Chase Bank fired off a tweet last week staging a hypothetical conversation between one of its customers and her bank account. The customer asks why her account balance is low, and the bank tells her not to go out for food or coffee when she can make it at home instead, or to spend money on a cab when she can just walk. The customer pretends not to listen. "I guess we'll never know," she says, brushing off her low balance and the bank's "advice" on how to manage her money.

When I read that tweet, it hit me like a punch in the gut — but not for the reason Chase intended.

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Chase's tweet wasn't just mean and misguided. It perpetuates the myth that millions of Americans are in dire financial straits because of their own poor choices, or because they spend money irresponsibly. That's a story designed to let the ultra-wealthy off the hook and pretend they bear no blame for the crisis facing workers and families.

Chase's tweet wasn't just mean and misguided. It perpetuates the myth that millions of Americans are in dire financial straits because of their own poor choices, or because they spend money irresponsibly. That's a story designed to let the ultra-wealthy off the hook and pretend they bear no blame for the crisis facing workers and families.

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Americans don't need flippant tweets from giant banks about how to spend their money. They need Washington to make investments that will allow them to succeed. Hard-working families need a higher minimum wage, strong unions, universal child care, affordable housing and trade deals that invest in American communities instead of shipping good jobs overseas. They need guaranteed health care so that no more families are forced into bankruptcy because of an unexpected medical expense.

Families across the country are struggling, and they need Washington to start working for them — securing big structural changes that make room for them to succeed. Until then, Wall Street can save its patronizing memes.