I've been hearing and reading a lot about recovery - and how we're "in it".
But how do we define recovery?. I certainly don't define it by stocks going up, and corporate profits soaring.
I don't think Americans expect more from life than they put in. But they certainly don't expect a kick in the teeth for being a working stiff, or for having a few kids, or for getting sick.
Here are some of my definitions:
When everyone has a clean, safe place to live.
When no one goes hungry, except Renee Zellweger.
When every kid in America can fully participate in school sports, arts, and other activities without extreme financial stress on their families.
When every city has completely adequate first responder coverage.
When working families can maintain a working automobile without sweating every repair.
When parks, trails, etc are not only open, but maintained.
When the budgets of schools, social agencies, etc are fully funded.
When tuition at state schools is affordable to all.
When families can have one parent home, with reasonable sacrifice of income. Meaning clipping coupons, buying used cars, etc.
When there is no such thing as medical bankruptcy.
How do YOU define recovery?
10 comments:
I'm with you! We've been doing okay but we are unable to move away from this house as many others in this town have not been okay. When my friend and neighbor moved away just three years ago she got 100,000 more than the house across the street from her is now listed at- AND her price was actually down a good 30k from where prices had been just the year before. We are stuck and stuck good. Still able to live on one income but unable to leave.
Well said. This business of everything being all right if corporations are making money is the same absurdity that got us into so much trouble in the first place.
I have resigned myself to never, ever, being able to retire at this point. My new retirement plan is the haul me out feet first.
This is so well done- I agree with you.
I love your voice, you are a light.
You have described some sort of utopia that I would like to live in. O, America, where are you?
I don't think that it will happen on this earth, not as long as the Big Bosses think that they can earn 250 x the peons. But when I think back to many years ago, even before my time, I think how we had some of those things for the community good because people didn't expect so much for their personal material wealth.
I certainly think that a country that is as wealthy as the US is NOW can do much better than it is.
That said, most people in this country still live better and work less hard, day to day, as people in many other countries of the world.
My list would pretty much match yours word for word.
That's a pretty good list.
I know. I'd love to be able to stop giving plasma, but who knows when that will happen...
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