Capital City Aid, Catastrophe or Opportunity?

The Office of the Mayor, City of Trenton, is circulating a letter that invites residents to a meeting on Tuesday, March 30th in the City Council Chamber. The 5:30 p.m. meeting is a more accessible hour than the 8:00 a.m. chosen for Board of Education meeting so we can expect a packed house. Mayor Palmer has reason to rally the troops but this letter was handed out at a Senior Nutrition Site and the folks attending got the idea that the City was going to shut down their lunch programs and daily entertainment.

I have a copy of the Mayor's letter in front of me, no mention of the Senior Nutrition Sites being at risk, but I must respond to the possibility. When you get to your seventies, eighties, nineties or better, you feel vulnerable to more youthful and energetic forces. The present climate in this State is like waiting for the hundred year storm. Yipes! Governor Christie has declared a fiscal emergency and seized on every opportunity to crunch numbers. Are we going to have to lash ourselves to a tree?

Let's consider some harsh truths. A hunk of Trenton real estate is occupied by State Capital buildings. Why should we not get Capital City Aid? Meeting the physical demands of State Functions is costly on many levels. Many times since leaving my job at a lobbyist's office, I have imagined how nice Trenton could be if it did not host the legislative functions. When someone on the news says that "Trenton is full of crooks!", I cringe.

I am also thinking of reaching out to you, my readers and election hopefuls, consider what could happen during this period of attrition. Instead of clinging to futilile things that no longer work or we can no longer afford, let us look ahead and try to keep our focus on surviving.

The number of students in Trenton has declined by almost a third. Obviously there are going to be business decisions that reflect this. If three school buildings are not going to be used as a result of more efficient consolidation, how about new uses?

Several years ago Willingboro faced the possibility of abandoning a still useful school building and responded to the needs of its aging population by turning it into a beautiful senior center. Today it hosts a variety of events, including the Willingboro Art Alliance Workshops with over thirty in attendance on any given session. There is a fitness center, a huge meeting room where seniors can play dominoes, checkers and cards, and even a gallery hung with senior art. It hosts daytime and evening events with plenty of parking.

I also wonder if using one or more of these sites as community centers might make the senior transport easier. Right now, the jitney pickups for the seniors cannot accommodate walkers or wheelchairs so nutrition centers closer to homes might be helpful.

Something else to think about: Tonight is worldwide Earth Hour. If you want to participate by turning out your lights and TV for one hour at 8:30 p.m., you will be part of the call to action to be part of a greener future.

Have a good day!