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School cuts fuel gangs
Ed, I have been a teacher with Trenton Public Schools for 28 years. Back in 1997 there was a major reduction and many teachers were fired, including 10 music teachers. All band, orchestra, and instrument lessons were eliminated in the elementary and middle schools. Harrison School hasn’t even had a vocal music teacher in over 10 years. The art staff was also reduced. Two other important programs for students were completely eliminated about eight years ago: There’s no industrial arts or no home economics in Trenton’s public schools. If this had happened in the suburbs, the parents there would be up in arms. Where are the Trenton parents, and by that I mean the mothers and fathers? Do they care about their child’s education? The way I see it, the gang problem has escalated over the past 10 years or so, and there is a direct correlation to the cutting of these vital programs from our schools. People are blaming the mayor and police for the gang problem. This is hogwash! A lot of parents need to look in the mirror.
PTO
Parents need to get involved, but would their outrage have created money to fund these programs?—Ed. Note
posted by Trentonian Editor at
12:15 AM
5 Comments:
Wrong. People are blaming Palmer and Santiago for not DEALING with the gang problems. A change in parental responsibility would be an ideal situation. However, there has been no evidence to suggest it.
Therefore, things will probably not change. Thus, Palmer and Santiago acknowledge their responsibility, and protect those of us that follow the rules, raised our children properly and participated in the good of our communities. Believe it or not all the parents in this city are not neglectful, ex-thugs, that do nothing but let their children raise themselves. Palmer should be supportive of our efforts. Not only with our children but, our communities as well. We need our neighborhoods back. We want our children to experience living in a genuine community, where people share a common goal to improve and support each other. Perhaps if our children weren't forced to live in areas that looked as if they are uninhabital and treated like animals,a different psychological level would evolve and our neighborhoods would reap the benefits. However, Palmer's lethargy with assisting in our efforts to instill community pride and togetherness has been non existant at best. As a resident of the north ward, I can tell you honestly, that Palmer has never responded to any of our pleas to help revitalize our neighborhoods. Subsequently he has allowed our neighborhoods to deteriorate and become blighted, which becomes a breeding ground for more gang activity.
Not to defend Palmer, but what about the council person, who asked for the residents votes? What is their responsibility regarding the problems in the communities they represent? When was the last time you heard from the council member who promised you the moon and the stars when they needed your vote, never to be heard from since. It's about time these people were recognized for what they really are, fakes and phonies, who only care at election time.
I would like to see council members visit their wards and speak to the residents one on one in their homes and listen to the home owners about what the neighborhood needs. If I remember correctly, several council members promised to do just that.
Why would the council members do anymore than Palmer or Santiago. They have no vested interest in what really goes on in the city either. They spend most of their time name calling and sharpening their egos on each other. Every time a story surfaces about a particular problem the council is dealing with, one ego or another takes the stage. This time, it was Coston, Pintella and Staton. Coston hasn't been their long enough to know his way around the council chambers. Pintella (name caller) has been there too long. No one in the city trusts him to do anything ethical. And, last but not least Staton, unethical as they come. She proved that by taking money from Torricelli. Yet ever so often, she spews up some sort of rhetoric that sounds like concern and thinks the citizens are stupid enough to buy it.
As a long time north ward resident, I am literally pissed off. Where is mild mannered, non existant Milford Bethea. I understand that he has the largest district in the city, however, could he at least not let his consituents forget what he looks like. No one has seen him since he walked the streets begging for votes. Truly, why hasn't he visited the neighborhoods and heard the citizens concerns about the neighborhoods they live in? Don't know about any of the rest of you, but I WILL make it a point to rally votes against mild mannered Milford Bethea, should he ever choose to run for anything again. After all have any of his campaign promises ever been honored. The only time any of these council persons ever wake up is when their either charged with a crime or begging for votes they don't deserve.
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