section_path: Political views/Economic inequality
section_name: Economic inequality
paragraph_text: Economic inequality
  
  Kennedy has argued that poor communities shoulder a disproportionate burden of environmental pollution. Speaking at the 2016 South by Southwest environment conference, he said, "Polluters always choose the soft target of poverty", noting that Chicago's South Side has the highest concentration of toxic waste dumps in the U.S., and added that 80% of "uncontrolled toxic waste dumps" are in black neighborhoods, with the largest site in Emelle, Alabama, which is 90% black.
  
  Kennedy has said that "systematic" erosion of the middle class is taking place, remarking in a 2023 interview with UnHerd that American politicians have "been systematically hollowing out the American middle class and printing money to make billionaires richer". He said that the financial industry and the military–industrial complex are funded at the expense of the American middle class; that the U.S. government is dominated by corporate power; the Environmental Protection Agency is run by the " oil industry, the coal industry, and the pesticide industry "; and that the Food and Drug Administration is dominated by " Big Pharma ". Kennedy sees a "vibrant middle class" as the economy's backbone and has said that the economy has deteriorated because the middle class has become poorer.
  
  In an interview with Andrew Serwer, Kennedy said that the gap between rich and poor in the U.S. had become too great and that "the very wealthy people should pay more taxes and corporations". He also expressed support for Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren 's wealth tax plan, which would impose an annual tax of 2% on every dollar of a household's net worth over $50 million and 6% on every dollar of net worth over $1 billion.
  
  Kennedy has argued that poor communities shoulder a disproportionate burden of environmental pollution. Speaking at the 2016 South by Southwest environment conference, he said, "Polluters always choose the soft target of poverty", noting that Chicago's South Side has the highest concentration of toxic waste dumps in the U.S., and added that 80% of "uncontrolled toxic waste dumps" are in black neighborhoods, with the largest site in Emelle, Alabama, which is 90% black.
  
  Kennedy has said that "systematic" erosion of the middle class is taking place, remarking in a 2023 interview with UnHerd that American politicians have "been systematically hollowing out the American middle class and printing money to make billionaires richer". He said that the financial industry and the military–industrial complex are funded at the expense of the American middle class; that the U.S. government is dominated by corporate power; the Environmental Protection Agency is run by the " oil industry, the coal industry, and the pesticide industry "; and that the Food and Drug Administration is dominated by " Big Pharma ". Kennedy sees a "vibrant middle class" as the economy's backbone and has said that the economy has deteriorated because the middle class has become poorer.
  
  In an interview with Andrew Serwer, Kennedy said that the gap between rich and poor in the U.S. had become too great and that "the very wealthy people should pay more taxes and corporations". He also expressed support for Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren 's wealth tax plan, which would impose an annual tax of 2% on every dollar of a household's net worth over $50 million and 6% on every dollar of net worth over $1 billion.