Dispatches: The Changing American Dream

We're excited to inaugurate a new series for our Patch Readers: "Dispatches: The Changing American Dream."

Every day, the national media is full of stories about how American families, businesses, and neighbors are adjusting to these trying times. There are so many changes happening so fast that it's dizzying: national debates about unemployment, foreclosures, debt, religion, government and private enterprise all touch on fundamental ways in which we see ourselves and our communities. At Patch, we want to explore that conversation as often as possible so we can better understand how our neighbors are adjusting to the challenges and opportunities that surround us.

We don't think there's one American Dream, but a multitude of American Dreams which a multitude of people are working toward. Looking out at nearly 900 Patch sites across the country, ranging from the East Coast to the West, we see businesses holding their breath deciding whether to expand; college graduates returning home because they can't find jobs; and senior citizens bringing boarders into their homes to help pay bills. We also see bold new volunteer efforts, inspiring stories of local businesses that succeed because they innovate, and locals who've taken these trying times as a signal to engage more, not less, in their government.

At the purely local level, we want to know where we, as Belmont neighbors, fit along these fault lines.

Nationally, there's a continuing debate about the deficit and the inability of politicians to compromise. Wall Street has been on a breathtaking roller-coaster. In California, Governor Jerry Brown wants to end redevelopment funds as they currently exist. In Belmont, we've seen tax revenues decrease, and we have to find ways to tighten our economic belts every day.

Nationally, an endless debate continues about our education system, which is at the center of our dreams of a better life for our children. Locally, we know the Belmont-Redwood Shores and Sequoia Union High School districts, like others, struggle for funding. Are your kids getting the kind of education you'd like them to have? Or have you taken on the often staggering cost of private school?

"Dispatches" will be built upon the compelling vignettes and snapshots we unearth across all of our Patch sites.

And, of course, we want your help: Tell us what issues and what stories in Belmont go to the heart of your American Dream.