KC Elections Round 2 - 3rd District

The March 22 elections are nearly here. The mayoral race has boxed Sly James into a corner unfortunately. He and Mike Burke decided to run a no-mud campaign. That seems to have left Sly with no where to go as Mike racks up endorsements and runs a "well of course you want to vote for me" campaign. In KC that means Mike Burke gets to do a well - you know... style campaign - Hey it's not slinging mud, but you know...

Sly has nowhere to run with this. A shame. But maybe the voters of KC are smarter than Mike thinks and will vote with their brains.

I'm much more concerned about the 3rd District races. The in-district race is a mess. Fletcher is still appealing his residency and this has left Jermain Reed in limbo. If Fletch wins his appeal, Jermain is not in the runoff. If Fletch loses the appeal, Jermain is in, but with only a couple of weeks to go. Meanwhile, Brooks is sitting in the catbird seat. This is a real shame.

The at-large race pits newcomer Brandon Ellington (although he ran in-district 4 years ago and lost) against one of the most established and recognized political family names in the KC metro - Curls, as in Melba Curls. I've been supporting Ellington because I don't think Melba has been an effective representative for the dire situations facing the 3rd district, let alone the city at-large.

Ellington is running a grass-roots, low-budget, guerrilla-style campaign. But the latest salvo comes from a very real, speak truth to power, photo essay. Unfortunately it is only running on Facebook now, but hopefully you can see it from this link: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/album.php?aid=71109&id=1250676511&fbid=1562958234467

It's called "This is What the 3rd District Really Looks Like" and is a stark reminder that the current reps, Brooks and Curls have done nothing to address the needs of this district. While Curls represents the at-large, that also means she has standing to invite the entire city to work with the 3rd. She has squandered her time in office. Perhaps this race will be a wake up call for her and if re-elected she will become more active and responsive? I have no evidence to suggest that will be the case.

Brandon Ellington is green, put a fast study. He has a lot to learn, but has the capacity to do so. He knows the 3rd district and wants to make a difference. He has the street cred to know how to make a difference. He has the passion and the connections to rally the rest of the city to finally be a partner in reviving the 3rd district and stimulating opportunities for the residents that live there. http://www.electellington.com

Kansas City Elections Round 1

Well the primary results were no surprise to me - my prediction was Mike Burke and Sly James all along for Mayor in the General Election. All those who actually thought Rowland or Herman could win were just wishful thinking. Some thought the incumbent Mayor Funkie would split the field and sneak into the runoff. I think the Anybody But Funk sentiment was so strong that people voted smartly and picked winners to ensure a Funk defeat.

The fact that KC may see its second African-American Mayor if James is elected is a very important political issue. KC is typically viewed as being uber-divided and segregated - yet James ran a great race (albeit with dismal turnout levels). He also won without the endorsement of any of the African-American political groups. I'm anxious to see the precinct votes to see how he did on the Eastside. Mike Burke was the only candidate to have 2 campaign offices - one on the westside and one on the eastside. Anxious to see if that made any difference in terms of votes.

The most interesting race was 3rd District at-large. The white candidate, Durwin Rice, was counting on his city-wide recognition as a good citizen (which he is) and his Tulips on Troost fame to garner him enough votes to overcome the resistance he would have from voters who actually live in the 3rd District. I have to say that I believed white voters in KC would vote for him and put him through to the General Election. He failed. Ellington and incumbent Curls will face off in March. I really thought that if given a choice, KC white voters would vote for Durwin over the two black candidates. Glad I was wrong. And it looks as if the same number of votes were cast for the 3rd at-large as the other at-large races, meaning voters did not just skip over the 3rd district race. I hope that Durwin Rice will continue living in the 3rd and be an active resident. The 3rd needs all the allies it can get and he would be a great one. Welcome, neighbor.

The General Election races in the 3rd and the 5th districts at large and the 3rd in district will ensure that 3 African-Americans get elected to council. Unfortunately, there will not be any Hispanic reps on council. This continues to be a difficult issue. The Hispanic political clubs backed the same losing mayoral candidate that the African-American political club backed. Looks like cash did not translate to votes in that race and that will definitely diminish their political clout. There is definitely political room for new groups to step up and represent. Should be interesting to see how the remaining candidates court the Hispanic vote and whether they go for endorsements.

Sustainable Cities

Is Camden sustainable? Is Kansas City? Is Detroit?

These 3 places are facing the exact same question and are answering it in very different ways.

Camden is facing a financial crisis because the fiscal house of cards has collapsed. Some are suggesting that the solution lies in municipal bankruptcy. It would be a way to get out from under very costly union contracts (seems to be a popular strategy for fiscal relief these days - see Wisconsin). Bankruptcy may be a way to get out from under a tangled mess of property tax liens that cripple the city's ability to redevelop properties or even build on vacant lots. It may be a way to renegotiate subsidy agreements that currently allow private sector development to avoid property tax and instead pay a fixed payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT). Mayor Redd has stated that bankruptcy is not a good option for Camden. The city has a terrible reputation, is woefully in the red, can't possibly have a good bond rating that is real, and has no prospects for future revenue except to raise property taxes on a population base where 36% of people are in poverty and/or to seek concessions from the Police and Fire Unions which has gone nowhere. Bankruptcy may in fact be the BEST answer given the alternatives on the table. A municipal mulligan, if you will.

Detroit has been losing population for decades. It's economic development has ceased in the hard industry sectors, and crime, abandonment, and other urban ills are omnipresent. Detroit has become the destination for progressive, local source, new community advocates - an amalgam of sustainable community developers. Urban agriculture enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, and other creative economy types have arrived in Detroit's vacuum and are establishing themselves to fill the space. It is an organic transformation in more ways than just what is served on the table. Whether it will translate into sustainable jobs for the existing residents of Detroit remains to be seen. The other crucial outcome is whether it can be infused into the local political agenda and supported over time.

Kansas City is at a cross-roads with its city election primary on Feb. 22 and general election in March. It is a nonpartisan race, so basically it is a primary and runoff of the top two candidates in each race. Some races are unopposed and the outcome is already done. There is a six-way race for Mayor (Rowland, Burke, James, Herman, Funkhouser, Klein in about that order). These races will determine how and whether Kansas City takes on a sustainable future or continues to wither. It would be a pity if KC had to take the Detroit route to sustainability - which is basically, die and be reborn in spite of yourself. It takes a long time for that to happen. But KC is in real danger of that scenario because progressives and advocates of localism are being stymied in favor of very tired, very old economic development strategies. The downtown hotel subsidy strategy is not viable but is dominating the conversation of economic revitalization. KC needs to catch up to the creative economy and get out in front of the green economy to seriously solidify its future.

The current mayor has identified a series of strategies including "Schools First," "New Tools," make KC the "safest big city in America" and fill the donuthole. These are all variations on the theme - bring people back to the city and to do that, make the city safe. There is not much of substance here. Other candidates are not much better, but JAMES and BURKE probably do the best job of articulating something that approaches useful.

Sustainable Cities - is a concept whose time has arrived and is desperately needed in Camden, Detroit, and Kansas City. An emphasis on developing local jobs for local people, sustainable energy and environmental justice, local agriculture and food sourcing, and attracting people to the city who will support a progressive agenda that includes social enterprises, local economy, green technology, and jobs for local residents. It's a fairly simple agenda but has not been articulated as an agenda in KC, though candidates have spoken to bits and pieces here and there. Incremental change is about all we can expect, but is not going to cause much of an impact. The good news for KC is that the city has quite a bit to work with - the Green Impact Zone, a few entrepreneurship programs and incubators, Stowers medical research center, and the Kaufman Foundation's emphasis on entrepreneurship (that also connects UMKC's entrepreneurship program in the Bloch School of Management). The city has a variety of urban agriculture interests, green urban development professionals, and lots of advocates. Yet much of this activity remains in silos in KC and the desperately needs some cross-cutting strategies.

Those cross-cutting approaches - and these are sustainability strategies, are coming and they are designed to cut across those silos in new ways to unleash the creative potential of the Kansas City and Camden's of the world. This will result in exponential economic development that far exceeds the influence that subsidized hotels and entertainment zones could ever have in these places. Not every city will be or should be a tourist destination. Save that for the really great cities (world-class), historic cities (Philly, Boston, Rome, Beijing), and new cities (Dubai). Cities can build tourist niches based on indigenous artifacts or events (Rio, New Orleans, Pasadena, Hollywood, Paloma, Washington DC, Seattle), or transit systems (Japan's hi-speed rail system, Curitiba, San Francisco), but most will fail at this strategy. Artificial tourism does not last - just ask the cities that built Festival Marketplaces from the Rouse company - Toledo anyone?

Time for Ideas and Action in Camden

I posted this on my Facebook and got no response. Let's see if it does any better here.

http://blog.nj.com/perspective/2011/01/into_the_abyss_with_high_crime.html]

This article gives a very chilling perspective of what is happening in urban places in NJ. I don't mean suburbs. I mean Trenton, Newark, Jersey City, Elizabeth, and of course, Camden. The Governor has cut state aid to cities. Cities rely on property tax. Poor cities don't have a property tax base. The housing crisis has made revenue raising even more difficult. Any student in urban affairs knows the elements of this model and the outcome. Without intervention, there is a death spiral.

I chair a department of Public Policy and Administration at an urban campus of a major university. This department includes Urban Studies, an MPA, and a Ph.D. program in Community Development. I am embarrassed that this campus, department, faculty, and students have not been more forthcoming with ideas, prescriptions, and fostering a dialogue about the future of Camden. politics with a small "p" is part of it - no one wants to step on toes, the University has a unit that is working with the mayor on some reforms but it is dormant at the moment, wouldn't want to make anyone look bad, etc. Politics with a capital "P" is part of it - the Democratic mayor is trying to placate the Republican Governor by doing as he wants and we wouldn't want to get in the way of that agenda or we might never see another dime from the state. Those that control the Democratic party and are state elected officials are strangely silent on these issues. The Mayor is about as tight-lipped as she can be, saying virtually nothing to the press unless it is a tightly controlled public statement with no Q/A. This does not instill confidence in her leadership. But the people of Camden so desperately want her to succeed, and that includes me, that we don't want to take her to task too loudly. We continue to cheer her on, although with more muted huzzah's as time goes by.

I believe the time has come to start the public dialogue. I am doing it from my blog and facebook and not from my position on campus. I do not have the ability to control University politics, but I will share this with colleagues, Ph.D. students, our unit on campus that is working with the Mayor, and the Chancellor who has been a strategist for the Mayor.

I believe that a public dialogue must include interest groups and nonprofits, citizen groups, and individual citizens. Institutions and stakeholders generally have a route of access to power and elected officials. They can weigh in as needed. But often, their agendas will color the dialogue. I think the dialogue has to get started and rolling first, before it gets bent to their reflection.

Strategies to Bring Back Camden: That Should be Openly Discussed

1. Alternative Revenue Streams: the state of NJ can approve a payroll tax for a city. A payroll tax is tax a way to generate revenue directly to the general fund or to a designated service, paid for by those who come to Camden and use its services. More importantly, the bulk of the employees in Camden work for entities that do not pay property tax. It is a way for those places such as Cooper, Rutgers, L3, the county, the feds, the aquarium, to provide direct revenue to the city.

2. Empowerment Zone redesign: currently the Camden Urban Empowerment Zone allows entities within its borders to have a reduced sales tax. This is designed to make goods a little cheaper. However, sales tax revenue goes to the state and then by formula returns to the City (I believe this is how it works, but each state is different). Apparently, other urban places in NJ have a deal where property taxes are assessed in the EZ and the revenue goes directly to the city. EZ development often has tax abatements. I may not have the details nailed down, but this is an area that needs to be redesigned to the advantage of the city.

3. property tax liens: there is an abandoned property law that the city does not use, despite having been given strategies by local CDCs on how this could work for the city. The city sold liens to a private company and received revenue for those sales. The company has had difficulty selling those liens to investors. This is a somewhat complex financial endeavor, but it needs to be reviewed to be sure that the city is using a strategy that will actually get properties back on-line and used, not sitting in lien limbo forever. In addition, the city needs to seek an ability to wipe clear outstanding liens that it holds on its books. In exchange, the city could acquire the property, grant clear title, and move on with the business of using the property. This is an important area in which being stalled is being dead.

4. land assembly and land trusts: If Camden is going to entice outside investment, it must assemble land for that development. Cities are always in a unique position to be able to do this. There is enough abandoned property and hazardous property that the city can begin getting tough on acquiring land. I don't mean doing it by eminent domain of occupied property. I mean acquiring property that has been dormant for 20 years, that is vacant and a hazard, that needs to be torn down because it has been declared unfit to inhabit. Assembling tracts of land is a huge advantage to a developer and can allow the city to dictate the use or concessions for the community from the developer. Much of that part of the equation has been missing in Camden development. Land trusts are means by which the city can guarantee affordable housing prices and make housing affordable right now to people who want to buy homes. The city or a nonprofit owns the land and the buyer purchases the structure. When the owner wants to sell, the land trust has rules about reasonable profit and resale to the next buyer. Portland has done an excellent job with this.

5. police and fire: there will be no investment, no retail development, no success in higher education if police and fire are not adequate. The city needs to determine how many police and fire personnel it needs and THEN go about figuring out the best financial route to get it. If it means purchasing service, regionalizing service, or rewriting contracts, then it should be done. Dickering about clothing allowances and pensions is a non-starter for the union and the city should walk away. Find an alternative and lay them all off, but don't leave the city vulnerable. That is just folly.

6. lay off unnecessary departments at City Hall. We have a CRA and a Planning Department. We don't need both. We have code enforcement that is not part of the development strategies. Shut it down until it becomes part of the revenue building strategy. Eliminate parking authority and parking fines. The cost of collecting revenue must be considered when determining net benefits and that includes collecting the fines. The bureaucracy that is involved in the court processing could be streamlined. Stop nickel and diming the residents when the net revenue is probably negative.

7. invest in HR, but outsource it. The myriad of labor laws in NJ requires very specific guidance. The City does not have a personnel specialist. Outsource it.

8. Reduce pension and benefits for all non contract employees, including the mayor and council. This may be symbolic, but you can't ask the unions to cut if you won't cut your own. I understand from someone that the mayor took furlough days, but this is not widely known. Has she? Has council? What are the financial benefits to the city

9. Be transparent. The Mayor claims benefit packages increase the cost of a police person to $140,000. The police department union disputes this. Put the figures out there and itemize. Stop playing games for political advantage. Let the facts speak for themselves. Do the same with employee salaries and benefits in City Hall and the fire department.

10. Are there revenues that can be improved from the private water company contract (last I heard there was a dispute that went to court about who owes whom, to the tune of millions of dollars)? Are there revenues that can be improved from any of the developments that were built with Economic Recovery Board money

11. Use federal revenue, tax credits, and other finance vehicles (and the city missed out on a lot of stimulus money) for innovative development deals. There are many options that can be used that don't seem to be used in Camden. We have a friend in the White House and a direct route to federal HUD. USE IT!! Social enterprise could be the best economic development strategy Camden has and it is totally untapped. Let's get Grameen Bank here, let's generate some green businesses, let's try cooperatives. We have generated some ideas on campus and they are ready to be used.

12. Give attention to education. The city needs an education strategy that includes improving the public schools, partnering with the charters, and ensuring that there is an educated labor force. The City has tremendous power over education in Camden and needs to use it.

13. Address drugs with an organized strategy. Drug use, drug violence, drug sales will not end by putting more cops on the street. What else have we got? Other cities have made strides and improvements. What is our end goal and let's get moving towards it. Drug sales will not end, but they can be contained, controlled, and de-escalated as a means to protect the citizens. Right now, it's the wild west

14. Visibility of our leadership: I am tired of hearing that the elected officials in Camden don't really live in Camden. Either they do or they don't. Invite the media to provide proof of your existence as a citizen of Camden. Do you shop here? Do you drive in the city? Do you go to church here? Engage with the people.

This is just a start and by no means a comprehensive list or even the best list. It's just the ideas that I have as someone who has built a career on these issues. I don't pretend to be omniscient on this.

I recommend that there be public forums where the city presents information and options. In lieu of that, I suggest that citizen groups, nonprofits, neighborhood groups, and others organize public forums to engage and be strategic. You don't get anywhere with people coming and complaining. You get somewhere when people define what it is they want and then look for the best strategies to get those things. I believe that if the people get engaged, and I don't mean every citizen in Camden, but those who wish to be actively engaged, then the city will respond.

I think CCOP, Cooper's Ferry, CCDA, People United, and other groups should take the lead and make this happen. They may need to be convinced to set down their own agenda for a moment and their own desire to be seen as THE leader and work together. Camden is worth it and this is the time. Complacency on our new reality is about to set in and we can't afford that.

The Insanity of Camden

I'm taking a scene out of the old movie Network - I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore!!! The city of Camden topped itself tonight. Just when you think it couldn't be done, the city takes an even more ridiculous action than laying off half of the police force and a third of the fire department.

Yes, the City of Camden has asked for a 23% increase in property taxes, effective May 1. This request requires state approval because Governor Christie this year managed to get a statewide 2% annual cap installed. So Camden needs a 21% exception to the new rule. The increase would cover the $26million budget gap this year. But what about next year? This is an unsustainable solution.

• The average housing value in Camden is $26,000. Yes, that is $26,000.

• The average property tax currently paid on that house is $1700. Yes, that is correct, $1700.

• The city turned the library system over to the county this year to save money - and now residents will be taxed by the county library system.

• The county has re-valued property this year. And apparently in Camden this does not take into account the terrible market - with terrible schools, half of a police force, and high crime rates.

• This tax increase will not be applied to currently abated properties that may pay a PILOT. That includes the defense contractor L3 which has a large campus in downtown Camden, the Port Authority, the Aquarium, and the Susquehanna Music Center. Add to that all tax exempt property such as Rutgers, federal buildings, county jail, waterfront baseball park, Camden Community College and you have a huge revenue problem.
  

The city council members that voted for this 23% tax increase actually stated, there is nothing else we can do. We have to get off of state aid and so we have to raise revenues.

First of all, there are other options besides property taxes to raise revenue for city government.

• payroll tax would be one option - taxing all the employees that use Camden every day and work for entities that pay no taxes
• increase fees and sales tax - though this may only shift the burden to Camden residents through other means.
• cut salaries and services - starting with the Mayor and City Council. Issue snow shovels and end plowing. Go to once a week trash pick up year round and privatize it.
  

These options are about as popular as a draconian tax increase, but will not kill homeownership and affordable housing in Camden.

I'm a renter and expect to see the tax increase and property re-evaluation in increased rent. I have a very astute landlord who will weigh the market costs and demand before passing this on. Other landlords are not as concerned and will pass it along in full. Renters who can't afford this will look elsewhere for affordable housing or won't pay and evictions will rise. Landlords will begin walking away from properties in larger numbers, leaving the city with even more abandoned housing. Homeowners will fall into arrears and face tax liens and foreclosure.

Perhaps this is the goal - put as much property in Camden into bankruptcy and delinquency as possible and shed the city of most of its current residents. Then the city could start over again and build a property tax base.

Of course, the most realistic and positive way to get out from under the fiscal collapse of this city is to generate economic development. It would not be easy, but could be done. Imagine...the city stops all other activity except for building the economy. Put the mayor and her MBA to work. It would probably raise more money and be more sustainable in the long run than a 23% property tax increase.

Camden - Falling Again

"I see a city invincible" Walt Whitman's words that are etched on the facade of city hall in Camden. Yet no one in Camden believes this anymore. The national media is having a feeding frenzy on the story about Camden laying off half of its police force yesterday and a third of its fire fighters. The doom and gloom rose to a fever pitch when someone compared Camden to Fallujah!

The mayor is warring with the unions on concessions. The police and fire personnel won't give and the mayor won't cry Uncle! So the layoffs occurred and the residents are quoted in the news as being frightened for their safety and lives. The drug dealers see this as a potential stay-out-of- jail-free card and drug sets are appearing with greater frequency, openness, and bravado. It's only a matter of time before gang wars erupt in the finest tradition of capitalism, sparring for customers using gunfire.

Many pundits have suggested that the citizens of Camden arm themselves since the city does not see fit to provide an adequate police force. I imagine the citizens of Camden in that scenario like the citizens of Mexico or the Alamo - neither has a good ending.

Many people criticize the unions for being greedy, but no one has railed against the elected officials for not making ANY sacrifices. Do the Camden Mayor and City Council members take furlough days or pay cuts or make concessions to their pensions? Does Governor Christie do likewise? Is their security detail curtailed in proportion to the layoffs? Doubtful on all counts. The unions have a fat contract and should give. But so should the Mayor and Council. Why do we need parking meter-maids but we don't need police? Lay off the planning staff before the police. If it comes down to a one-to-one decision on personnel, then make it. Trying to make an example of the unions is childish and does not provide leadership. Meanwhile the city will burn...

Camden is a victim of circumstance - industry left, people left, and the suburbs continue to dump all the social responsibilities of the region on Camden - drug treatment, homeless shelters, soup kitchens, drug sales - yes, the average drug buyer in Camden is white and from the suburbs...If it weren't for Camden, social ills would creep into the bedroom communities! But the people of Camden do not behave as victims, but more like a captive. They can't get out, they have Helsinki syndrome and are blinded to an exit, and they think they can win over their captors - poverty, unemployment, poor education. It is a crushing blow when people discover reality.

Camden is an entrepreneurial place - people make money as best they can. There is a reason the drug dealers don't go to the suburbs, even though they would be closer to their customers - the cost of doing business is too high. They'd be out of business pronto. In Camden, they have a strong likelihood of staying in business. Meanwhile, the rest of the citizens have to share the streets with these entrepreneurs and hope they are not caught up in their negative externalities a.k.a. bullets. Someone suggested in a comment to a news story that citizens take up crime watch. Do I look like the little Dutch boy? Putting my finger in the dike will not save the town.

So I would like to ask - where are the constitutional officers of this state and why are they not fulfilling their constitutional duty - which is to uphold the laws? If Camden lays off its police force, then why isn't the state or county providing protection? If Camden leaders make bad financial decisions, then why are they allowed to stay in office? They are not fulfilling their oath of office? I say this somewhat tongue-in-cheek because I know the answer. But at the end of the day, who is responsible?

Here we are at the crisis that was foretold by all the experts, including me. I don't have a simple answer. I'm not sure I have a complex answer. I can point fingers with the best of them, including the Mayor and the unions. At the end of the day, though, this is not about political rhetoric and positioning. It is about people's lives and children's futures. It is life and death. I guess that doesn't mean much anymore. Kind of like Walt Whitman's immortal words..."I see a city invincible..."

reflecting on MLK

I've been busy traveling and working on a variety of projects. But my thoughts are never far from this blog. I hope 2011 is off to a wonderful start for everyone. I know it is for me!

It's MLK weekend and I thought it would be appropriate to reflect on his legacy and consider how I am living into the dream he had for our country. In the wake of the Tucson shootings, the Tunisian revolution, the political hissy-fit in Washington, and the daily lives we lead - I need to pause, take stock, and rededicate myself to living life responsibly and effectively.

The Tucson shootings created a collective gasp in our country. For those of us who are old enough to have lived through the 3 assassinations in the 1960s, we had that sinking feeling of no, not again. For younger people, who may have lived through the Reagan shooting, Oklahoma City, Columbine, or even 9/11 - I wonder how you view a political act of violence? My view is completely filtered by the Kennedy's and King. But when the news came out from Tucson I knew it would release a firestorm of fingerpointing, blame and fault. Unfortunately, there has been scant attention given to the need to take responsibility for what happened by all of us. The first reactions were that this lone gunman was solely responsible and that to hold anyone else accountable was unfair and unjust. Talk about turning logic on its head!

Then President Obama gave his magnificent speech and reminded us that we are each responsible for the climate in which we live, govern, work, and relate. At least that is how I heard it. He said:

As we discuss these issues, let each of us do so with a good dose of humility. Rather than pointing fingers or assigning blame, let's use this occasion to expand our moral imaginations, to listen to each other more carefully, to sharpen our instincts for empathy and remind ourselves of all the ways that our hopes and dreams are bound together.

I reread the MLK "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" and was inspired by his call for responsibility to the white clergy of Birmingham - holding them accountable and responsible for their culpability in the continuing segregation of the black population. He could have laid blame, he could have chastised them for being accomplices, but instead he said he was disappointed they did not take responsibility. He wrote,

Lamentably, it is an historical fact that privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily. Individuals may see the moral light and voluntarily give up their unjust posture; but, as Reinhold Niebuhr has reminded us, groups tend to be more immoral than individuals.

We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct action campaign that was "well timed" in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word "Wait!" It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This "Wait" has almost always meant "Never." We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that "justice too long delayed is justice denied."

As oppressors, we have a responsibility to right the wrongs and bring justice to light. With regards to Tucson we must speak up against the hate-filled rhetoric of the "cross-hairs" and demand civility. With regards to our urban blight and violence that has created a separate and unequal experience of life in the USA we must say, justice delayed is justice denied and not accept those conditions as given.

MLK wrote, "So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice?"

I believe we must be extremists of responsibility. That does not mean to be vigilantes or to demonize those with whom we disagree. I am often quick to lay blame at the feet of Palin, Limbaugh, and Beck. But instead, I need to take responsibility for what I am doing - how am I sounding the message of extremism for justice? How am I living into the dream of MLK that ours would be a society of character and not color? What am I doing to prevent the next Tucson, the next bobble-head exchange of vitriol, the day-to-day despair of dreams denied by people like me that have more power and position than ever earned?

I hope you will reflect on this, post a response, converse about this with others, and take responsibility for elevating our discourse and our responses to effect change and ensure justice.

MLK despaired in that Birmingham jail,

I had hoped that the white moderate would understand that law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and that when they fail in this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress. I had hoped that the white moderate would understand that the present tension in the South is a necessary phase of the transition from an obnoxious negative peace, in which the Negro passively accepted his unjust plight, to a substantive and positive peace, in which all men will respect the dignity and worth of human personality. Actually, we who engage in nonviolent direct action are not the creators of tension. We merely bring to the surface the hidden tension that is already alive. We bring it out in the open, where it can be seen and dealt with. Like a boil that can never be cured so long as it is covered up but must be opened with all its ugliness to the natural medicines of air and light, injustice must be exposed, with all the tension its exposure creates, to the light of human conscience and the air of national opinion before it can be cured.

End of the Camden Library...just shut down the city

The City of Camden, NJ has had a public library system for 105 years. Pink slips were given out to all library staff today, effective Feb. 11, 2011. Three branches of the library will close. One will reopen in mid-February as a branch of the county system. The main branch downtown will not reopen. Instead the building built by the county fairly recently will be the only open library. Unfortunately it is not easily accessible by public transit. Apparently, talks are underway to put a county branch inside the Rutgers-Camden library. Why that would be better than keeping the downtown branch (6 blocks away) open, I don't know. County staff would run the RU branch and the county would have to pay for the space. How is this better? It's not.

The library is used by job seekers, kids, and homeless people as well as library patrons. Urban libraries are multi-purpose facilities and important havens in the chaotic urban world. Does the county library system expect to fulfill that need? Will the one remaining branch be able to hold all the users? Will the normal load of users be able to get to the remaining branch? The downtown library is within walking distance of the city's main transportation center. The remaining branch is not. There isn't much of a rationale here for the actions taken, except that the city has a $29million budget shortfall. But that said, why close the convenient downtown branch and leave open the less accessible one? Why would the county want to open a branch at RU? RU already allows anyone to use the library and has a section of computers dedicated to the public.

The kids of Camden are the most vulnerable consumer in this debacle. They play chess, do homework, use computers, and just hang out in a safe place when they are at the downtown library (and probably at the other 2 branches as well). The city and county have given zero indication on how the library patrons will be commensurately served under the county plan. The public deserves to know.

Finally, the library is an important economic development resource. Instead of shrinking it, the city should be partnering with every eco-devo outfit in the tri-county area to expand the library as a part of the economic pipeline. Instead, one of the poorest cities in the country shrinks its library at a time of profound economic vulnerability. Does this make sense?

If this decision calculus is evidence of the acumen for regenerating this city, we might just as well shut it down now and save the pain.

Political Endorsements - Worth the Price of Admission?

In Kansas City it is political endorsement season. The 3rd district is highly contentious, even for endorsement groups in the district.

Endorsements often go to incumbents - a safe move by the endorsing group. The unpopular incumbent Mayor Funkhouser in KC is the #1 exception, not getting any endorsements so far.

The diversity of candidates in this election season is impressive - both in the Mayor's race and in the council races. There are black candidates in many districts, women in every race, and a white candidate in the predominantly minority district.

The Northland has spoken with Forward KC endorsements:
3rd district (no in-district endorsements outside of the Northland)
3rd district at-large - Durwin Rice
Mayor - Deb Herman

The Civic Association (primarily reflecting the 4th district) endorsed:
3rd district - no endorsement
3rd district at-large - Melba Curls (incumbent)
Mayor - Mike Burke

Combined Union Endorsement (Firefighters, AFL-CIO, building trades)
3rd district - Sharon Saunders Brooks (incumbent)
3rd district at-large - Melba Curls (incumbent)
Mayor - Mark Funkhouser (incumbent) <--update

Last night Freedom, Inc. endorsed and it was a shocker:
3rd district - no endorsement
3rd district at-large - Melba Curls (incumbent)
Mayor - Jim Rowland

The Chamber of Commerce and The Heavies (cap infrastructure industry) and Hispanic group endorsements are yet to come.

Chamber of Commerce
Mayor - Deb Herman <--update

There is a great deal of speculation, innuendo, and assumptions about whether endorsements reflect pay-to-play or are in fact honest endorsements of candidate quality. But as political clubs or political action committees, these groups have an agenda, have interests to be satisfied, and have political alliances with a lot of insiders that affect their selections - everything from political consultants, contractors, leaders from other organizations, and so on. Politics is about as inside a sport as you can get, even though it has a very public face.

Given the fractured nature of KC politics in this election, endorsements may not mean much because they don't mobilize a lot of votes. But in a crowded field with a ridiculous primary system that yields only the top 2 vote getters to the finals, just a few votes may have disproportionate influence.

The lack of endorsement by Freedom for 3rd district (in-district) is baffling. I'm sure there is an explanation that is fueled by political alliances (BUF for Brooks and the negative response to that and concern by some for Fletcher). But if Freedom, Inc. won't endorse in the 3rd, then what's the point of making endorsements? And why would Freedom endorse a non-candidate (not yet filed) Rowland who hasn't stepped foot in the 3rd yet? Speculation abounds, but the legitimacy of this organization is once again called into question by those who live outside the 3rd, further hampering the group's effectiveness. Whatever Eric Wesson writes in The Call this week should be a very interesting read. There are contrary reports on whether Durwin Rice sought endorsement from Freedom and if he appeared or not before the board to make a pitch.

Kudos to TKC who's timely info posts and lively political debate keeps everyone informed.

Racism, Social Justice and Fear

The holidays seem to bring out the worst in a lot of people. As we enter another year of economic recession/depression, we are going to see a lot more panic, fear, racism, and mean behavior by the haves as well as the have-nots. In other words, forecast is continued ugly.

A white guy angrily confronted an all white/male school board in Panama City, FL over his wife's firing by the district. Or maybe she was laid off - it was unclear. But the husband was upset enough to die for the incident having proclaimed that he would die that day (he did). The school board president was confrontational - claiming not to know anything about why he signed the order to dismiss - sounds like robo-layoffs to me - and then the gunman started shooting at close range and missed everyone. I suspect he may have been shooting while under the influence. Paddy Chayefsky's words ring in my ear - I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore.

In the UK, a white robber wore an elaborate latex mask (a movie mask) to make himself look black. The subtlety is like a brick. In Kansas City, gunfire erupted outside a church as a funeral service for a shooting victim was going on, no doubt sending a warning to someone about some gang conflict. A news story commenter quipped, "it's not even safe to be dead in the 'hood." In Camden, NJ people are starting to get worried in the face of looming police and fire layoffs that will leave this poor city even more vulnerable than it already is. Local stores are selling T-shirts with the date of the layoffs on it saying, "this is the day we take our corners back." Apparently drug dealers are buying them up...and are ready to feast on Camden. Kansas City has had 99 homicides in 2010 - mostly on the eastside. There is an election for mayor and council coming up and not much is being said about it, except a lot of platitudes.

People are angry and desperate as layoffs and a jobless non-recovery continue. People look for scapegoats in time of financial crisis. People who are are the cause are not taking responsibility and instead are deflecting. Finger pointing is all the rage these days. Rage is all the rage too - from students protesting violently in Europe, to Wikileaks drama, to China dissident drama, to our own Congress and President filibustering on both sides of the tax issues and using us as pawns in their political games. It's ugly out there folks. Keep your head down.

But I would like to suggest that social justice be given a spotlight as a consideration for moving forward. TKC has a very nice post about this today - Secret Santa Charity v. Social Justice. Comments are coming in and typical of his readership, there are lots of very animated opinions on this. Social Justice is about taking responsibility for complicit and explicit contributions to injustices. In Kansas City as in most other places including Panama City, Camden, etc., there are injustices. If the school district lays off people - do they not have a responsibility to provide some job assistance to those thrown into the job pool? Corporations do this all the time. If there are 99 murders in KC, doesn't the entire city need to work together to support the families of their fellow citizens who have died violently? If Camden is going to lay off police and fire as well as other city workers, doesn't the city need to ensure protection for its citizens and support those laid off who live in the city (police and fire are exempt from residency requirements after a couple of years of service)?

When you cast people adrift due to budget shortfalls, bad economy, or whatever - you don't end your responsibility. In the public sector - they are still your residents, still your citizens, and now they are in a precarious position. When you let your city languish with crime - you cast your citizens adrift to fend for themselves - yet they are still your residents, your citizens, and they are in a precarious position.

I often point fingers on this blog - but let me be clear - it is not out of blame or fault. It is out of taking responsibility. What have you done lately to take responsibility? Help a neighbor? Volunteer at a shelter? Demand action from your city? Get engaged with your community? There is a lot of pain out there. Let's not cower in fear, let's recognize it, take responsibility (not blame or fault), and ease the pain - after all - it is the season of holidays.