Serving the Rich Fool
Joe Daniels
October 1, 2001
Until last month, my employers had two dogs, Sadie and Buck. One day as I was driving with Sadie—a stray German Shepherd they had found on a nearby Indian reservation—I had the vivid sense that I was party to an irony.  Santa Fe, New Mexico, is divided into two primary classes: the poor Hispanic and Native Americans continually moving further from the city center as property taxes climb, and well-to-do whites—attracted to the sun, the quiet, the seasons, and the rich Southwestern culture—whose wealth drives up those taxes. As we drove toward the city limits, Sadie and I watched the houses become more ramshackle, their crumbling abode revealing patches of cinder block and chicken wire. And there was Sadie, about to receive her monthly acupuncture treatment for approximately what it would cost to repair the teeth, eyesight, or perhaps the homes of those we passed. Few of those people will ever know a rags-to-riches story like Sadie's. My wife and I are caretakers: we manage the home, grounds, pets, and errands of a well-to-do white couple. As usual, they don't entirely fit the stereotype. He gives millions yearly to charitable causes and has streaks of glowing benevolence; she devotes herself to a nonprofit dance program serving the poorest elementary schools in the area. Sadie is the merry recipient of this same generosity. But in many ways they do fit the stereotype—he in particular is a walking visual aid for the parable of the camel and the needle. He loves his money, his Ferrari, his Harley, his luxurious clothes, and his expensive getaways to exotic locations. Both of our employers give a sincere nod to all forms of spirituality as long as they remain vague and pleasant. ...
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