Coming Soon: '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 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 Waukesha neighbors, fit along these fault lines.

Nationally, there remains a struggle with unemployment. Locally, Waukesha is better off – but for how long? Large manufacturing plant expansions give hope for a better future for many area residents and new businesses continue to sprout throughout the city. But for how long? And will the current businesses become or remain successful?

The cut $8 million from its proposed 2011-12 budget and faces even greater cuts next year. Will Waukesha residents see major changes in the way their children are educated or will we come together as a community to find ways to keep what is important?

"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 Waukesha go to the heart of your American Dream.