Downsized Living by Downsized Living: The Magazine for the New America

DOWNSIZED

Living THE MAGAZINE FOR THE NEW AMERICA Vol. 1, No. 1 • Fall 2011

THE BEST T ENT CITIES IN THE U.S.

D I N I N G Dumpster Diving: America’s Latest Food Craze CA REERS How to Land That $8 an Hour Dream Job OUT D OOR S National Parks: Bowling, Paintball And More

s the American dream over? It is a question that millions of Americans have been asking themselves over the past several years, but even more so since the recent financial crisis led to the deep recession we find ourselves in with no easy or obvious way out. This is the reason for starting a new online “lifestyle” magazine that uses dark humor and parody to call attention to what many fear may be becoming the new normal — more and more Americans are barely hanging on financially and have seen their opportunities for improving their lives greatly diminished. It is these Americans who cannot meet their basic expenses or find employment commensurate with their skills and education, much less enjoy the affluent lifestyles portrayed in magazines such as Better Homes and Gardens, Sunset and Martha Stewart Living. This is the reality that our leaders in business and government, particularly those in the Republican Party, will not face or do anything about. The irresponsibility and widespread ethical misconduct on the part of the financial services industry made a financial crisis inevitable. Millions lost homes to foreclosure and more are continuing to lose equity as home prices fall. Although corporations are raking in billions in profits, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in August the effective unemployment rate was 16.2 percent when the underemployed and those who have stopped looking for work are factored in. Time magazine online also reported in May that even with the difficulty so many people are having in finding any job at all, many employers are refusing to hire the unemployed, and stated, “At an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission hearing this year, Christine Owens, executive director of the National Unemployment Law Project, declared that ‘excluding the unemployed’ is ‘becoming business as usual.’” The article went on to say that “…advocates [for the unemployed] also say that allowing companies

to discriminate against the jobless is fundamentally unfair and threatens to condemn millions of Americans to permanent underclass status.” Even people who have found jobs are struggling. The New York Times, citing a study contracted by the nonprofit group Wider Opportunities for Women, reported in April that “Many of the jobs being created [in the recovery] are unlikely to cover fundamentals like housing, utilities and food.” The idea that we are in a recovery at all is debatable, and it is difficult to make sense of economic news when all visible evidence seems to indicate that the economy is still stuck in neutral. According to the Census Bureau, poverty has increased to its highest level in 52 years. Even in my hometown in one of the more prosperous areas of the country, “For Sale” and “For Lease” signs on buildings have grown as thick as weeds, and there are empty stores and office buildings all over the county.

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I n t ro d u c in g D ow n s i z e d L ivin g

The richest 20 percent of Americans own 84% of the nation’s wealth

Adding to the difficulties that many are already having, several states, facing falling tax revenues and huge budget deficits, are making cuts that fall most heavily on the poor and most vulnerable members of society. To the dismay of progressives, the extreme right has dominated the national agenda during the Obama administration, making slashing deficits, not job creation, its number one priority. According to economist Robert Reich, the Tea Party’s recent brinksmanship over raising the debt ceiling and the resulting fiasco of a deficit-reduction agreement have made any significant plan to create jobs and stem the tide of foreclosures “impossible.” Earlier this year, Senator Paul Ryan proposed cutting $5.8 trillion from the national budget over 10 years by making huge cuts in Medicaid for the poor and privatizing Medicare — which

would increase health care costs to seniors — all the while reducing the top income tax rate on the wealthiest Americans to 25 percent. While the Republicans appear to have backed off that proposal for now, it reflects a renewed and disturbing absence of decency in society that has become more and more prevalent in business and public policy over the last 30 years. Will this magazine have a reason to continue beyond the recession? I think so. There is reason to believe our situation is due to fundamental problems that may be politically very difficult to change. We all know that taxes on the wealthiest Americans have gone down dramatically and inequality has risen. It’s the degree of that inequality that is shocking. The PBS NewsHour reported in August that the richest 20 percent of Americans own 84 percent of the nation’s wealth, a similar wealth distribution to China and some African nations. It is the stranglehold that these same wealthy individuals and corporations have on our democracy that keeps the needs of those of more modest means from being addressed. Finally, the trillions spent on defense and the nearly constant military conflict we have been engaged in since the end of World War II, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, take a huge toll not only in lives, but in consuming resources that could be better spent on moving the country forward — such as repairing the nation’s infrastructure and developing renewable energy sources. It’s not that there isn’t a lot of good out there. I’m sure we have all experienced or observed countless acts of kindness, integrity and commitment to the common good in our own lives, but that spirit just doesn’t seem to scale up to the national level. So with this issue, I wish to add my voice in unison with other humor outlets such as The Daily Show and The Onion — and remind readers that the growing absence of humanity in our society, not poverty, is the butt of the joke in Downsized Living. After all, there’s that old saying that people can put up with anything but being laughed at — let’s hope. – Blair Adams

Volume 1, Number 1 • Fall 2011

The Best Tent Cities in the U.S.

Dumpster Diving: America’s Latest Food Craze

How to Land That $8 an Hour Dream Job

Coconut Palms outside Tampa, Florida DEST

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ingle-family homes are just so yesterday. Because millions have lost their homes in the foreclosure crisis and millions more have jobs that do not cover basic expenses, tent cities are losing their stigma and growing in popularity. Because they are an increasing sector of the U.S. housing stock, some cities have even gone upscale, offering kitchens and hot showers. Tent cities have many important advantages: you don’t have to bother with the constant repairs and upkeep involved in owning a home; you have freedom from the expense of insurance, property taxes and HOA dues; and you don’t have to have an anxiety attack worrying if you’re going to make rent every month. Tent cities also allow many people to retire who otherwise could not afford to. But with so many cities to choose from, how do you find the one that’s right for you and your family? Each tent city has its own unique character and has its own set of advantages and disadvantages, so this list is not ranked in any order of desirability. But all cities were chosen for good weather and mild winters, easy access to beaches, nature or things to see and do. So without further ado, here they are:

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T H E B EST TE N T CITIES IN THE U.S.

Coconut Palms’ location makes it ideal for surfing and beachcombing.

A charming community of about 2,000 residents a short distance from the beach, Coconut Palms has it all — great weather, great surfing, neat little tents in a tropical setting and there is Tiki Night every Friday. But unlike most other tent cities in the U.S., jobs are plentiful. Begun as a local jobs program, Coconut Palms is an arrangement with the local business community and county government in which residents pay to work, but rent and utilities at Coconut Palms are free, and people can stay there as long as they like. Employees have to pay the full amount of their unemployment benefits or take out a loan in order to hold a job, but nonetheless there are great opportunities. Residents work as civil engineers, urban planners, teachers, firefighters, gardeners, maids, cooks, clerks and maintenance personnel.

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Saguaro Valley outside Phoenix, Arizona

Saguaro Valley has better security than most gated communities.

You needn’t fear Arizona’s famous armed vigilantes in this city. Vigilantes in trucks used to patrol Arizona not only looking for illegal immigrants, but also raiding tent cities, cutting up tents and shooting anyone who got in their way. No more!

At Saguaro Valley, there is shade and running water, critical in Arizona’s searing heat. Most importantly, a 10-foot adobe wall with guard towers surrounds this city of 12,000, keeping the residents safe inside. Although Arizona’s mild winters have made the state a desirable

“It gives people a great sense of pride and accomplishment to hold a job,” said Rae Johnston, 58, director of the Tampa Bay Community Mental Health Clinic. “Unemployment puts a lot of stress on families and in many cases leads to depression. We’re really doing a lot to keep these families together and bolster the overall mental health of the community.”

Desert Sky near Las Vegas, Nevada

Residents relax after a hard day’s work.

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Connie Morris, a three-year resident herself, is Desert Sky’s employment counselor.

This lovely tent city of 4,500 people is unique in that it has an employment center whose imaginative approach to job coaching is increasingly becoming a model for the whole country.

But the controversy doesn’t seem to bother most residents. “A job is a job,” said Paul Martinez, 32, an engineer who had been out of work for over two years. “And I have a roof — or at least a piece of cloth over my head. That’s really what matters.”

location, continued conflicts with homeowners and city councils have prevented other tent cities from cropping up in the state. The fact that Saguaro Valley is the only tent city in Arizona has made it a bit crowded or “cozy” in the words of Dennis McGrady, 47. “But it’s a safe place to raise my kids. That’s all I care about.” Vigilantes still try to shoot arrows over the wall and throw things over it, like rotten eggs, shoes and tomatoes, but security guards have kept The charming Midnight Café serves these incidents to up cold drinks and good cheer on a minimum. warm desert nights.

The center contains several computers so residents can look for work and is visited regularly by local and regional employers. Some residents have found jobs in fast-food restaurants and convenience stores, but many of these jobs pay less than what they receive in jobless benefits. For most, getting hired at all is a challenge. So the employment center at Desert Sky, knowing that unemployment and minimum-wage jobs can be a permanent trap, urges residents to think creatively about their employment status. For example, Gabriel Farkas, who cleans the outhouse, is a “public health supervisor.” Millie Silberg, who cooks beans for the camp every night, is “head chef.” John DeVille, who checks ID’s at the center, is “operations manager.”

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Lawsuits were filed, arguing that Coconut Palms’ livework arrangement constitutes slavery. But since the Citizens United decision, the Supreme Court has ruled on other cases that have in effect, overturned the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment, which outlawed slavery. In one such case, Webster v. Cooley, the Supreme Court ruled that having to give employees monetary compensation for their labor was an unfair burden on employers; therefore, providing housing and a minimal amount of food constituted employment.

Critics have lambasted Desert Sky’s employment center for its blatant lack of ethics in job coaching by encouraging people, in effect, to lie on their résumés. But others see it differently. “What is truth?” asked the job center’s “executive director,” Connie Morris, 52, an unemployed science teacher. “I encourage people to expand their job descriptions as far as possible without lying. As for truth, philosophers have spent their whole lives trying to figure out what that is.”

T H E B EST TENT CITIES IN THE U.S. Blue Oak outside Cortez, Colorado

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If rustic is more your style, you might enjoy Blue Oak, located in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains. Blue Oak has a transient population of about 500 at any one time. Amenities are minimal and there are no jobs, services or any other facilities. But the scenery is spectacular, the air is Mark Eagleplume teaches clean and wildflowers residents to survive the way his are abundant in the ancestors did centuries ago. spring. The advantage is being out in nature, living as John Muir did a century ago. Due to the lack of food or any other amenities there, Native Americans have begun teaching the many formerly urban residents their ancestral ways of living off the land. “Here we go again,” joked Mark Eagleplume, 30, a member of the local Navajo tribe.

Bird of Paradise outside Los Angeles, California

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If you like California casual, Bird of Paradise, a growing city of about 15,000 located outside the L.A. city limits is the place for you. Bird of Paradise is located within easy access of beaches, and you can put up any kind of tent you want—or none at all and simply sleep out under the stars. Palm trees sway gently in the breeze, and residents enjoy potluck cookouts where people bring anything they can find and play the guitar.

Alberto Tejada, a Mexican immigrant, offers Americans advice and support on their own journeys north to Canada.

But by far, this tent city’s foremost advantage is its location in a city with a large population of legal and illegal immigrants from Mexico. In late 2009, when Americans began streaming across the Canadian border looking for work, a group of these immigrants

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Aquarius Village near San Diego, California

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Norm Cohen, a former restaurateur, couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.

got the idea to start a program called Amigos across the Border. This program joins volunteer immigrants who have made the hazardous journey across the U.S.–Mexican border with Americans who are thinking of going to Canada. With the help of interpreters, these immigrants provide moral support and give advice on survival strategies and obtaining employment and housing. Amigos across the Border meets weekly at Bird of Paradise and the results have been gratifying for all involved. Twenty-nine-year-old Alberto Tejada, who came from Guadalajara 15 years ago and now owns his own service station, said, “Getting here was really hard, but I made it. It feels great to be able to help someone else.”

One of a growing number of tent cities that enable retirees to live well in the face of declining home values, Aquarius Village offers its 700 residents an alternative to traditional retirement communities. Extremely popular with Baby Boomers, Aquarius Village definitely caters to a certain sensibility: Grateful Dead music plays on loudspeakers; clothing is optional during the summer; and the food is macrobiotic. Women wear flowers in their hair and sometimes not much else. “I love it. It’s like Woodstock all over again,” said longtime resident Norm Cohen, 72. “If I lived where they had activities like finger painting and bingo, I’d have to go around even more stoned than I am now.”

nine or ten o’clock, when the dinner hour is over at most restaurants. “I always use fresh ingredients,” he explained. “You never know what you’re going to find in a Dumpster, and that brings an element of spontaneity, randomness, chance and unpredictability to these recipes. It’s very exciting.” For instance, Rob is famous for his rice croquettes, which he makes by waiting outside of Asian restaurants. There he takes all the rice left over from people’s plates, combines them with different ingredients such as mushrooms, bell peppers, and shrimp, rolls them into balls, and then fries them on the spot with a portable cook stove he brings with him. Rob points out that anyone can do this with a campfire, skillet and cooking oil.

DUM PSTER D I V I NG : A M ER I C A’ S L ATEST F OOD CR A ZE

Rob Luo is pioneering a new movement in American cuisine.

ailed as the “Julia Child of our times,” 32- year-old chef Rob Luo is leading a food revolution that is taking America by storm: It’s called Recycled Cuisine, and Rob is showing Americans that fine cuisine is as close as the nearest Dumpster. Using carefully selected ingredients from trash bins around his hometown of Seattle, Rob creates interesting and innovative recipes that are scrumptious and easy to prepare. He typically goes “shopping” for ingredients twice a day at two o’clock in the afternoon after breakfast and lunch, and then again around

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You never know what you’re going to find in a Dumpster, and that brings an element of spontaneity, randomness, chance and unpredictability to these recipes.

Shish kabobs are another specialty of his and can utilize any type of cuisine as a source of ingredients. “You can find the ingredients in almost any restaurant trash bin,” he said, “and the possibilities are endless. You can really be creative and even combine ingredients that you wouldn’t think go together.” Making shish kabobs is easy, he explained. “You just find any old stick, and go to it.”

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H OW TO L A N D T H AT $8 AN HOUR DREAM JOB

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His increasingly popular cooking show, Dumpster Diving, on the Food Network, is winning millions of fans all over the country, and his cookbook has been on The New York Times bestseller list for seven months. Rob went to the Cordon Bleu academy in Seattle, but like so many other cooking school graduates, found only 10 or 12 dollar an hour jobs as a line cook waiting for him when he got out. That wasn’t nearly enough to pay back the thousands of dollars of student loans he had taken out, so he had to think on his feet. Recycled Cuisine was the result. For reasons of food safety, Rob frequently tells people to always cook food thoroughly and avoid scavenging raw or fresh foods such as salads. Cooking at high temperatures kills bacteria, which is an important consideration with this type of cooking. Instead, he says, weeds like fennel and chicory are edible and available at many vacant lots. He also makes delightful salads with miner’s lettuce, a common plant found throughout the West Coast. His cookbook even includes a section on how to grow salad greens in tin cans. So people don’t feel stigmatized by using such unconventional cooking methods, he emphasizes the innovative nature of his cuisine. “Cooking has been evolving this way for centuries,” he pointed out. “People have always used whatever ingredients they had at their disposal. For example, in order to stretch a piece of meat, Genoese sailors just put a little bit of the meat in between two squares of pasta—and presto, ravioli. Just think of yourself as writing a new chapter in culinary history.”

There are plenty of opportunities available to the resourceful.

ith jobs scarce and middle-class jobs gone the way of the black-and-white TV, is it still possible to achieve the American dream? Joanne Horvath, an employment specialist at Berenson Personnel, a leading temp agency, thinks so. “You just have to dial down your expectations, and imagine your job search strategy in a whole new way,” Horvath said. “In today’s economy, where there are so many more applicants than there are jobs, stellar qualifications aren’t enough. For example, some employers hold a raffle where the winning ticket holders are the ones who get to apply. Also, the hiring process itself is a lot more cryptic. Most employers refuse to hire people who are currently unemployed. If you’re an expert in your field, you’re overqualified; if you’re a star performer, you’ll want too much money; if you have years of experience, you’re too old; and if you have a new degree or certificate, you have no experience. And for most jobs, there’s no tolerance for learning or transfer of skills from one field to another.” Therefore, she went on, job seekers need to find creative ways to stand out.

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Dream Job, continued OUTDOORS

NAT IONAL PA RKS : BOWLING, PAINTBALL A N D M ORE

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Twenty-eight-year-old Lane Martin of Kansas City, Missouri, is one example. When a recent hiring fair for a dozen part-time clerks’ positions at a local Walmart drew more than 3,000 people, Lane got creative, took matters into his own hands — and won. A recent graduate of NYU with a degree in engineering and a master’s in urban planning, Lane had sent out 600 resumes but never got called for an interview. Needing to bring in some cash, he went to apply for a position at the fair. But after standing in line for six hours and seeing that his prospects were dimming by the minute, Lane decided he had to do what he had to do — make an impression no matter what. He took a page out of the old seventies playbook, doffed his clothes and ran, stark naked, to the front of the line. Hoping to imprint his name on the interviewers’ memories, he saluted the Walmart representatives, handed them his resume and said, “Lane Martin at your service.” Then he ran as police keeping order at the event came after him. A former high school track star and an avid jogger, Lane ran so fast down the street, he quickly eluded the police, and a courier delivering a package couldn’t help but notice. The courier flagged Lane down, took down his contact information and hired him the next day. At $8 an hour, the courier’s job is way more than he was making at his old, interim position as a waiter. But running naked isn’t the only way to stand out from the crowd. Rick Nevitt, a 38-year-old former ad executive in Phoenix, Arizona, thinking he didn’t have a chance in a field of over 300 applicants, barked and howled like a dog during a recent interview for asales position at a car dealership — he got the job. Other job applicants have parachuted to their interviews in costume or fixed Caesar’s salad at the interviewer’s desk. Horvath said, “If you asked me what the American dream is now, I couldn’t say. Last week we had one guy come in who was a Nobel Prize winner in chemistry, and he couldn’t get a job. So I asked him, ‘Can you do anything else, like sing or tap dance?’ All I know is, in today’s economy, always think and do the opposite of what makes sense.”

Teri and John Caceras say camping out is a lot more fun with the addition of Yellowstone’s new bowling alley.

Bowling Both Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks in Wyoming have state-of-the-art bowling alleys. At 60 lanes, Mega Bowl in Yellowstone is one of the largest in the country and is ideal for corporate retreats. Mega Bowl also has high-definition screens, billiards, a video arcade, bar and grill and All You Can Eat Pizza Night every Friday during the high season. Penny Lanes in Grand Teton National Park is smaller with 42 lanes, but has everything Mega Bowl has plus a gift shop. Penny Lanes has been chosen to be the site of next year’s national bowling tournaments such as the Masters and Senior Masters Tournaments held by the United States Bowling Congress. Both places are packed at all hours of the day, so be sure to make reservations.

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very downside has an upside. The elimination of federal funding for national parks early this year seemed to be the end of our national park system. But rather than close the parks for lack of funding, as has happened with state parks all over the country, Congress passed and President Obama signed the National Parks Preservation Act, a historic bipartisan agreement that Republicans have hailed as great as the creation of the national park system itself. In order to raise needed revenue and save our national parks for future generations, the ownership and management of our greatest national parks, including Yosemite and Yellowstone, have been turned over to private companies. The privatization of national parks and the development of revenue-generators to support them like casinos, shopping malls and oil and gas drilling may irk traditionalists, but this historic agreement has also opened up dramatic new possibilities and new ways to enjoy national parks in ways never dreamed possible. And while the entrance fees can be as much as $75 per vehicle, national parks are still incredibly cheap compared to Disneyland, where one-day ticket prices go from $74 to $80 per person. So get on board! The opening up of the following activities and venues show that now, more than ever, national parks aren’t just for camping anymore.

Nightlife sparkles at Lake Mead National Recreation Area. From left, Lisa Tescallo, Kim Willner and Paul Everett try their hand at roulette.

CASINOS Family-friendly casinos are found at Lake Mead, Yellowstone and Yosemite. The Silver Peso Casino, for instance, at Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Nevada, includes slot machines galore, a 2,500-room hotel, an indoor playground and a kiddie casino where the kids can try their hand at blackjack, poker and roulette—all for candy and stuffed animals of course. The Silver Peso also has big-name entertainment, rock bands and magic acts on a large outdoor stage where you can sit out under the stars with a picnic dinner and enjoy the shows.

N AT IO NAL PARKS:

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BOWLING, PAINTBALL A N D M ORE

Paintball has been a big draw at Olympic National Park. Pam Sutherland takes a break from a championship tournament.

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PAINTBALL

At the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s IMAX Theater, visitors learn about oil and gas drilling in spectacular 3-D.

OIL AND GAS DRILLING

The dramatic forest of Olympic National Park in the state of Washington provides the setting for a 50acre paintball center. Olympic Paintball Center also does birthday parties and team-building events, and there is a daily raffle. At Desert Paintball in Zion National Park (Utah), visitors can play urban warfare on a 45-acre course that includes make-believe bunkers and bombed-out buildings. Desert Paintball also has six speedball courses and a taco truck.

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Who ever thought oil and gas drilling could be this interesting? Thanks to the Preservation Act’s requirement that oil and gas companies educate the public in exchange for drilling rights, fossil fuel extraction has been turned into an educational experience for the whole family. Drilling has just opened up in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and Glacier National Park, and both parks have spectacular new visitors’ centers. The visitors’ centers explain how these fuels are obtained in state-of-the-art IMAX theaters. Guided tours given daily also explain all about the drilling process and give visitors a chance to ask questions.

Joe and Bonnie Cannady say golfing is terrific at Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

From left, Violet, James and Erica McNulty enjoy a day of shopping at Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

SHOPPING Hasta la vista, silly little trinkets! Target and Costco have just opened up stores in Zion, Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, Yellowstone and Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio. Go there for great deals on T-shirts, flat-screen TVs and computers.

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We just need to expand our concept of what a national park can be.

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Even with all these new activities to enjoy, seeing national parks as “Nature Plus” as park officials call it, will take time. Robin Mann, president of the Sierra Club, wept at what he called the “rape of our national patrimony,” and said, “The privatization of national parks makes manifest, in a physical sense, what has happened to our democracy.”

But developers such as Ken Brooks, owner of the Silver Peso Casino in Lake Mead, dismiss such notions as romantic and old-fashioned. “I don’t see it that way at all,” he said. ”We just need to expand our concept of what a national park can be.”

In June, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee was proud to introduce a brand-new 18-hole golf course crowned by 60 luxury condominiums. The Great Smoky Mountains Golf Course also includes a miniature golf course for the kids that also has an arcade, batting cages, go-carts and laser tag. More golf courses are planned for Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Kansas, Acadia National Park in Maine and Yosemite.

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Wall S t r e e t ’ s N e w Charity Shows You Can Still Live Your Dreams

Frank Healy leaves to go on his big day.

ho says big business has no conscience? Wall Street tycoons like hedge fund managers, investment bankers and CEOs give generously of their time to the disadvantaged. Bruce Graves, 36, head of the New York investment bank the Lasden Group and other Masters of the Universe recently founded the charity, Be Me for a Day. The charity is based on the same idea as the Make a Wish foundation,

which moves heaven and earth to grant children with serious and terminal illnesses their fondest wish. Be Me for a Day gives anyone making less than $15 million per year a chance to be a big shot for a day by sending an application to the charity’s website. Fifty-year-old Frank Healey, an unemployed welder from Queens, got to spend the day with Matt Anthony, a hedge fund manager. Mr. Anthony showed him how to send billions of dollars around the world with the click of a mouse. Mr. Healy also sat in on a meeting with lobbyists working on a new tax loophole for the company; had lunch at Nobu, one of New York’s most exclusive restaurants; rode around in a limousine while friends and family cheered and took photos; got to visit Mr. Anthony’s 40,000 square foot mansion in the Hamptons, complete with an Olympic swimming pool and private airport; and went sailing on his yacht, where he had dinner with Mr. Anthony and his family. The Be Me for a Day foundation videotaped his experience so he could relive it forever.

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Bruce Graves, one of the founders of Be Me for a Day, believes his organization helps people strengthen their commitment to success.

Be Me for a Day’s founders say the charity goes a long way toward reducing envy and resentment in society and gives people something to strive for. The Be Me for a Day concept may also be turned into a reality show. But that’s not what matters to Frank Healy, who wept when he recalled his experience. “I’m a hero to my son now,” he said. “He really looks up to me.”

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Corporations are people, my friend,” declared Mitt Romney. So how will the recent Supreme Court decision allowing corporations to hold public office affect you? Although technically the ruling does not affect our constitutional rights, it will no doubt have wide-ranging implications. The prospect of corporations, as legal persons, increasingly replacing real people as officeholders has not been without controversy. And the upcoming presidential race between Rouder Oil and Gas and Zeeker, a software giant, is one example. Although Justice Antonin Scalia, in writing the 5-4 majority opinion based his ruling on the conclusion that “there are no specific constitutional prohibitions against legal persons as such,” protests and other legal challenges have abounded. What do you think Bryant v. Rouder will mean to you, readers? Cheap gas? Eighty-hour workweeks, but free dry cleaning and plenty of Jolt in the refrigerator? Please send your responses to forum@downsizedlivingmag.com.