(This is the third of three stories examining claims made by the presidential candidate at his UNC speech.)
By Paige Masten
U.S. Senator and Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders came to Chapel Hill for a rally on Sept. 19, and UNC FactCheck was there to verify or refute claims about, among other things, the minimum wage, criminal justice reform and the climate.
Minimum wage
Sanders discussed his plan to raise the federal minimum wage.
“Because the American people have fought for justice, over the last four years, seven states in America have raised their minimum wage to $15 – as well as the House of Representatives,” Sanders said.
Sanders is correct on both counts. Seven states — California, Massachusetts, New York, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey and Connecticut — as well as Washington, D.C. have all enacted, or vowed to phase in, a $15 minimum wage.
In July of this year, the House of Representatives passed the Raise the Wage Act, which would increase the federal minimum wage to $15 by 2025.
“Someone who works 40 hours a week should not be living in poverty,” Sanders said.
Climate change
Sanders claimed that he boasts the “most comprehensive plan ever presented by any candidate for national office on climate change.”
While this claim may or may not be true, one thing is certain: it is the most expensive proposal. Bernie Sanders took a stab at critics who say his climate change plan is too costly.
“I’m not quite sure how much they think it’s worth to save the planet,” said Sanders.
Sanders warned the audience of the dangers of climate change.
“Scientists have told us we have fewer than 12 years to transform our energy system away from fossil fuels and toward sustainable energy,” Sanders said, “or else there will be irreparable damage.”
This is true, according to a report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Sanders cited rising sea levels, ocean acidification and extreme weather events as potential consequences of climate change.
He also used the town of Paradise, California, as an example of the damage caused by wildfires in the U.S.
“It killed 86 people, destroyed 18,000 buildings, cost $16 billion in damage in one modest-sized town,” Sanders said.
Sanders’ claims are true, according to reports from the Associated Press and the Los Angeles Times. The LA Times reported that the fire was the costliest global disaster last year.
“We are facing a global crisis,” Sanders said.
Criminal justice reform
“We have a criminal justice system today which is not only broken, but extremely racist,” Sanders said.
Sanders claimed the U.S. has more people in jail than any other country on Earth.
Sanders is correct. According to World Prison Brief, the U.S. prison population is the largest in the world, with just over 2.1 million people incarcerated.
Continuing, Sanders emphasized the need to end the war on drugs.
“I’m happy to tell you that in state after state after state, the possession of marijuana has either been decriminalized or legalized,” Sanders said.
Marijuana has been legalized in 11 states and decriminalized in 15 others.
“As president, I intend to invest more money in jobs and education, not more jails and incarceration,” Sanders promised.
