A recent study that ranks Syracuse number one in the country for concentrated poverty among blacks and Latinos has ignited activists, who want city government to do something about creating jobs for residents who live in poverty.
At a rally on the steps of Syracuse City Hall, Rev. Nebraska Carter, a vice president of the Urban Jobs Task Force, compared poverty to a cavity in a tooth.
“It doesn’t just get bad by itself. There’s something to happen to it to cause the cavity, to cause the teeth to deteriorate. Poverty messes up communities. When I came here, this community didn’t have the poverty that it has," said Carter.
And one root cause of that poverty is a lack of jobs. That’s why the task force is championing the proposed Syracuse Resident Employment Ordinance, which would require companies that have large contracts with the city to set aside 20 percent of a project’s jobs for unemployed or under-employed city residents.
Syracuse School Board Member Mark Muhammad believes everyone wins with a proposal like this.
"We’ve got to find a way to help people get jobs to get money in their pocket. And it’s not just for them. If they’re working, everybody in the economy and the community benefits. Let’s put these people to work,” said Muhammad, to applause.
But there are some concerns at city hall about potential lawsuits if lawmakers take this route.
Right now Syracuse Common Councilors only have to decide whether to have a public hearing to talk about this issue. Councilor Khalid Bey, who’s sponsoring the resolution, says he hopes pubic pressure from a session like that can force the city to take action.
“You can’t blame private business for being self-deterministic or concerned about their bottom line. That is the nature of the game. But it is our job to be the watchers over the people’s assets; we just can’t give away the money to the detriment of the city,” said Bey.
The councilor says he believes the city has dropped the ball on this issue.
"I think the city, with all due respect, needs to grow a spine. And stop ducking and running from your responsibility. Those are harsh words, but it’s true.”
