Booker Struggles With Newark Recovery

Cory Booker says his plan to lay off hundreds of city workers, including 15 percent of the police force to help close the last of a decade of budget deficits is the most difficult decision yet in five years as mayor of Newark, New Jersey.

"These things are very difficult," said Booker, 41, graduated from the University of Oxford, who attended as a Rhodes scholar, in a telephone interview from the back seat of his sport utility vehicle driven by the police. "These are families who have relied on the use of the city. It is very heartbreaking, difficult process moving."

Democrat proposes the elimination of even position as the state's largest city, where more than half the residents are black and one quarter live in poverty, had a 9 percent rise in shootings in 2010. Booker on Nov. 20 gave the police until Nov. 30 to vote on a proposal to avoid layoffs, as Esmeralda Cameron, his spokesman.

Since taking office in 2006, Booker has earned $ 240 million in donations from businesses and foundations, led by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg Inc. and hedge fund manager, Bill Ackman, by promoting the idea that the city of 280,000, located 15 miles (24 kilometers) west of Wall Street, is a medium-sized laboratory for urban renewal. The mayor's need to balance its budget of $ 600,000,000 as Republican Gov. Chris Christie is cutting aid to cities like Newark can limit the impact of the donations that are attracted.

"I see nothing of that goes," said Cynthia Andrews, whose son, Muhammad mujaheed E. Williams, 28, was robbed and killed Aug. 20 while walking home. "Why are closing libraries and why recreation centers closing?"

Budget Gaps

The rising costs of pensions, a drop of 23 percent of state aid from 2009 and the longest recession in U.S. since the 1930s combined to overcome Booker promise to eliminate the deficit by the end of his term in July. He won reelection in a partisan race in May with 59 percent of the vote.

Facing a $ 83,000,000 deficit this calendar year, Booker cut hours at the pools and libraries and property taxes rose 16 percent. The city plans to lay off hundreds of city workers to save money, and sale of buildings for Essex County for cash.

Booker drew national attention to Newark after he appeared on Oprah Winfrey's show in September to report a donation of $ 100 million Zuckerberg to support teachers, improve accountability and promote charter schools.

Free Lunch

Newark Public Schools, at its best, educated Pulitzer Prize-winning author Philip Roth in the 1930 and 1940, according to Philip Roth Society in New Britain, Connecticut. About 82 percent of students in the system now receive free or reduced price lunches, according to a report published this month by the Association for Children of New Jersey, an advocacy group of children.

Thirty-four percent of freshmen from Newark High School in the 2005-2006 school year dropped out before graduation, the data from the National Center of Education statistics show. The rate compares with 14 percent of the suburbs of New Jersey in Toms River, where the median household income is $ 71,032, compared with the average U.S. of $ 52,175 and $ 35,601 of Newark, data from the Census Bureau show.

Julian Robertson, founder of New York hedge fund Tiger Management LLC, donated the maximum $ 26,000 allowed by the laws of New Jersey's campaign finance until 2010 run for mayor of Booker and said it is "a leader ".

'Big' bet

"I'm sure going to keep things done," said Robertson, 78, in an interview from 04 October. "That's what I'm betting. I bet big."

Booker came to office promising to repair the finances of a city that has yet to fully recover from six days of race riots in 1967 that left 23 dead and 725 wounded.

The riots accelerated a process of migration that began in the years after World War II, said Jason Barr, associate professor of economics at the campus of Rutgers University in Newark.

"The deck is stacked, in a sense, contrary to Newark, only that there was a change in the U.S. economy," said Barr. "People were moving to the suburbs and making out in the Northeast. The riots made the situation much worse. And the lasting effect of the riots has been in the name of Newark and perception."

Repair of Newark, Sharpe James began under the mayor for 20 years, who was released from prison in April after serving 18 months of his sentence of 2008 property management illegally owned by the city to a former mistress.

Casa del Diablo

In 1986, James, a Democrat, helped revive downtown by attracting a performing arts center and the state of minor league baseball. Newark is home to companies such as Prudential Financial Inc. and IDT Corp. The $ 365,000,000 Prudential Center, home of the New Jersey Devils hockey, opened in 2007.

James, 74, refused to seek a sixth term in 2006, paving the way for Booker to win the election.

Booker grew up in the northern suburb of Harrington Park New Jersey and moved to Newark in 1996. He graduated from the University of Stanford, Oxford and Yale Law School.

The Mayor made crime reduction his first term and focus the city was shaken by the 2007 execution-style shootings of four college students behind an elementary school.

Booker hired Garry McCarthy, a veteran of 25 years with the Police Department of New York and his chief crime strategist, to lead its police department. Using private money, buy Newark police cars, a firearm, location and cameras CCTV. Shootings dropped 46 percent from 2006 to 2009.

"New Strategies'

This year, overall crime rose 3 percent to 31 October compared with the same period last year. The murder has risen 16 percent, according to police statistics department.

"The current rise in crime is small, and violent crime is still significantly reduced since 2006," Booker said on November 13 by text message. "Many cities are murders, but we are introducing new strategies, technologies and initiatives to continue."

The city has lost about $ 120 million in state funds and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey over the past two years, and faces a jump of $ 130 million in pension and health care costs the next year, said Booker. Newark unemployment rate was 14.7 percent in September, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Statewide, the rate was 9.4 percent.

Booker budget plan included 167 police officers shoot was scheduled for 12 November, to a state Superior Court judge granted the injunction blocking the move. The elimination of hundreds of non-uniformed job waiting also said Cameron, a spokeswoman for Booker.

Less overtime

In a press conference on 20 November the mayor said the city offers a plan that includes five days of rest and a reduction in overtime instead of layoffs. The unions in the negotiations also offered concessions including pay less effort, clothing allowances and raises, according to the city.

The city will submit a written proposal today and circulated to all police forces who will vote on it Nov. 30, Walter Melvin, a police union representative, said in an interview.

"Shoot 167 staff is entirely preventable," Booker said at a news conference. "We welcome the conclusion of a couple of days if they are willing to work with us."

Newark has recast itself since the riots as a home to education and health, with 18,643 jobs in schools and local universities. Rutgers University, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of state medical school and Essex County College has a combined enrollment of 15.024 students on campuses in the city. Medical care is also responsible for 13,133 to more than 100,000 jobs in the city, according to the state Labor Department.

Gain support

Booker said he is focusing on K-12 education this term. Zuckerberg also pledged to match $ 100 million and said it raised $ 43,000,000 so far. Have to convince people that will spend the money to help them, said the Newark native Steve Adubato Jr., a Democratic political consultant.

"All politics is local to Newarkers and need to know that you are one of them," said Adubato. "They need to feel that they feel that they understand."

"Cory has always been questioned in that regard," said Adubato. "He is one of those streets. Cory could bring in $ 500 million and people still question his commitment."

Booker said none of the money earned will help balance the budget in Newark.

"People are not given to the general funds of cities," he said. "They're giving to specific projects."

Christie Court Help

Booker announced the award of nearly three months after Christie aid cut by 5 percent for the Newark school system of 39,000 students.

"My initial reaction was that it is a wonderful thing," Kim Rivers, a stay at home mother of three, whose son attends the autistic XIII Avenue Elementary School, said of the donation. "At the same time, I have to wonder if it was the money that has been the subject of Newark."

Newark spent $ 24,228 per child in the 2006-2007 academic year, more than any other district in the U.S. more than 15,000 students, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The national average for these districts was $ 9,323.

New Jersey, the second richest state, according to the per capita income, under a Supreme Court ruling gives state extra money for poorer school districts 31, including Newark, to bring them in line with expenditure levels of the richest.

Best Neighborhood

The best way to fix the schools is to improve their surrounding neighborhoods, said Alan Sadovnik, Professor of Education, Sociology and Public Administration and Home Affairs Rutgers. Policies should include economic development and job creation, improved health care and housing and the elimination of gangs, he said.

"The conclusion is that it's all about money," said Maryam Bey, former school board member.

Bey said Booker is concerned about relying too heavily on outsiders to save the city, and has not focused enough on the changes on the ground.

"People are starting to reach the limit," said Bey. "They can not pay the rent, can not feed their families can not pay their car notes. It is very hypocritical for the mayor to say he wants to save our children, and do not want to help their parents."

The case is the Fraternal Order of Police v. City of Newark, C-000237-10, the Superior Court of New Jersey (Essex County).