Steve Mensing, Editor
♦ Many of us dwelling in Salisbury and our surrounding County realize that 25% of the persons living in Salisbury dwell in poverty according to U.S. Census statistics. (28% poverty according to U.S. Census statistics carried by MSN, Yahoo, CNN, Wall Street 24/7) Whatever the precise figures are, this information is an enormous roadblock to Salisbury’s economic future according to persons who study dying cities. Its commonly held that urban areas reaching the tidewater mark of between 19% to 21% poverty own a flat-lined future unless they achieved those figures during a nationwide depression like we endured in the 1930′s.
Unless emergency surgery is performed in short order Salisbury is very likely to continue its downward tumble. It is no time to deny, suppress, and rationalize away Salisbury’s decline into poverty and its steady urban flight over the last decade. Urban rigor mortis will be a cold hard fact here in short order unless some abrupt changes, solutions, and trade-offs are put in place. Currently the special interests in Salisbury, are very much out of touch with the realities of “soaring” poverty in Salisbury. In many respects these special interests carry some responsibility for the city’s plunging fortunes. If they begin to smell the cloying odor of urban death and accept, instead of deny what is occurring in Salisbury, they might in time reverse the downward spiral.
The opening session will be uncomfortable for many to read because it means looking at painful information much like a patient being informed of a systemic cancer diagnosis. Listen up Salisbury: we are dying if not already in the final terminal stages. These undeniable facts are our city’s vital signs:
http://rowanfreepress.com/salisbury-nc-statistics/
The vital signs are the signatures of urban death and decay. All three vital signs of Poverty, Crime, and Education show exactly the city’s economic status. These vital sign statistics are viewed on various real estate and economic data bases that businesses employ to grade Salisbury in determining whether to pitch their tent here or not. These statistics are also used by people and families to determine whether our city is livable. Is it safe? According to the FBI, Salisbury is crime ridden. The U.S. Census Bureau clearly states that Salisbury has a quarter of its citizens dwelling in poverty. In short our city is a flagship for the poor. Our Salisbury public schools score badly on the N.C. State Education READY Report. Schools inside Salisbury proper demonstrate very poor READY composite scores and 68% of our school children are on school lunch programs. These scores are to be expected when a quarter of Salisbury’s population falls below the poverty line and many youngsters in our schools can not read or write. Our schools are made less attractive by behavior problems, drugs, and presence of gang activity. The problems of poverty, crime, and education can not be covered up or glossed over. The statistical databases will not permit it.
Before more urban flight accelerates here and city’s undeniable poverty climbs into the stratosphere, our community, including all parts of the city disenfranchised by Salisbury’s special interests, best explore alternative ways out of this city killing dilemma. Salisbury needs to step out of whatever strategies the city previously employed that got us into this condition and uncover novel and proven ways to haul itself up.
An introductory overview of “The Rowan Free Press’s Plan to Lift Salisbury, N.C. Out of Poverty”
Part I–Introduction: Overview of Rowan Free Press Plan
Part II–Tool Kit for Uncovering Solutions and Making Tradeoffs
Part III–The Major Challenges and Repurposing of Salisbury’s Traditional Special Interests
Part IV–Overhauling the Big Three: Crime, Education, and Poverty Statistics
Part V–Making Salisbury Unattractive to Chronic Poverty
Part VI– Repurposing of Existing Assets and Paying Attention to Economic Trends
Part VII–Re-Educating the Chronic Poor
Part VII–Drawing Faith-Based and Non-profit Groups into the Salisbury Turnaround
Part VIII–Halting Urban Flight
Part IX– What Small Cities have Done to Lift Themselves Out of Poverty or Limit Its Growth
