Truth be told

As a life long resident of New Jersey I can attest to the fact that the City of Newark is a mess. A reeking crime ridden hole that for generations has been a void that State Government has poured tax money in to all in the name of reclaiming a beautiful city. While there have been great strides to improve the downtown area (notably under the leadership of Democratic Mayor Corey Booker) the majority of the city limits is akin to Beirut during any one of the dozens of wars that have played out over the years there.

Many of my friends who work in the city can attest to the multitude of violent shootings, robberies and carjackings that occur there on a weekly basis. It is no accident that the Trauma Unit at University Hospital is among the busiest in the country. So I was a bit confused when I read this in the local paper today.

NEWARK — GOP lieutenant governor candidate Kim Guadagno, who is the Monmouth County sheriff, angered the Newark City Council after saying she had been afraid to walk across the street while teaching a law school class in the city.

Guadagno and Chris Christie, the Republican gubernatorial candidate, were in Newark to open a campaign headquarters Tuesday when she said, "I know what it's like to be afraid to walk across the street."

Afterward she was asked what she meant.

"Have you ever walked from the law school to the bus stop here, or to the subway stop here? It's a very dangerous thing to do, and one of the problems in all of our cities here in New Jersey is that we need to fix crime, we need to make it safer for people to walk in Newark so they're happier to move here and stay here," Guadagno said.

Alright. That seems accurate. So why this?

City Council members issued an angry rebuke."The people of Newark are not a photo opportunity," said Carlos Gonzalez, a councilman at-large. "We are working every day to make our residents' lives better, make our streets safer and improve our children's education.

Maybe it is time to come up with a new plan Newark. Lets start by taking off the rose colored glasses and take a tour of the City you seem to think defies Kim Guadagno's description.

The rest here.