Imagine
By Johnette Hartnett, Ed.D.
National Disability Institute

Imagine you woke up this morning to find yourself in a homeless shelter with your children and no money. Imagine you have little ones who are hungry and there is no food. Imagine you are unemployed and have drained your savings. Imagine your daughter needs medical treatment but you have no insurance. Imagine a state agency told you to drop your son with a disability off at a homeless shelter because they cannot help.

Perhaps you are imagining this could only happen in a third world country? In fact, this is the case, right here, in the United States of America.

As we listened to the election debates across the country, you would never know that the economic and social fiber of our country is unraveling. There is no discussion about what is happening on "back street" to the millions of Americans who are living in poverty or near poverty or fast moving into poverty. The U.S. Census announced three weeks ago the new poverty data --- 4 million more Americans living in poverty bringing the latest number to about 43 million; this represents the biggest jump in 50 years. For a family of four that represents about $100 a day. And yet... no comment from Congress; no comment about the 60 percent jump in food stamp use since 2007; no comment about the more than 43 million Americans who need help feeding their families; no comment about the 50 million Americans who are eligible for Medicaid in any given month and receive state assisted health care; no comment about the 59 million Americans who have little or no health coverage and are not eligible for Medicaid.

This is the New Reality --- a reality in which they are no safety nets left in American social policy. Think about this: if you are a single mom with children and out of work, you might be eligible for assistance --- assistance limited to a maximum of five years but not guaranteed. That means that payments can be as little as a $100 a month for one year.

What will happen as more Americans struggle to earn meaningful wages and need assistance?

The New Reality is that the United States is in deep economic trouble. We, the people, are afraid. And we should be because we have not been paying attention to what is really happening. We are quick to blame the politicians or Wall Street or the present or past Administrations. Do we really think there is a political fix that can quickly reduce unemployment and create millions of new, globally competitive jobs?

The United States is still the new kid on the global block --- only 200 years old --- and it is as if we have been given a credit card and have blown it. Like a teenager, we are freaking out, now that we realize the growth we saw over the past few decades will probably never come back in our lifetime. Many don’t know what this all means, and others know all too well.

Probably a third of this country is currently receiving some public benefit. What will it mean if those benefits cease? Our shelters and food kitchens are already overflowing with young families, veterans and everyday people that are just not making it. And yet the public debate is still not addressing any of the issues facing low to moderate income Americans --- Americans who don’t own homes, who work two and three jobs and who are supporting family members with disabilities. What "bailouts" are available for America’s poor? As states continue to announce unprecedented deficits, what is Congress’ emergency plan to protect these millions of vulnerable Americans?

American wages have stagnated since the early 70’s, and overall, little economic gain has been realized. Even though our workforce is working harder and longer hours, we have had to borrow to stay afloat, buy health care and send our kids to college. Similar to the economy of 1928 --- 23% of the 2010 United States’ wealth is concentrated in 1% of the population. Since then --- roughly an 80-year span --- that percentage dropped once below 10%, and we saw the middle class actually grow. What needs to happen to ignite this redistribution again?

To compound matters, we now have technology and globalization that are moving jobs to new markets outside the United States. Back at home, we complain about high unemployment yet do not address the type of jobs and education we need to be competitive with our new global markets. What is clear: old solutions will not work anymore. What's more important is that this problem did not merely occur in the past few years --- it took decades. Who was paying attention? Why weren’t we more prepared for the globalization that is happening?

The current edition of Time Magazine highlights this struggle of the America Dream, pointing out that one of our most recognizable American brands, Coca Cola, conducts about 80% of their business outside the United States in over 200 countries. Who knew? The issue isn’t about outsourcing but about the development of new business markets. And the third world countries are catching on and gaining market shares and beginning to compete. Where is the United States in all of this?

Now more than ever we need to come together, put aside the politics and the differences, and roll up our sleeves as our forebears did during the Great Depression. We can ill afford to waste our precious resources in arguing who is right or wrong or morally fit. We need the media to recast the questions --- asking what our newly-elected officials have in mind for balancing the repaying deficits and taking care of America’s best asset --- its citizens. How can we reinvent education and technology in the United States to meet the changing world demographics and emerging business opportunities? What partners should we be working with globally that we are not right now?

America is in a crisis and we desperately need leadership. We must rebuild our great country with the goal of prosperity and not poverty. Could someone please help us before it is too late?