{"id":10012,"date":"2019-06-11T14:15:51","date_gmt":"2019-06-11T18:15:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/weeklyrounds\/?p=10012"},"modified":"2019-06-11T14:15:51","modified_gmt":"2019-06-11T18:15:51","slug":"u-s-senators-and-former-governors-highlight-revitalization-in-camden","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/weeklyrounds\/2019\/06\/u-s-senators-and-former-governors-highlight-revitalization-in-camden\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Senators and Former Governors Highlight Revitalization in Camden"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Friday, the Star-Ledger published a column signed by the two U.S. Senators from New Jersey as well as former governors and other elected, community, and business leaders highlighting Camden\u2019s progress and revitalization.<\/p>\n

Please take a moment to read the column below or click here<\/strong><\/a> to read the online version.<\/p>\n

Booker, Menendez and N.J.’s former governors want everyone to know this one thing about Camden<\/strong><\/p>\n

Updated Jun 7, 2019; Posted Jun 7, 2019<\/p>\n

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The joint message from New Jersey’s senators, former governors and others: State and regional leaders must join Camden\u2019s government, residents, religious, non-profit, and businesses stakeholders by committing to being part of the city\u2019s progress.<\/p>\n

By Star-Ledger Guest Columnist<\/a><\/p>\n

By Cory Booker and Robert Menendez<\/p>\n

The importance of the rapid and fundamental change happening in Camden, New Jersey cannot be overstated \u2013 crime is down, graduation rates are up, employment is rising and poverty is down, giving a new life to the city and new hope to its residents. In fact, President Barack Obama, during his 2015 visit to Camden praised it by saying \u201c… it is onto something\u201d and recognized it as \u201c… a symbol of promise for the nation.\u201d We are not suggesting that there isn\u2019t more to do, but the progress is real.<\/p>\n

To understand how far the city has come, it is important to understand where it began. Over five decades, Camden saw dramatic job and population losses. Multiple attempts to stem the precipitous decline failed. Further, Camden\u2019s low-income tax base made everything from public safety to schools to basic maintenance impossible. The city and the school district became a ward of the state. Transformational change was needed.<\/p>\n

Three facts were critical to Camden\u2019s future: that families wanted to raise their children in safe neighborhoods and that businesses wanted to move to a city with a strong public safety infrastructure; that improving education and job training was key to keeping families in Camden; and that job growth couldn\u2019t occur incrementally.<\/p>\n

For each of these things to happen, there needed to be a partnership between and among state, county and local governments, businesses and the community.<\/p>\n

Collectively, they developed an unprecedented plan. The county and city worked together to implement needed reforms, businesses invested significant capital, and the community showed faith that the city had a real future.<\/p>\n

While everyone believed that Camden had a future, none could have predicted the pace of progress. Camden is no longer the nation\u2019s most violent city. Crime has dropped a stunning 59 percent since the county police department was instituted. The dramatic improvement in public safety has allowed residents to reclaim their neighborhoods.<\/p>\n

Ten schools are either being built or renovated replacing decrepit schools. Graduation rates have risen, as drop-out rates have plummeted. For the first time, competition among public, charter and renaissance schools has raised the quality of education and given parents a meaningful voice in determining the appropriate schooling environment for their children.<\/p>\n

The dramatic changes taking place in the city have created a ripe climate for targeted capital investments reaching almost $3 billion. Billions have been invested in parks, infrastructure, schools, and projects to expand the \u201ceds and meds\u201d corridor, including the development of the world-renowned MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper. In addition, 31 companies have already or are about to invest more than $1.3 billion in private capital in the city.<\/p>\n

During the construction of the various projects in the city, thousands of union jobs were created and supported, including close to 400 held by Camden residents. In addition, the companies expanding and arriving in the city have already hired at least 850 Camden residents. Working with New Jersey NAACP and other non-profits, the city and businesses are looking at ways to efficiently expand employment opportunities available to all residents.<\/p>\n

Camden is in the midst of a remarkable transformation. It is systematically becoming a 21st century \u201ceds and meds,\u201d manufacturing and innovation hub. But we are cognizant that more has to be done. We want to state clearly that allowing the progress we\u2019ve made to stop, or worse, recede, is unacceptable. It would be a disservice to the people who live in Camden and to the state\u2019s taxpayers who will have to continue subsidizing the city ad infinitum.<\/p>\n

State and regional leaders must join Camden\u2019s government, residents, religious, non-profit, and businesses stakeholders by committing to being part of the city\u2019s progress. We strongly believe that business leaders need to continue to make the investments in the city they\u2019ve committed to, including hiring Camden residents; and community leaders need to hold them to their commitments to make Camden a better place to live and work. Camden is experiencing a renaissance that should \u2013 that must \u2013 continue.<\/p>\n

Senators Cory Booker and Robert Menendez represent the state of New Jersey in the U.S. Senate<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The following people also signed this op ed: <\/em><\/p>\n