Throughout my life, as a resident of New York City, I have witnessed the effects of neoliberalism and noticed my own community change with it. Starting off with health insurance, although there are programs built into the system to help low income communities be able to receive the care and help they need, you need a social security to be eligible to apply. Most low income communities are filled with immigrants in search for a better life. Privatization of insurance companies don’t only make it harder for these low income communities to apply for insurance, but make it a financial barrier for them as well.
With Covid-19 and the pandemic as a whole, everyone was affected disregarding your social class. Having insurance as a financial barrier families lived though an extremely tough experience, and were in debt coming out of hospitals. Covid-19 tests that were once free are now on the market for profit. I had an experience where I went to get COVID tested, standing on line for hours only to be told that the tests have ran out. Having to get tested by any means, I went to a location in Manhattan and there were about 8 people on line.
School, a public industry for all children to receive an education has also been turned into a neoliberal practice. Depending on the school you go too, the cost varies. Private investors in these schools have a heavily weighted opinion when it comes to the school making decisions as well. Families who can afford to send their children to these private institutions or pay for a tutor to pass exams made for these schools are put at an disadvantage. Education is valuable in New York City. Neoliberalism affects communities not fit for the image of New York City.
Like in the passage by Dickson, she mentions how graffiti does not compliment the image of New York. Following this, society put a negative stereotype on black and Latino men, calling them criminals and thugs. This only goes to show economic value is more important in the acts of neoliberalism than the health or happiness of its citizens.
Lesly I agree 100% with your comments about School turning into a neoliberal practice and I wish it would be fair if the government would provide for these students whose families couldn’t afford it. I also agree that Education is valuable in New York City but change must come first.
I agree with everything you mentioned, especially with the fact that many immigrants struggle financially to receive health insurance from the government and would have to pay lots of money if they wanted to receive special care from hospitals. In addition to that, I also think education is important but it has become so hard for low-income people to receive that education when they can’t afford it.