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Growing up in a working-poor family, State Representative Joe Miller (OH-53) brings a gritty, firsthand perspective to the table that challenges the status quo. Our discussion weaves through Joe's life experiences and combines them with insights from Matthew Desmond’s "Poverty by America" to expose the harsh realities of poverty and the systems that cement it. Together, we question the efficacy of political campaign spending and school voucher programs, and how they might unintentionally deepen the chasms of inequality they aim to bridge.

The conversation pivots to the overpowering economic influence in politics, unpacking the staggering sums funneled into political advertising and the media's role in shaping public opinion. We reflect on how the middle class, once the backbone of democracy, has been increasingly sidelined by a wealth gap that grows ever wider. The notion that addressing this wealth gap is a provocative one, challenging the priorities of today’s billionaires as well as the affluent, and their potential impact on democracy.

Our dialogue culminates in a critical examination of education funding and the role of billionaires in government. As an educator, Joe shares poignant stories of hungry students whose potential is stifled not by ability, but by basic unmet needs. We critique the school voucher system's unintended consequences of increasing segregation and undermining public education.

Finally, we underscore the urgency of separating wealth from government to preserve the democratic ideals upon which our society is built. Engage with us on social media and YouTube as we explore these complex intersections of poverty, politics, and education.

Nashville Public Education Foundation Study
Federal Elections Commission Data
WOSU Story on Ohio School Voucher Study
Get the Book, Povery, by America excerpt from Chapter 9 Tear Down The Walls pages 161-165

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