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Mar 15, 2012
Posted by Chuck Rocha
The American Dream is the defining product of
our great country. It is what differentiates us
from the rest of the world. It is thesimple but
powerful philosophy that no matter what family
you are born into or what economic situation
you inherit, through hard work and
determination you canachieve the American
Dream.
The American Dream has been, is, and will
continue to be rooted, in the success of the
American workforce. The United States of
America’s system of government is intended to
equally serve its citizens and assist them in
taking advantage of the amazing opportunities
that the country has to offer. By doing so, the
United States is able to ensure the creation of
a large and diverse middle-class, making it
unique among nations.
My grandfather came to the United States of
America as an undocumented child while his
family was in search of that American Dream. My
grandfather accepted a job as a young man
working on the railroad, and was able to build
and maintain a family of 15 children who all
went on to achieve their own version of the
American Dream. My father, who worked in a
tire-production factory in East Texas for over
25 years, was able to retire with a full
pension and health care, and is now able to
enjoy all of his grandchildren. I went to work
in the same factory, and am now President of my
own firm here in Washington D.C.
These are all personal examples of how the
American Dream has worked. Unfortunately, more
and more Americans are losing their chance at
the American Dream because our government’s
policies provide unfair advantages to a limited
class of people.
When we lose our manufacturing base and stop
investing in our infrastructure, all members of
our economic community suffer. As American
wages are reduced or completely eliminated, the
American tax-base dramatically shrinks, having
a profound effect on our school districts. It
is these school districts that are the very
backbone of the American Dream.
As school district budgets are reduced, schools
are forced to eliminate staff and reduce
student accommodations. Classroom sizes
increase, and more and more students do not get
the attention they deserve. Ultimately, this
greatly undermines the number of opportunities
for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged
populations.
As the tax-base decreases, it is not merely
local and state governments that are forced to
make difficult decisions. Our federal
government also must address a diminishing
revenue stream. Unfortunately, a common victim
of budget shortfalls is education. Whether it
is for Early Childhood Education, after-school
programs, Special Education or student loan
programs, education assistance and enhancement
programs usually suffer the greatest. These
programs, at their core, are designed to help
level the playing field for children trying to
achieve the American Dream. By systematically
cutting resources to fund them, those most in
need face yet another hurdle.
It is time to refocus our policy agenda on
making the American Dream possible again for
every child born into our great country. Future
generations will keep America strong and
healthy if they all have the same opportunity I
had to chase the American Dream.
The views expressed in this blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Center for National Policy.
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