Has the 'American Dream' Changed in Parsippany?

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 on a daily basis 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 across nearly almost 900 Patch sites, 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 their bills. We also see bold new volunteer efforts, inspiring stories of local businesses that succeed because they innovated 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 Parsippany neighbors, fit along these fault lines.

Nationally, there's a debate about what government-building efforts are "shovel-ready."

Nationally, there's a debate about the education system, which is at the center of our dreams of a better life for our children.

Locally, we know Parsippany's schools are performing well and that despite the flagging economy, most academic, sports and co-curricular programs have been able to be maintained. But rising costs and now-you-see-it-now-you-don't state aid are a constant challenge for the district.

While each school until recently boasted its own media specialist, now elementary schools share specialists on a part-time basis. Debates arise over the likelihood of tax levy increases.

Some citizens—squeezed out in the job market or fighting possible foreclosure and coping with the skyrocketing cost of living—say they can't afford any tax hike at all and loudly demand that schools do more with less, and, sometimes, do without.

"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 Parsippany go to the heart of your American Dream.