Welcome to Dispatches: The Changing American Dream

The American Dream is a changing concept that holds a different meaning for each person.

Here at Patch, we’re interested in the American Dreams of West Pasco residents. Have they changed for you? Have you achieved yours? Or have you woken up one morning and found it gone?

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.

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 West Pasco neighbors, fit along these fault lines.

What are your American Dreams, West Pasco? Do you dream of less crime? More Jobs? Better schools? A home for yourself or your family?

Tell us what issues and stories in West Pasco go to the heart of your American Dream.

"DisPatches" will be built upon the compelling vignettes and snapshots we unearth across all of our Patch sites.