Focus or Fix? You decide...

Couldn't the Buffalo News have asked someone else...I mean Nero?

Carolyn Nero is interviewed by Buffalo News guy Peter Simon, right here today in a story about school safety and the totally terrible condition of the neighborhoods surrounding City schools.

If my son ever wanted to walk to school, I would forbid it, Nero said. What's happening to the East Side? It's a sad state of affairs over there.

Nero was the first century Roman Emperor who is widely criticized for "fiddling while Rome burned." Mayor Brown's response:

Brown called for focusing [fiddling] on revitalizing the surrounding communities

No. Focusing evokes a study. The abandoned, boarded, derelict and vacant houses around City schools present a clear public safety risk to Buffalo's school children. These houses should be properly secured, like yesterday. No focusing. Simply secured, then demolished.

Asking the Governor to call up the National Guard to assist in securing hundreds of these houses, while like totally politically incorrect, is the right thing to do. I've written about it here: School House Project. While Byron is focusing, Buffalo crumbles.

RIP Yvonne and Shawn.

update...9/6/06 1015pm...still trying to figure out how these folks at RUN Buffalo are trying to help. Just heard from a few urban policy folks that RUN Buffalo may have run away. We'll see...

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Artspace Archive • Annals of Neglect • BAVPA • Where is Perrysburg? • Broken Promises...
Writing the City • Woodlawn Row Houses • Tour dé Neglect - 2006 • faq