Money Should Never Keep You Out
If you want to be part of the American Muckrakers Substack community but cannot afford a paid subscription, reach out. No questions asked. No judgment.
An email I received today touched me deeply. Please see the redacted version below.
I never want money to keep anyone from being part of this community. If a paid Substack subscription is not within reach right now, please contact me. I will gladly provide a free lifetime subscription.
No questions asked. No judgment. No explanation needed.
You belong here. Hit me up via email or chat here on SS anytime.
And, if you afford a subscription, I’d appreciate your support today. Our donations are down so far I’m contemplating joining OnlyFans for the elderly.
DBW
I live in Asheville, too. The cost of living here is the highest in the state, with a livable wage of over $23 an hour. Nobody is from here anymore, they've been pushed out by big money and gentrification. Rent is very high. I have 3 Gen Z kids who luckily can come back home whenever they want/need to. But, there are far too many kids with parents telling them, "Get the hell out of my basement!" These kids don't have the same opportunities we did. They have to live with roommates or face homelessness. In the last 10yrs alone, we have seen a 61.9% overall increase in our un-housed population. I've lived here since '87 and rarely did we see a homeless person anywhere. I believe it was the internet that started spreading the news of our beautiful area. People started visiting and then moving here or just buying up all the property they can to pave our mountains to make way for more and more and more condos and their parking lots. And, they brought with them crime and trash everywhere.The traffic is crammed full of angry and aggressive drivers and you hardly hear a southern accent in this town anymore. I'm grateful and terribly lucky that I was able to buy my home 30yrs ago, when the payments were still low, or I would have been shoved out or homeless too. I feel like the black sheep in this neighborhood now, but I am so grateful for what I have left after Helene!!(: