I remember purchasing Ras Baraka's CD shorty for Mayor a long time ago: Shorty For Mayor. A lot has happened since then. Now Shorty is Mayor. I wish him the best. Newark needs a lot of work. A lot of the work will be dealing with the crime. The crime keeps a lot of potential business out of Newark because it keeps a lot of people (those with regular disposable income) out of Newark after work. Baraka is not stupid so I know he knows this.
The real question is whether the people in Newark really, really, really understand the impact of the crime issue. No, Does the black population of Newark understand this. I'm not being unfair here. Check the stats and you'll know who are the vast majority of the perpetrators and victims of crime in Newark. If Baraka can get black folks in Newark to step up and deal with the violent folks in their midst, then Newark will undergo a great deal of change and I believe it can happen within one term.
When Cory Booker took office, I soon pointed out how simply having a charismatic mayor wouldn't put much of a dent in crime. It doesn't work like that. That is why I scoffed at the advertisements that attacked Baraka for allegedly saying that Newark doesn't need more cops. Baraka is RIGHT. The solution to the crime in Newark isn't more cops. It's changing the thought patterns (The +I of the sequential equation) of those who would partake in crime. That job is a group effort. Yes, city hall can do things to open up opportunities, but it cannot (and should not) be the sole repository of responsibility for proper social behavior of the citizens.
I do have ONE suggestion, which probably would involve agencies larger than the city: A infrastructure plan that has at it's center piece the training of young men in construction, electrical work, etc. That those men be put onto work crews that repair roads, etc. in their OWN communities at lower (apprentice) rates. A lot of these guys do not have work experience or trade training. If we want them to not do crime to get (or supplement) income, something has to be there for them to do that has a future. I know folks may not like to hear it, but it bothers me when I see folks from outside black communities doing the road work and the like while there are young men standing on corners holding up brick walls. There are plenty of white communities for these persons to work in. Lets train these young men (assuming they are willing) to learn skills to develop and maintain their own communities. This will undoubtedly lead to a sense of investment rather than somewhere that they dream to "escape".
That's my 2 cents.
