By Ray Cardello for January 12, 2026, Season 33 / Post 49

Affordability is the new buzzword across the country, and many claim that it may be the defining issue in the 2026 midterm and 2028 general elections. Not since the Democrats could not define a woman has a simple word caused so much angst, primarily because many people cannot define the term, which I guess makes you wonder how people who do not understand a concept will use the term so easily. The way the Democrats use the term is in the vein of Socialism and Collectivism. They believe that everything should be available to everyone. That, regardless of circumstances, there should be nothing beyond your financial reach. This concept is wrong and dangerous on so many levels. It is an extension of the equity-versus-equality debate. It diminishes the value of anything and thwarts the initiative to do and have better.

When I was growing up in Lawrence, Massachusetts, we used to drive through the neighboring town of Andover, knowing that we could not afford to live there, that we did not belong there. The town line was less than a half mile from home, but it was a different world. I always thought it was symbolic that the first thing you saw when you crossed the town line was a huge Cadillac dealership. It was lore that there was an underground tunnel under Route 28 so the dealership’s owner could reach his mansion across the road. We had Chevy and Ford dealerships in Lawrence. Andover and a Cadillac were a dream for us, but a dream that could be realized with hard work and effort. It was not a dream that we looked to the government for a bigger home or fancy car to be reduced in price, so that we could afford it. But that appears to be the thinking of much of today’s youth. They should not have to dream or aspire. Those were the wasted efforts of their parents. No, today, they just have to say they want it, and it will be available to them—no need for effort or hard work.

It looks like a good dose of reality is in order. Some people simply cannot afford to live in New York City. That is called life. They may have to settle for hopping on the T and traveling to a more affordable neighborhood. Deal with it, or get a better job, or get married and have two incomes available for the finer things in life. That is not discriminatory or racist, or whatever name the WOKE want to assign. That is what Capitalism is all about, and it is a beautiful way of life: if you want better, you work harder.

There are problems in this scenario, and they are not unique to NYC; they also occur in Portsmouth, NH, and Portland, ME. It takes a lot of people (workers) to make a good-sized city run smoothly, and often the people needed to fill these jobs cannot earn enough to live close to where they work. That is a fact and does not mean we have to raise the Minimum Wage to an exorbitant level or cap and control all home prices and rents so that not only the CEO, but also the person who clears away the CEO’s plates at his favorite restaurant can afford the same. That is unrealistic and anti-Capitalism.

The new language of the Democratic Socialists (Communists) includes affordability, equality, and free. They are attractive ideals for a young generation that lacks energy, drive, motivation, or individualism. It will be a rude awakening for them when they realize that nothing is really free, and affordability may be a euphemism for cheap.