I won’t arrive back in Trenton today in time to make the meeting. But I will be there in spirit.

Laura

As for legalizing drugs, while I may agree with the idea, what would be most helpful are thoughts that we can conceivably implement. That said, having an ideal state is useful and certainly anything that can be done to starve the thugs is useful. They cost us a lot of money.

Want Trenton to be the most booming town in New Jersey and the talk of the nation?

Abolish property tax. Then buck the state and abolish state income tax and sales tax for those living within Trenton city limits.

The second step, which is equally important, would be to abolish the public monopolies. Markets will spring up (and with the tax rate mentioned above they WILL spring up) in street cleaning and security, education(yes education, this is possibly the most important one) and utilities. Charities and private companies alike will be competing in areas formerly dominated by government monopoly.

If you really want to super charge revitalization people must be given the choice of what school to send their children to (in addition to the monopoly being busted up). Schools can be set up at incredibly low cost when they aren’t run by a monopoly. Small schools on street corners, schools for only 20 or so kids, the return of the one room schoolhouse, etc. All kinds of wonderful things can happen when the prison/insane asylum model loses it’s forced attendance and coerced tuition. We’ll also need a blossoming, diverse market in education to serve the adults of Trenton who had to suffer through a Trenton public education and might need some help.

If you want to turbo charge development, drugs should be fully legalized as they were in the 19th century. Gangs will be stripped of their revenue source and much of their reason for operation, and will have no reason to operate in the city.

I appreciate your enthusiasm for wanting to revitalize the city, but I think what you fail to realize is that people don’t respond to plans. Planning human activity creates chaos, and chaos creates order.

If you want to see every single square inch of Trenton used to it’s maximum potential, this is the path.

And all those state buildings? Evict the current users!

Tony Moron probably thought he really would ride into town on a white stallion and “bring the city back to life” (a stupid euphemism used by his sycophants) to the adulation of all. And since he got a hostile council and vociferous opponents in the citizenry, he can’t understand it. And it hurts his little feelings.

He’s probably lost all his “actionable hope” to get things done around the city (all of which are post-last-minute and never thought through). Awwwwwwwwwwww.

I’m ready for a Trentonian Spring. We need it bad.

This happens here in Trenton for a variety of reasons. Keep digging. Of course people in the system might not voluntarily help you so you’ll have to persist.

My name is Tiffany Bennett and I moved from Virginia to New Jersey about a year and a half ago.   I have a 6 year old and a 13 year old that attend Oaklyn NJ school.    The way New Jersey does it is if you live in a certain township you have to attend a certain school district.   My oldest son seems to be adjusting well but my youngest son has really been struggling this year and I couldn’t figure out why.   He was always saying mom I don’t have any friends the teacher was always sending a note home.   And along with that I had been approached on many occasions on  racism since I’ve lived in this township.    But I never thought in a million years that my 6 year old was dealing with the same thing and it breaks my heart.   I spoke with a member of the staff today which confirmed their concern and different things they had noticed and seen take place.   At this point we are not only trying to get our son out of the school but also shine a spotlight over this situation so that the next family will not have to suffer as we have.   If there is any information you could give me on how to handle this I would appreciate it.

Thank you so much

You suggest staying neutral. That’s about the last thing I am and the last thing Trentonians should be. Neutral people are people who don’t know what to do. That’s not me.

Skimmed the article, so I might have missed about approach to survey, seems as though you were limiting to email. Maybe that would get those who did not have, could not afford computers, to seek access points to participate, such as the libraries, community college, and the public and qussi-public organizations, and non-profits to team up, even thought of the Soup Kitchen. Ya want the broadest and diverse population. Let’s go with an assumption, that the majority of people regardless of their affiliations want where they live and work and play to be safe and provide an environment that is enriching and enlivening, regardless…
You are a good writer, with clarity, keep doing your thing, and present your results periodically. consider doing a demographic statistical profile of the collective responses, by some standard so you get some bases of demonstrating who your sampling respondants are reflecting.

Good luck, you are getting attention, stay neutral so you have the opportunity to transcemt political parties, candidates, etc.
Your agenda and ideas seem clear, you want to make a difference, and this is your time.