cities 
|
|
Tue Jan 24, 2012 at 04:11:48 PM EST
|
|
A good post that I didn't want us to lose amid all the marriage equality coverage that came the same day. Rob is Policy & Communications Coordinator of New Jersey Working Families Alliance, a member of Better Choices for New Jersey Campaign.- Promoted by Rosi
In a month Governor Christie is going to deliver his third budget address. Much of it will be the same sort of hype we heard last week during the State of the State: lots of talk about a New Jersey comeback, promises of income tax cuts and continued cuts to critical services.
The run-up to the speech is a good opportunity take a step back and look at how New Jersey has fared under the last two years of tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations and budget cuts for everyone else. Over the next few weeks I'll be posting weekly diaries about how two years of Governor Christie's policies have compromised the quality of life for millions of working families and jeopardized our long term economic growth.
During last week's speech Chris Christie made a pledge to help residents of Newark and other high-crime areas. But the truth is that Governor Christie's ongoing neglect of New Jersey's cities may have contributed to rising crime in New Jersey's urban centers.
|
|
There's More...
:: (0
Comments, 355 words in story)
|
|
|
|
Wed Jul 06, 2011 at 11:51:23 AM EDT
|
Amidst the name calling and theatrics swirling around Chris Christie's line-item vetoes, how about some real-world details? Take, for example, this AP piece noting that Jersey's cities, already on the ropes in varying degrees, are in for even tougher times. How tough?
New Jersey's struggling municipalities are out $139 million in state aid that was promised - and in some cases awarded - before Gov. Chris Christie vetoed the appropriation in this year's budget.
Christie wiped out all but $10 million from the program that helps cities and towns through extraordinary hardships like increased foreclosures, plummeting real estate values and an abnormally high number of successful tax appeals.
Hey, Camden Mayor Dana Redd and Newark Mayor Cory Booker - enjoy that.
|
|
Discuss
:: (1
Comments)
|
|
|
|
Tue Mar 08, 2011 at 11:41:38 AM EST
|
|
In light of the fact that Governor Christie is only about transparency when it relates to everyone other than himself and his cronies, any method to get additional data about what really goes in in New Jersey and its localities is welcome. Whether it is as a tool to just find out information, or to counter the usually clouded or flat out untrue claims coming from Christie, having access to data is always helpful.
That being said, my good buddy Cliff Schecter pointed me to a post he did recently about transparency since he is from this area and is a fellow progressive. The site is called City Forward and there's all sorts of cool stuff that can be sorted in order to find out the truth behind the shovels full of crap being force fed to New Jerseyans (and people all around the country following Christie) by our Governor.
If you find out some good stuff, be sure to post it in the comments!
|
|
Discuss
:: (4
Comments)
|
|
|
|
Sat Jan 15, 2011 at 01:30:18 PM EST
|
|
As municipal budgets shrink, state aid dissipates, and Chrisite's aggrandized rhetoric intimidates many to retire, NJ's police officers and fire fighters have found their ranks dwindling. This is occuring mostly by lay offs and attrition via mass retirements. While I suspect this is exactly what Christie wanted to happen, it could not happen at a worse time.
Much like the "trickle down" theory, the great real estate bubble left most of our urban areas behind. Our social and economic failures always hurt our cities the most, the great recession has only exacerbated the problems for the people who live there. Christie's vengeance towards the public sector and backwards political ideology will do nothing but roll the calender back to 1967 for those who have no other options but to maintain residency.
Cities maintain large police forces mostly because our social failures leave many uneducated and unemployed, which leads to crime. Cities maintain large fire departments because their housing stock is decrepit and very susceptible to conflagration. The recession has caused those with little to have less. Less social services and higher unemployment will lead to more crime. Further dilapidation of the housing stock will lead to more fires. This isn't conjecture...we have been down this road. In the absence of a dexterous society, public safety is the last vestige holding a community together. It is truly demented to believe that cutting back on education, libraries, social services, medical services,police, and fire will lead to anything positive. It might sound good on 101.5. The social realities will become evident.
|
|
Discuss
:: (0
Comments)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sun Feb 08, 2009 at 12:15:00 PM EST
|
|
The United States Conference of Mayors has been advocating for what they call a Main Street Stimulus. They're preparing to move ahead as soon as the federal stimulus is passed. Dailykos noted that they have a list of "Ready to Go" projects. Here are the cities in New Jersey that have submitted projects--each link lists specific infrastructure and dollars amounts needed:
Clinton, East Orange, Edison, Elizabeth, Hamilton, Irvington, Trenton, Orange, Piscataway, and Trenton
All of these are projects which would immediately begin to create or save jobs.
ps. What is wrong with Camden that they don't submit any projects?
|
|
Discuss
:: (3
Comments)
|
|
|
|
|
| Featured Stories |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
