Ellison on Occupy Wall Street’s grievances: People ‘got ripped off’

In the wake of the Occupy Wall Street movement, U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) released a video last week calling on members of Congress to help people get a “fair shake and a good job” by putting the economy back in order.

“Americans all across this country, they’re not mad because some people are rich, they’re mad because they got ripped off,” Ellison said of the Occupy Wall Street movement. “The fact of the matter is that Americans all over this country are expressing their grievances in the street, but also in the barber shops and coffee shops all across this land.”

Ellison cited recent statistics that show growing income inequality as the very wealthy  have earned more while wages stagnated for workers.

“Over the last 30 years, the average working American has seen their pay stay flat,” Ellison said. “They’ve seen their pay go nowhere. They’re pretty much doing the way they were doing, still struggling.”

Ellison said members of Congress don’t need to try to control Occupy Wall Street.

“What we need to do as members of Congress is step up and do our job: create some jobs, put this economy in order, get some lending back to small businesses, and make this economy really work,” Ellison said. “People need a fair shake and a good job, and that’s not too much to ask in the richest country in the history of the world.”