Too much ‘hood rat’ talk in mayoral announcement
An interesting exchange occurred between Councilman Alex Bethea and an attendee during the pol’s mayoral campaign announcement.
Bethea harped on the much hyped but molehilled issue regarding city police Director Ernie Parrey’s use of the term “hood rat.”
Dead horses have been whipped less than this rodent kill. Bethea played his hole card.
“The police director says you’re a hood rat.
So if I’m the mayor and I stand by this guy, is that all right with you?” Councilman Alex Bethea asked a “If I had a police director calling you hood rat and I was the mayor standing by him, that’s not good.”
As autumn sunlight kissed city hall and that mid-afternoon change from hot to warm air occurred, under heaven and atop earth, the African-American recipient of Bethea’s prodigious propaganda, offered a glorious insight.
“It would not matter to me if (Parrey) called me a hood rat,” he said.
Honest to God, the man mirrored an opinion that’s been shared here on numerous occasions although many people press this issue.
Bethea and other mayoral candidates should discuss issues pertinent to residents instead of this scarlet herring.
While African-American and Latino hierarchy make hood rats an issue, other people express concern about police policy.
Residents desire a positive police presence, especially in neighborhoods on the cusp of being nudged into criminal held territory.
Just flip one house, get one landlord to rent to unscrupulous tenants and trouble can arrive as soon as the rented truck pulls up.
Personally, residents on my street which remains relatively intact, want police to walk occasionally.
The fact that Director Parrey and Mayor Eric Jackson refuse to move on police walking beats exists as a real issue. Hood rats? Not.
By the way, an imposing political figure appeared on the fringe of Bethea’s mayoral candidacy announcement crowd.
Paul Perez, who lost a runoff election to Jackson in 2014, stayed out of the fray.
“I like to hear what other people are saying. Wanted to listen to Councilman Bethea,” Perez explained.
Perez maintained his campaign company line of an active exploratory committee considering his chances of winning the May 2018 mayoral race.
Perez called “interesting” Bethea’s mayoral platform points. Perez bobs and weaves like a prized boxer now but there’s no time like the present to throw his hat in the ring.
A final note regarding Bethea, the twoterm councilman-at-large rep said he met with Mayor Jackson in August.
“We were at a luncheon and I sat down and told him about my plans to run for mayor. He wished me good luck,” Bethea said.
Cordial now, but many negative exchanges ahead as mayoral race ramps.
Let’s talk about real issues regarding the City of Trenton, jobs, education, public safety, trash, abandoned houses, property taxes, nepotism effective and diverse government leaders, etc.
Hoodrats? Come on.
L.A. Parker is a Trentonian columnist. Reach him at laparker@trentonian.com. Follow him on Twitter@laparker6.