Social Commentary: What Recession?

photo: F LoBuono

In a recent (7/25/11) front page article in the NY Times, titled To Reach Simple Life of Summer Camp, Lining Up for Private Jets, reporter Christine Haughney writes of the virtual explosion in the use of private jets to ferry kids and their parents to exclusive summer camps in Maine, New Hampshire and Upstate New York. The article goes on to quote one private jet broker that his summer camp business had jumped 30 percent over the last year. The flights are, of course, catered, with requests ranging from peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to a fruit cup with only one strawberry in it. The cost of a round trip from the NY area to Maine generally runs from $500-$600 per person. A seven person turboprop plane can be had for a mere $3,800. These prices do not include the cost of the some of the higher-end camps that can set you back more than $10,000 for a seven week stay.

WTF?! Recession? What recession? Obviously, these people feel they have enough discretionary income to indulge themselves AND their children in this type of convenience. If they can afford it, they have a right to do it. There certainly is no law against it. However, at the same time, it can be seen as the root of the conflict between what President Obama is trying to accomplish with his debt reduction plan and what Republicans want to do with theirs.

What Obama is saying, as recently as his address to the Nation last night (7/25/11), our debt crisis must be addressed. It WILL BE addressed. However, how we accomplish this makes the difference in how our lives will be lived and how our generation will be perceived. As part of his vision, he HAS asked the wealthy Americans to bear even more of the burden to sustain our society. In not some many words, he has asked the wealthiest Americans to choose between the necessity of transporting their children via private jet to exclusive, private summer camps and providing aid to the sick, infirm and elderly. He would address the deficit by cutting governmental spending without dismantling social programs and increase taxes (slightly) for the wealthy. The Republicans have steadfastly rejected ANY proposal of ANY kind that includes ANY tax hike-even on those wealthy enough to spoil themselves and their children with private jet flights to summer camp.

It's hard to say, flat out, that the Republican vision is just wrong. We are a pretty heavily taxed society as it is. And we'd all like to hang onto as many of our hard-earned dollars as we can. However, as we all well know, it is the MIDDLE CLASS that bares the heaviest tax burden, not the wealthy. For their own reasons (so-called "trickle down" economics), the Republicans STILL refuse to tax the wealthiest Americans. Now, this to me IS wrong. There is no true balance.

But there is also something more esoteric here. We have to ask ourselves "what type of society do we want to represent us? What will people see in our souls"? Do we want a more balanced society where there is not such a huge gap between the top and bottom of it? I see this is as "The Obama Way". Or do we want one where the top earners, no matter how they got there, to reap ALL of the fruits of their labors without, simply, sharing? I see this as the "Republican Way". Do we want to see a compassionate society where the sick and elderly are cared for and cherished? Or do we want one where wealthy parents spoil their children with a sense of entitlement created by private plane rides to exclusive summer camps?

For someone like me, the choice is pretty simple: I never went to summer camp anyway. That was always for the rich kids! We were to busy working summer jobs and hangin' in the 'hood.