I live in a medium sized city in an upper-midwest rust belt state. The city I live in is in bad shape. I recently moved here, and it's just depressing. Some ideas, like school vouchers, or faith based programs, don't sound so bad in this environment. What ideas to progressives/liberals have that will help? Read more about my city and its problems below the fold.
The manufacturing base of the city fell out over the last 10 years. Poverty stalks many neighborhoods, vast numbers of residents are on welfare. Drugs, youth crime, at the edge of the city, the inner-city neighborhood peters out and blends into unbelievable rural poverty. The drug changes from crack to meth. Four trailer parks were raided last month around the city outskirts. HOmeless mentally ill and junkies crowd the downtown parks, the slides and swings no longer a place for parents and families. There are three cops for the whole downtown. The city has tried to rennovate the beuatiful early 20th and late 19th buildings downtown, but most of the storefronts remain vacant, the for lease signs now beginning to become sun faded. The public schools are an absolute mess. I cannot send my 5 year old to them. He has to go to a private school, with all the other white, educated middle class parents. But this city is worth fighting for. Beautiful old homes, tradition, beautiful old parks. The question is what ideas do liberals have for fixing these problems? What ideas, beyond more money for programs? More money for schools, etc.? We have a GOP state gov't, fed funds have been slashed. There ain't no more money. So, what answers do progressives have for fixing broken communities in the era of small gov't?