Why Now?

We are in grave danger of losing the American Dream. Every day, the promise of a land of opportunity, where anyone who works hard enough can get a great education, achieve success and provide for their family, is slipping farther away. This core belief in equal chances, the foundation our country was built on, has become unattainable for too many people. It’s time to put the American Dream back in reach. It’s time to take action now.

We’re falling behind.

The U.S. no longer stands for opportunity as it once did. We need to restore the promise our country was founded on and reclaim our standing as a place of promise among the nations of the world.

We need more and better jobs.

After a recession that erased eight million private sector jobs in the United States, the unemployment crisis continues to hold back hard-working Americans from moving forward. Even for those who are employed, opportunity too often looks dim.

More than ever, it’s our future that’s at risk. Children today bear the burden of what life without opportunity will look like. They need us to work towards a change so they can achieve their dreams, too.

We’ve got to save the American Dream.

Our dream of an equal chance at the pursuit of happiness is quickly disappearing. Families are feeling the pressure—in March 2010, more Americans filed for bankruptcy than in any month over the past five years. It’s becoming harder to own a home and harder to have control over the quality of your own life.

Because it affects us all.

The struggle for economic security in America is felt by people from all backgrounds. We’ve got to work together to help each other move up and achieve something more.

Source:
The Brookings Institution, Pew Economic Mobility Project 2007
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary 2011
CNN Money