Trenton cleanup needs to delve deeper

City officials attempted to put lipstick on pigs yesterday with a poorly planned street sweeper initiative that barely pricked the surface of blight problems in this capital city.

Another rushed initiative failed to engage those residents and communities detached from government, places overrun with weeds, trash and crime that sunlight barely squeezes into their streets and despicable alleys covered in junk.

People have no idea about the garbage stacked in alleys off Walnut Ave. or the filth that covers porches on Sanford St.

Mayor Reed Gusciora saying that those neighborhoods are next in line for cleanups is equivalent to discounting the shouts of people drowning, in this case, being covered in an avalanche of discarded tires, mattresses and an assortment of other items.

Mayor Gusciora could deliver immediate relief to Walnut Ave. residents simply by supporting demolition of several houses that have no value and contribute to the depression that hangs over this neighborhood.

This mad dash for clean included no attempts for cultivation of relationships with city organizations that could have informed their clients about an important clean up initiative. Unless this missed my attention, no information printed for our Spanish-speaking residents.

A city press release included this morning itinerary notice.

11:00 a.m. – Sweepers will end at the Battle Monument for a Photo-Op with volunteers and Revolutionary Soldier Reenactors from the Old Barracks.

The superficial clean up schedule arrived Friday after 5 p.m., completed with the last-minute style of freshmen term paper writers.

This effort stands as wham-bammish, executed prematurely without input from people who might have produced better ideas then street sweepers cleaning up several main streets.

An idea here would have waited on this effort and joined forces with every street planning a National Night Out celebration in August. By the way, Franklin St. does not need outsiders or city employees to clean our block.

A second portion of the Mayor’s email included notice that “volunteers will clean up the former Mercer Medical Center property on Bellevue Ave from 9:00 am until 2:00 p.m.”

What? Volunteers contributed their time and energy to clean up the jungle around the former hospital that now stands as a ginormous white elephant. Stick with me, this is about to get very interesting.

Trentonian reporter Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman spoke with Hemant Mehta, owner of the abandoned Medical Center through his company called 446 Bellevue LLC.

Mehta told The Trentonian that he was “excited to be part of this” cleanup, saying he is encouraged by the Reed Gusciora administration.

Free labor? Every businessman and property owner loves when other people clean up their messes for them. Mehta allegedly stood around and watched.

Words of wisdom for Mayor Gusciora who may be in negotiations with 446 Bellevue LLC members. Beware people who want something for nothing. Volunteers were still clearing brush and weeds in front of the Medical Center after 1 p.m. with no sign of Mehta.

A smart move would have been for Mehta to reach inside his wallet for $500 to pay off the volunteers who cleared his property.

While feel good stories can contribute to energy that drives revitalization, at the end of the day, leaders and officials must develop partnerships with residents.

Successfully cleaning up Trenton requires changes of attitudes about how people see themselves and their neighborhoods. One day or several hours of street sweeping combined with one disappointing volunteer project hardly signifies a come back.

Trenton needs a comprehensive plan to hold landlords, tenants, residents, dumpers, homeowners and businesses accountable for keeping their addresses clean.

Not enough lipstick exists in the world to cover up the swine mentality of many Trenton residents.