OPINION: Newark Really Needs a Mayor More Than a Curfew
By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog
“We also want people to be safe and we’ve got to strike the balance. We need to start talking, questioning that. … And if you want to stay open later, maybe there should be certain requirements.”
Those are the words of Newark Mayor and professional tweeter Cory Booker as reported by CBS New York; he’s reportedly considering a citywide business curfew to stem a sharp uptick in violent crime.
I couldn’t help but laugh when I read this, Save Jerseyans! Crime isn’t funny. The logic behind this proposal is for the following reason:
Booker is a notorious absentee mayor. He’s constantly travelling outside of his city in pursuit of Frank Lautenberg’s open U.S. Senate seat; just last week, he was speaking at a Miami fundraiser. Even liberal The New York Times scrutinized his tendency to spend more time on social media than actually governing his city.
Would the people of Newark be better served by a business curfew? Or a curfew imposed on their travel-happy mayor?
It’s an open question. A voter-imposed travel ban on Mayor Booker for the remainder of his term might make the most sense.
