Considerable debate swirls over around crime, poverty andAmerica’s cities – with politicians suddenly blaming each other, andgeneralizations flying. Here are facts, whichhelp deliver the truth.
First, while 535 members of Congress feud and fume over howmuch federal money to spend on federal entitlements, anti-crime, anti-poverty,anti-drug, and anti-social disintegration programs, a strong argument existsfor focusing on local leaders – not Congress – for answers.
Mayors – more than US Senators, Congressmen, and evenGovernors – have a vested interest in finding solutions for the cities they areelected to lead. Accordingly, thiscolumn reflects research into 55 cities, covering five studies, credible databases, and mayoral records.
The findings are arresting – and a basis for rethinking how to pull America’s worst cities out of darkness. Notably, Americans of all ages live in cities. Pew’s Research Center reports 97 percent of US counties – and cities – saw an increase of 65-and-older populations since 2010, a trend that is accelerating. Older Americans are affected by these facts, along with younger.
What did I discover? Americais experiencing the best economy in 50 years, lifting every major minoritygroup with record low unemployment, growth, dollar valuation, and acceleratingwages. This should turn the tide inAmerica’s cities – but the turn is slow.
Instead, we are witnessing higher homelessness in “sanctuarycities,” and policy stagnation across major impoverished, often unsafe cities –Baltimore to Buffalo, Birmingham to Brownsville.
Fact: The top-tenAmerican cities for homelessness are sanctuary cities, which offer refuge toillegal immigrants, do not cooperate with federal law enforcement, and raise theprice of low-rent housing for their citizens. In this group are Los Angeles (55,000 homeless), Seattle (12,000), SanDiego (9,000), San Jose (7,000), San Francisco (6,000), and Las Vegas (6,000).
So, one policy misfire is not thinking out implications ofopposition to border security, while sheltering illegal migrants and blocking deportationof those facing final orders. Anotherpolicy misfire is assuming that one-time shelter funding will stop the inflowof illegal migration; actually, offering safe harbor is having the oppositeeffect.
Bigger discoveries were made. Of the top-ten “most dangerous cities” in America, according to Forbes, all have Democratic mayors. Those cities are Detroit, St. Louis, Oakland, Memphis, Birmingham, Atlanta, Baltimore, Stockton, Cleveland and Buffalo.
Race may have little to do with it, although poverty andunemployment are tied to violent crime prevalence. Roughly half the mayors in this top-ten analysiswere Caucasian, half African American.
Seven of ten appear in another study of America’s top-25“most dangerous” cities, which tracks the first adding Kansas City, LittleRock, Milwaukee, Rockford (IL), Albuquerque, Springfield (MO), Indianapolis,San Bernardino, Anchorage, Nashville, Lansing, New Orleans, Minneapolis,Chicago, Houston, Hartford (CT), Chattanooga, and Beaumont (TX), droppingBirmingham, Atlanta and Buffalo.
And of the top 25 “most dangerous,” most are Democrat-ledand all but one have poverty rates between 18 to 39 percent. The national average is 12.3 percent.
Of the top 25 “most dangerous” American cities, on top of povertybetween 18 and 39 percent, most have unemployment between 4.4 and 9.3 percent. The national average is 3.7 percent.
So, these Democrat mayors – with good intention – areleading cities deep in poverty, weak on tax base, infrastructure, employers,trained citizens, and policies to attract corporate investment. They lead the nation in murder, manslaughter,robbery and aggravated assault.
Two last data sets stand out. They relate to cities deemed “least healthy,” based on available health care, clean environment, and personal fitness. The first includes Detroit and Memphis, adding Brownsville (TX), Laredo (TX), Augusta (GA), Shreveport (LA), Gulfport (MS), Fort Smith (AR), Jackson (MI), and Corpus Christi (TX). All are led by Democrat mayors, except Corpus and Gulfport.
The second list of “least healthy,” on different data,include Shreveport, adding Beckley (WV), Pine Bluff (AK – with a crime rate 383percent higher than average), Hammond (LA), Mobile (AL), Albany (GA), Monroe(LA), Florence (SC), Gadson (AL), and Macon (GA). Allbut two are Democrat-led.
So, what does this tell us? On the numbers, ten incontrovertible things.
First, the top ten homeless cities are sanctuary cities, allled by Democrats.
Second, the top-ten “most dangerous” are led by Democrats.
Third, the top-25 “most dangerous” are mostly Democrat-led, andamong the poorest and least employed, with weak infrastructure, tax base andincentives for private investment.
Fourth, among the 25 “most dangerous,” most face stifling povertyof 18 and 39 percent, against the national average of 12. 3 percent. These Democrat-led cities are America’s poorest.
Fifth, most of these cities suffer unemployment rates from 4.4and 9.3 percent, versus 3.7 nationally.
Sixth, of the 20 “least healthy” cities, all but four areDemocrat-led.
Seventh, while these mayors wrestle difficult issues, mostoppose policies promoted by President Trump that are bringing prosperity to therest of the country, such as lower taxes, less regulation, incentives forbusiness investment, stronger law enforcement, cooperation with federalimmigration officials, border security, comprehensive anti-drug policies, and localresponsibility for declining tax base.
Eighth, most are in anti-gun coalitions, focused on restrictingSecond Amendment rights, favoring policies at cross-purposes with allowingcitizens to protect themselves. Whileeach is different, many favor gun-control, bans on concealed carry and higherminimum wages – all proven misfires.
Ninth, taken as a whole – the mayors are pursuing conflictedpolicies, on the numbers not breaking cycles of intergenerational crime,poverty, unemployment, dependence, employers fleeing tax burdens, untrainedemployees, accessible private health care, environmental stewardship andpersonal fitness.
Tenth, in closing: Thesecities can do better. That is whatdemocracy is for. If the policies andleadership are not working, there is an option – especially as America’s economyis thriving and cities are seeing a renaissance in investment, employment,income, health and safety: Elect newleaders. The numbers are compelling, soare elections.
