American Dream Coalition
From Sunshine Review
| American Dream Coalition | |
| 501(c)(3) | |
 | |
| Leadership: | Ed Braddy |
| Political party | Nonpartisan |
| Website | American Dream Coalition |
The American Dream Coalition (ADC) is led by a steering committee made up of representatives of the full group members and people elected by individual members. The steering committee elects an executive committee to oversee month-to-month operations.[1]
[edit] Mission
The ADC lays out its mission of defending the American dream of freedom, mobility, and affordable homeownership:
- Homeownership — The ADC sites that more than 80% of Americans say their ideal home is a single-family house with a yard. The ADC says homes are one of the best investments a young family can make and that mortgages on business owner's home are the most important source of funds for new businesses in the U.S.
- Mobility — Automobiles allow Americans to access to better jobs. They allow for lower cost of consumer goods, fast response of emergency services, keeping in touch with friends and relatives, and many recreation opportunities.
- Freedom — The ADC sites the Heritage Foundation’s 2002 Index of Economic Freedom. This report said that "nations that protect property rights and other forms of economic freedom have per capita incomes at least six times greater than nations will little or no economic freedom." When more people in the countries have higher incomes, the environmental quality raises as well.[2]
[edit] Smart growth
The ADC looks at the benefits of automobiles and sees a threat to this American dream, despite the benefits they just laid out. The threat they are trying to prevent from progressing comes in the form of a new planning doctrine known as smart growth, which legislates for dense urban development, restrictions on rural development, rail transit boondoggles, and barriers to auto driving. The ADC sees it as the one of the greatest threats to American mobility, affordable housing, and freedom today.
- Homeownership — Smart growth will have a negative impact on the housing market, the ADC says, because of its urban-growth boundaries and regulation of home construction. The ADC says it will make housing unaffordable to most families. An example the organization provides is that housing in San Jose, Portland, and other cities with smart-growth legislation is less affordable than housing in Las Vegas, Phoenix, and other less-regulated cities.
- Mobility — The ADC reports that traffic congestion costs Americans more than $60 billion a year. Smart growth seeks to increase congestion so that people are discouraged from driving.
- Freedom — Smart growth requires draconian restrictions on property owners and businesses and limits rural development, minimum-density
zoning in urban areas, and applies strict rules for retailers and other businesses. These measures impede economic freedom, increasing costs to homebuyers and consumers.[2]
[edit] Publications
For August 2009, ADC put together a Citizen's Guide to Transportation Reauthorization, which explains the main issues involved with federally funded of highways and transit.
For June 2009, ADC published a pamphlet called, [http://americandreamcoalition.org/HSRLayoutFL.pdf Why Florida Should Not Build High-Speed Rail]. The ADC reports that high-speed rail will cost the average American taxpayer $1,000, even if they do not or rarely ride it.
For September 2006, ADC published a work, How Automobiles Made America Great, that outlined how the automobile vastly increased the mobility of the average American, boosting incomes, homeownership rates, the variety of consumer goods, social and recreational opportunities, and greatly improving land uses.
For March 2006, ADC published How Smart Growth Makes Housing Unaffordable, reporting how land-use regulations and growth-management planning cost American homebuyers at least $275 billion in added costs in 2005. The ADC says that most of America’s housing affordability problems could be traced to such regulation and planning.
For June 2005, ADC published The Impact of Rail Transit on Transit Ridership because the high cost of rail causes most urban areas that build rail transit lines are likely to lose transit riders. The ADC made a comparison of rail transit’s effects on energy, safety, taxpayers, congestion, and other indicators, which reveals that rail transit reduces livability of the urban areas with it.
The Journalists’ Guide to the American Dream addresses issues relating to land-use and transportation planning for the journalist's use.
The 2007 ADC quarterly newsletter, The American Dreamer, is a commentary on the Minneapolis bridge collapse. It shows that cities can build their way out of congestion, and shows why California has the least affordable housing in America.
ADC Fact Sheet #1: Myths & Facts about Rail Transit
ADC Fact Sheet #2: Will Rail Transport Solve the Energy Crisis?[3]
[edit] Membership
Citizens can join the ADC:
- Fees range from $25 for individual members to $250 for full group membership.
The ADC encourages pledge support. The Coalition received a challenge grant, making every $2 contributed for pledge support joined by $1 in additional funds.[2]
