Let Them Eat Cake

"The American Dream is moving increasingly out of reach for many of us. Although the President finally announced this month that the economy isn’t working for most of us – thank you Mr. President – we’ve all been feeling it for the last seven years. The wages of working people have barely budged, while the cost of essentials of everything from higher education to health care to food and gas have skyrocketed."

--Andrea Batista Schlesinger
January 15, 2008
Executive Director of the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy


Where o where did my American Dream go? Did I kiss it goodbye when I decided to immerse myself in debt for the sake of a college education? I am beginning to wonder. Because when my would be home girl, Salliemae calls and wants to know where her money is and I tell her “You will get paid for my education as soon as I do,” I have to wonder if maybe, this country with golden paved streets is not somewhat flawed.

The majority of my college graduate friends, while highly educated, well traveled and moderately cultured, constitute the rapidly growing working poor. This is not the middle class. No, No. To achieve that level of status, especially in New York City requires much more than a 4-year degree and a job. Check out these stats from the Drum Major Institute:

* A middle class standard of living includes having health insurance, access to the Internet, good public schools for children, a retirement plan, annual vacations and air conditioning.

* A single person needs an income of $45,000-$90,000 to attain this middle class standard of living in New York City.
(http://www.drummajorinstitute.org/library/article.php?ID=6589)

Excuse me, but I have been out of school a good 4 years now (not quite entry level at this point) and have yet to achieve middle class standing in either my pay or the amenities available to me. Granted I have Internet access, a retirement plan of sorts, I even “vacation” if you can call those five days of paid leave a vacation. But the thing that really bothers me is the health insurance piece. Never mind that the first two years out of school I did not have health insurance, and subsequently did not go to the doctor. The thing that is really bothersome is that even now when I allow a chunk of my check to be set aside for these “benefits” I find myself smacked with a ridiculous deductible before the healthcare gods over at my insurance provider grace me with their 70% contribution to every doctor visit, prescription refill and lab test. And if I am making under 45k a year (and trust me I am), how the hell am I supposed to afford an annual physical, biannual dental check ups, and a pair of new frames? Excuse me, but I don’t have an extra few thousand to spare, and if I did I would probably give it to Sallie so she would stop calling me.

This brings me to my next point: Universal healthcare. Why don’t we have it? Check out this clip from Michael Moore’s “Sicko”. Watch the British couples reaction to the idea of paying for their hospital stay. http://au.youtube.com/wathc?v=V2sFT7T0mCsy

In a country where you can get a free k-12 education, request food stamps and live in a heated building on the taxpayer’s dime, why can you not also get medical care?

Moore provides his viewers with a glimpse of how the other half lives. And as slanted as his perspective is, I must say, yes the grass is looking very much greener in France, England and Cuba. That’s right, I said Cuba. Need to go to the emergency room? Take a cab; the hospital will pay for it. Avoiding the emergency room because you have to actually do something today? Forty-five minutes and a doctor will see you. But how can these doctors afford to treat patients who have no insurance? Well, for one, it’s a government-subsidized service. Prescriptions are a flat rate and doctor’s get rewarded when their patients become healthier. (Gasp)

Granted, in some of these places, a college education is free so doctors don’t have loans to repay in the ballpark of $250,000. They’re not taking bids from drug companies or turning away the uninsured, just to make the bills. NO, in this make believe wonderland of a country that I speak of, doctor’s work for the health and well being of their fellow man. What a concept. During filming, one London doctor informed Moore’s camera crew that he is eligible for bonuses if he can get more of his patients to quit smoking or get their blood pressure down.

Socialism is looking mighty good right now. When I look at all my twenty/thirty something degree holding friends who cannot find a job to pay rent, are skirting creditor calls and hoping that the last can of chickpeas will feed them for two weeks, I have to wonder if we, as Americans are dong something wrong. Should we not be more demanding of our government? Why are so many forced to take on second jobs in the hopes that if we were to fall ill, there would be funds available to insure we were cared for. Imagine a retirement where your largest expense was airfare instead of eldercare.

Bottom line, Americans work too hard for too little. And this is supposed to be the land of opportunity. Believe me, I like my USA, and its public schools and free speech and blah blah blah. But, the icing on the cake, wait let me rephrase, the cake to all this icing would be if very literally, more American citizens could afford to live here.