The problem is the inherent conflict with gentrification. The "rich" move in
and displace the "poor." The city, powers that be, investors wants
gentrification because it makes money and turns the city around. The community
wants it to the extent it makes a community safer, prettier, increases property
values, etc. But, the displaced don't want to be displaced... And where will
people be displaced to? Here's my two cents. The problems that Asbury faces are
not Asbury problems, they are New Jersey problems, they are United States
problems. Poverty is a bigger problem than just Asbury, Camden, and Newark...
The solution for a long time has been projects, Section 8, welfare,
concentrating that poverty into specific areas, in specific cities, with
terrible schools. Then we tried to fix the schools with Abbott, but we did not
fix the root problems- poverty, violence, gangs, and addiction. I think to fix
it, we would have to break up the concentration of poverty, but on a much
larger scale. Provide affordable (Section 8) housing in every town allowing
people to choose where they want to live, in every school district, provide
real job training and career counseling in addition to welfare benefits, public
daycare facilities so that moms can return to work, along with affordable
healthcare, mental healthcare, addiction counseling, and reproductive
healthcare/counseling. In essence, stop trying to concentrate the "have nots"
into a ghetto where poverty will continue to beget poverty and violence begets
violence, but rather to shift our mindset to enable all towns and all cities to
provide opportunities to those who could benefit from those opportunities. I
remember being in a philosophy class where we said that if we could design a
society not knowing where in that society we would be born, we would all design
one where the bottom is not that bad. Now, in the USA our bottom is not as bad
as in other countries. I have walked through a crowded train station in India
and been surrounded by children with bloated bellies begging for food. But, our
bottom is not as good as some other places. There was a lot of talk about
"socialism" and not being like Europe or Canada during the last election. Well,
what do we want to be? How can we foster upward mobility while also creating a
society where the bottom is not so bad? I do know that if we just focus on this
as an Asbury problem, we are not going to really get anywhere. I don't think we
would ever see real change unless and until we tackle it on a much bigger
scale, but that will never happen in this political climate.
--- In AsburyPark@yahoogroups.com, "oakdorf" <oakdorf@...> wrote:
>
> Interesting comment someone made.
>
> Can someone define it?
>
> I can't say I go out to dinner to often I really enjoy my own food much more.
>
> Are boardwalk prices high?
>
> How do they compare with the rest of Monmouth County?
>
> Is rafferty's high priced or middle of the road?
>
> Is the ice cream a fair price?
>
> Is the candyteria fairly priced?
>
> WHAT:
>
> - would be fair for the "whole" community
> - kind of eateries and price points would be "fair" to the "whole" community.
> - kinds of food are missing to make it seem "fair" to the community and not
> those upper class a-holes that come in and take a shot () at rehabbing a
> business, home or supporting a struggling town?
>
> WHAT:
>
> - would stop a kid from trying to pull someone out of a car to kick their
> ass for the hell of it?
> - would stop someone from taking a shotgun and shoving in someone's face and
> make them strip down and steal their car?
>
>
> First person that can tell me (without blaming society), I'll cut a check out
> for $100 to their favorite cause.
>
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