James Talarico on Billionaire Influence and Economic Inequality Texas State Representative James Talarico, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, recently shared a powerful message on MSNBC about the impact of billionaires on public policy. As a former public school teacher and current Presbyterian seminarian, Talarico argues that billionaires exploit divisions to distract from their actions, such as closing schools, undermining healthcare, and implementing tax policies that benefit themsel