential Goals (2025–2030)
- Double the median household net worth within five years.
- Cut middle-class debt-to-income ratio by 25%.
- Rebuild domestic production capacity and add 5 million skilled jobs.
- Cap out-of-pocket health costs at 7.5% of household income.
- Reduce the average student loan burden by 50%.
- Increase housing supply by 20% in high-opportunity regions.
III. The Middle Class Renewal Agenda
1. Fair Tax Reform
Problem: Regressive tax policy favors wealth over work.
Action Plan:
- Restore top marginal rates to pre-2001 levels.
- Equalize capital gains and earned income rates for the ultra-wealthy.
- Expand the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit.
- Create a “Made in America Dividend Credit” for companies that reinvest domestically.
Goal: A balanced tax code where middle-income families pay less, and growth rewards work.
2. Financial Security & Crisis Prevention
Problem: Deregulated finance destabilized families and markets.
Action Plan:
- Reinstate Glass-Steagall-style barriers between investment and commercial banking.
- Expand FDIC oversight to shadow lenders.
- Create a Middle-Class Savings Guarantee: automatic savings accounts for every worker with matching federal contributions up to $1,000/year.
Goal: No family loses its home or savings to unchecked corporate risk.
3. Trade & Domestic Industry Revival
Problem: Offshoring and weak enforcement hollowed out local economies.
Action Plan:
- Enforce trade deals with labor and environmental reciprocity.
- Launch America Works Zones: regional industrial hubs offering tax credits for reshoring and union apprenticeship hiring.
- Invest $100B over 5 years in domestic green manufacturing, agriculture tech, and veteran-owned businesses.
Goal: A productive economy rooted in American towns, not tax havens.
4. Education & Debt Relief
Problem: College affordability crisis limits mobility.
Action Plan:
- Make community college tuition-free nationwide.
- Cancel up to $20,000 in federal student debt for middle-income earners.
- Create a National Service for Tuition Program — one year of public or community service earns two years of tuition.
Goal: Every American can afford education without lifelong debt.
5. Health Care Affordability
Problem: High costs and instability threaten household budgets.
Action Plan:
- Make ACA subsidies permanent and universal up to 400% of FPL.
- Establish a Public Option for all Americans.
- Negotiate national drug prices and cap insulin at $25/month.
Goal: A health system that serves people, not profits.
6. Labor Power & Wage Growth
Problem: Worker bargaining power collapsed.
Action Plan:
- Pass the Fair Work Act: card-check union recognition and wage indexing to inflation.
- Incentivize worker ownership (ESOPs) and cooperative business models.
- Create Portable Benefits Accounts for gig and contract workers.
Goal: Restore dignity and fair pay to American labor.
7. Housing Affordability & Smart Growth
Problem: Restrictive zoning constrains supply and drives up prices.
Action Plan:
- Federal grants tied to zoning reform for duplexes, triplexes, and mid-rise housing.
- $50B National Affordable Housing Fund for workforce and veteran housing.
- Streamlined permitting for sustainable infill and brownfield redevelopment.
Goal: Every working American can afford to live near where they work.
8. Public Investment Renaissance
Problem: Underinvestment weakens competitiveness.
Action Plan:
- $1 trillion National Infrastructure & Resilience Plan over 10 years.
- Universal broadband by 2028.
- Fund childcare and eldercare as economic infrastructure.
Goal: Rebuild America’s backbone while lowering family costs.
9. Justice & Reentry Reform
Problem: Over-incarceration damages communities and the economy.
Action Plan:
- End federal mandatory minimums for nonviolent offenses.
- Expand reentry employment tax credits and housing assistance.
- Fund mental health and addiction treatment through community clinics.
Goal: Justice that restores rather than destroys.
10. Accountability & Transparency
Problem: Privatization and special interests eroded trust.
Action Plan:
- Federal Transparency Act: all contractors disclose spending, lobbying, and workforce data.
- Strengthen anti-corruption enforcement for both public and private sectors.
Goal: A government that works for citizens, not corporations.
IV. Implementation Framework
- National Economic Council for Middle-Class Renewal (NEC-MCR): Cross-agency task force reporting directly to the President.
- State Partnership Compacts: Voluntary agreements with governors to align state-level reforms.
- Public Dashboard: Real-time metrics on wages, debt, housing costs, and access to benefits — ensuring public accountability.
V. Message to the Nation
“The strength of America has always been our working people — farmers, builders, teachers, drivers, and dreamers. We will measure our success not by the stock market ticker, but by the stability of the family budget, the security of the home, and the hope of the next generation.”
— President Michael Walgrave
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