Bonnie Watson Coleman: “Thank you for that question, Congressman. It means all of those things. What it means for communities like the capital…”

“Thank you for that question, Congressman. It means all of those things. What it means for communities like the capital of the State of New Jersey, which is the city of Trenton, it means that our neighborhoods are unsafe. It means that police are running to situations that have already occurred, as opposed to having the resources and the capacity to understand what is happening out there and be proactive and preventative in nature. So it certainly does negatively impact the quality of life for those who live in the city--and cities particularly--and those who work there. I am particularly concerned about the seniors who invested in the cities years ago when the cities where the thriving environments, Congressman, and now they are still living there because they can't afford to move. So they are finding themselves in communities where, because of the housing crisis, there are vacant houses all around them. Members of gangs have settled into some of those houses, creating almost prison-like environments for the people who can't even go outside and sit on their porch. And all of this has been the function of our disinvestment in our cities.”