Campaigning in Decorah, Democratic Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders tells the Walton family, "Pay your workers a living wage."

(Photos by decorahnews.com's Paul Scott)

Democratic Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, the U.S. Senator from Vermont, spoke to a filled gym of supporters Sunday afternoon at Luther College in Decorah.

Those attending his speech got a full accounting of his policy positions.  They include his statements that drew the longest and loudest applause--those about economic inequality in America.  Sanders reiterated his campaign line that one-tenth of one percent of Americans have almost as much money as the bottom 90 percent of Americans.

He then criticized the Walton family--the owners of Walmart stores--for paying their workers wages that force some of them to take food stamps and other forms of governmental assistance.  "Pay your workers a living wage," he said to prolonged applause.

The audience also approved of Sanders' statement that it's time for pay equity between women and men.

The lengthy speech touched on numerous other topics.  "People should not become economically crushed for the 'crime' of getting an education," he told the crowd.  He criticized Republican presidential candidates for denying that climate change is occurring, saying they denied the science because of campaign contributions from coal and oil industries.

Sanders also criticized corporations for using offshore tax shelters and said the Affordable Care Act has allowed 17 million people to get insurance coverage, calling health care a basic human right.

Part of Sanders' speech involved listing six issues on which he and fellow Democratic Party Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton disagree, including breaking up the country's largest banks and several foreign policy issues.

Sanders was introduced by Winneshiek County Democratic Party chair Matt Tapscott

It took a little while for some people to enter the Luther gym