The just passed legislation to protect the nation during the threat of coronavirus includes a promise of $1,200 checks soon to arrive for many Americans. It also includes a trillion dollars for corporations. And though Democrats forced Republicans to accept the creation of a new inspector general, accountability committee, and congressional review of how that money — in particular a $500 billion fund — is spent, Donald Trump had a response. In a signing statement, Trump simply announced that saying that he would ignore any concerns from the inspector general, refuse to take decisions before the accountability committee, and not provide Congress with the information needed for reviews. So there.

This isn’t the first disaster package that looks first to corporations instead of people. While President Barack Obama negotiated to gain some support for individuals in the wake of the 2008 economic collapse, the majority of the stimulus package that followed came in the form of tax breaks and benefits for corporations. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was a third the size of the bill that Congress just passed and was divided roughly into thirds: tax cuts for corporations, grants and loans for corporations, and extended funds for unemployment benefits and health care. And the definition of cut “roughly” into thirds, is that the third aimed at individuals was far smaller than either of the other portions.

If the Republicans still controlled both House and Senate at this point, there’s little doubt about what the just-passed legislation would look like. Because it was already being touted as a “tax cut, round 2” that would have increased the gifts to Wall Street and CEOs under the first Trump tax cut. Exactly how the results of that billionaire bail-out were supposed to trickle down to an unemployed nation huddling at home isn’t clear … but that’s okay. Trickle down economics is already imaginary.

What’s needed in a real pandemic response bill, is what’s needed in legislation for tackling every day, good and bad. It’s the kind of action that’s supported by the Green New Deal. It’s the kind of action that was promoted by Dr. Martin Luther King. It’s the contents of what Senator Huey Long included in his “Share Our Wealth” plan.

Guaranteed healthcare for every American.

Guaranteed education for every American.

A guaranteed housing allowance for every American.

A guaranteed income for every American.

It shouldn’t take an emergency to make these things happen. It also shouldn’t take a period of massive growth. In fact, in the last decade, we’ve responded to a crisis by … giving corporations huge support, and making a token gesture to individuals. And responded to good times by … giving corporations huge support, and making a token gesture to individuals. And responded to an even bigger crisis by … giving corporation even more support, and making another token gesture toward individuals.

It’s way past time to turn that around. What we’ve learned since Sen. Long and Dr. King talked to these ideas is that the alternative ideas pushed by Republicans simply do not work. Decades of sending money to corporations and the wealthy have not just increased income inequality, failed to provide average Americans with healthcare, and left the nation fiscally fragile … it hasn’t even been enough to keep afloat the corporations who have raked in all the benefits.