By Phil Huber, ADVANCE COLUMNIST

I was born in 1947, when most Americans believed their children would have a better life than they did. If you worked hard, stayed out of trouble, and kept to your word, you could expect a steady job, a modest home, and maybe something to leave your children. That was the deal my generation grew up with, and for many working people, it held.

By working people, I mean the people who keep Fredericksburg running: mechanics, nurses, teachers, warehouse workers, electricians, drivers, carpenters, technicians, cashiers, line cooks, and countless others. This column is especially for those between 25 and 55 who are raising families, paying bills, juggling debt, and trying to build a secure future.

For most of us, the American Dream was never about getting rich. It was about stability. It meant a good job, a safe home, food on the table, decent schools, affordable health care, and the hope that your children would have a better life than you did.

That dream still matters. But for too many people in Fredericksburg, it feels farther away than ever.

The numbers back that up. Economists have found that about 90 percent of Americans born around 1940 earned more than their parents by the same age. For people born in the 1980s, it’s closer to 50 percent. In one generation, the odds of moving up have been cut nearly in half.

You don’t need statistics to see it. Look around.

A young couple with two full-time jobs still struggles to afford rent, childcare, groceries, and health insurance. A skilled electrician, nurse, mechanic, or HVAC technician may work overtime and still wonder if they’ll ever buy a home. Many people aren’t asking for luxury. They’re asking for a little breathing room.

That’s a big change from the country I grew up in. Life wasn’t perfect then. Many Americans faced discrimination and unfair treatment. But for many working families, a steady paycheck could support a household. A starter home was within reach. Community college or trade school didn’t leave people buried in debt. The connection between hard work and getting ahead wasn’t perfect, but it was real.

Today, that connection feels much weaker.

Housing costs have soared. Health care is more expensive. Education and job training cost more than ever. One medical bill, one car repair, or one missed paycheck can throw a family into crisis. That’s why so many people who are working hard still feel they’re falling behind.

Americans know it. Recent polls show only about one-third believe the American Dream still exists, and more than half say it’s out of reach for most families. The biggest reason is simple: the cost of living keeps rising faster than paychecks. Young adults are the least likely to believe they’ll have a better future than their parents.

The values behind the American Dream haven’t changed. Work still deserves dignity. Effort should still matter. Parents should still believe their children can move forward instead of backward.

The problem isn’t the dream. The problem is the deal.

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That deal didn’t fall apart overnight. It changed because of political and economic choices. We didn’t build enough affordable housing. We allowed health care and higher education to become far more expensive than working families could afford. We weakened unions, apprenticeships, and other paths that helped workers earn higher wages. Meanwhile, more of the nation’s wealth flowed to the top while everyone else was told to work harder or retrain.

If you feel like you’ve done everything right and still can’t get ahead, you’re not imagining it. The system has become harder for many working families.

That’s where politics comes in.

Too many working people aren’t registered to vote. Many who are registered skip local elections and party primaries. I understand why. Too many people believe both parties have stopped listening.

But when working people stay home, someone else shows up. Lobbyists do. Wealthy donors do. Organized interest groups do. Decisions are still getting made. They just aren’t made with enough input from the people who keep this community running.

Political parties aren’t sports teams. They’re tools. Their job is to represent the people who support them.

Whether you’re a Democrat, Republican, or independent, you have every right to expect your party to fight for affordable housing, better wages, quality schools, affordable health care, worker protections, and real opportunities to move ahead.

If it isn’t, ask why.

Register if you haven’t already. Vote in every election, not just presidential years. Go to local meetings. Ask candidates what they’re doing about housing costs, childcare, medical debt, apprenticeships, wages, and retirement security. Don’t settle for slogans. Ask for answers.

Start by pushing your own party to do better. That’s how democracy is supposed to work.

But if your party keeps ignoring you, don’t assume you have to stay. Your first loyalty is not to a party label. It’s to your family, your community, and your values. If one party won’t fight for working people, make it earn your support—or look elsewhere.

Politicians pay attention when voters are willing to take action.

I grew up believing that each generation would have a better future than the one before it. I don’t want today’s young families in Fredericksburg to assume the opposite.

The American Dream isn’t dead. But it’s under real pressure, and it won’t survive on speeches alone.

Working people built this country. Skilled workers keep it running. They have every right to expect that honest work leads to a decent life.

Register. Vote. Speak up. Hold your party accountable. Make it earn your support. If it won’t, find one that will.

That’s not disloyalty.

That’s democracy.

***

Phil Huber is a retired Army Reserve colonel, federal civil servant and consultant who writes on civic education. He lives in Fredericksburg.

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