The Economy Continues to Weigh Heavy on the U.S.

America’s Cities on the Edge: The Economy Continues to Weigh Heavy on the U.S.
When a city is badly broken, it can be very tough to fix. Just ask Darren Green, president of a coalition of community groups in Trenton, N.J., where deep budget cuts in 2011 forced the city to lay off a third of its police force. “We’re at a place now where it’s very dangerous to walk the streets,” he said, his thoughts periodically interrupted by the distant sound of passing sirens. “The school system is dysfunctional and not working. You have young people who are robbing elders. Young people who are destroying communities. With no leadership and the community in disarray, there’s a lot of bad here.”