You know something. The President, although going in a different direction then perhaps I would take it, has the right issue when he starts talking about Baltimore.
Cities, particularly older, poorer, bigger, hotter ones have been under attack for sometime.
It didn’t happen overnight. It happened over a long period of time and officials on both sides of the political aisle---man and woman, black and white knew the problems and were either uncaring to stop the trends, unable too or simply not smart enough to do anything about it.
Let’s be clear. Having congress do anything in preparation for anything is a wasted breath. They don’t do that well. That’s why it often takes an act of God to pass a budget.
Instead--- they do crisis better than anyone else on the face of the planet.
But for a lot of inner cities, time has passed and it may be too late to make them what they once were.
Do you hear a full frontal assault on crime? Making changes in programs that are designed to be results based rather than just because. Making sure there are jobs. Making sure cities are run with the best results not to be run to be re-elected.
It takes a plan without prior agendas. Nothing will ever get done if the first person says its “the green new whatever."
A candidate who has a plan and how to pay for it and can explain how it works will come across as the winner.
Instead what we get is "Its all about Baltimore."
Well the issue is not Baltimore.
The issue is The American City.
And, unless someone makes them great again, we will lose them forever.
(Photo credit FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images)