Under Construction: Reflections on Change

TRENTON-- Just this past week, as I was doing my daily rounds, I noticed construction workers still digging in and digging up parts of North Warren Street. In the span of only a couple of days, these workers have turned this North Trenton street into a one lane pathway leaving neighborhood residents with one less place to park their vehicles and forcing pedestrians to walk around or circumvent the rubble.

Despite the current inconvenience that this new construction presents, I think something can be learned from it and I wanted to share with you my thoughts. First and foremost, I've learned that anytime something needs to be fixed or changed, sometimes you have to do some digging to uncover what the real problem is. Simply staying on the surface may not unearth the real problem. In other words, you don't want to just treat symptoms of an issue, when the problem may run much deeper than that. So you may have to dig deep and find some things you may not expect, but that's okay, because it's necessary to solve or fix your problem.

A concrete example of what I'm trying to say can come from my own experience. As a younger man, when I started college at Mercer County, my grades were terrible because quite frankly, I did not enjoy reading or writing, nor did I see their necessity at the time. When I was younger, I thought it was the teacher, or the books were boring, or something outside of me that was causing my poor grades, but as I dug deep and started to really look at the situation, I found that I was the culprit. I did not put in the time to read, pay attention in class, or do the work and I had to accept the reality that I did not like to read or write. By digging deep and looking at the facts objectively, I realized that I needed to change and quick if I didn't want to flunk out of school, and guess what, I changed, I began to love reading and writing to the point that I became a blogger or citizen journalist.

Another thing I have learned from the construction on Warren Street is that change or transformation takes time. The construction workers on Warren Street just started about two weeks ago and it doesn't look like they will be done any time soon. So, change doesn't happen overnight. All one needs to do is look at the process of losing weight ( a process I am presently going through, too much soda and one too many donuts, but I digress). If one looks at the process of losing weight or getting in shape, it takes significant effort and time. Sure, there may be fad diets out there that promise overnight results, but I tell you the truth, real change takes time. Rome was not built in a day, neither will your change effort. But if you're serious and have made a commitment to change, you will see yourself through it, no matter the setbacks and obstacles.

Lastly, the construction on North Warren Street has taught me that changing can be uncomfortable. In the case of the construction on Warren Street, I see that residents and visitors alike now have one less place to park their vehicles. In the case of pedestrians, they now have to travel around the rubble to get where they are going. Yet despite this discomfort or inconvenience, it doesn't alter the need for change. The street still needs work whether we like the inconvenience it brings or not. Indeed, change can be painful, but this pain or inconvenience does not impact its necessity.

So, all in all, the construction on North Warren Street, has shown me the importance of change and that with change comes the virtues of discovery, patience, and perseverance which can all lead to growth. I think this information can help anyone (myself included) that is wrestling with change in their life, their community, or in their workplace. I leave this with you to ponder and engage with. All responses are welcome.

Trenton Entrepreneurship

TRENTON--A big part of what I want to do with this blog is share insights about topics that have piqued my interest over time. One of those interests include entrepreneurship and the unique world of small business. You maybe wondering what makes this topic so interesting to me. Well, I'm glad you asked, allow me to elaborate.

Since moving to Trenton, New Jersey in 2005, I have found that entrepreneurship and small business creation is very much needed in this community since this city is saddled with entrenched poverty and joblessness. All one needs to do is look at some of the recent closings of small businesses like Cafe International, Can Do Errands, Delorenzos, and historic Amefikas to see what I am getting at here. All of these individual entrepreneurs gave people a nice place to go to, quality products and services, and most importantly, they created jobs that people in the city could possibly take.

Now lets be quite clear, entrepreneurs do a number of things, but I want to focus one of the main things they do, that is, create jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, entrepreneurship and small business play a vital role in the US economy. And looking at Trenton's staggering 10.8% unemployment rate, it seems quite evident that entrepreneurship and small business creation can do our city some good.

According to Google, an entrepreneur is an individual that "takes the initiative to create a product or establish a business for profit". Indeed, the city of Trenton needs more initiative, and less complaint. Instead of moaning and groaning about all the potholes in Trenton, why not create a small businesses that specializes in paving streets? Instead of criticizing Trenton Mayor Tony Mack and the failing public school system, why not do what individuals like Baye Kemit did when he created an African-centered school that sought to address the problems facing public schools?

These examples strike me as the heart and soul of the entrepreneurial mindset. This type of mentality constantly seeks to solve issues instead of complaining or criticizing the powers that be. In short, entrepreneurs don't see problems, they see opportunities.

So I invite everyone to take something from the playbook of entrepreneurs by first of all being creative. Think outside of the box. Take calculated risks and step outside the comfort zone. The best entrepreneurs don't settle for the routine and get complacent. They push the envelope.

However, don't get me wrong, I am not saying that one should go stark-raving crazy by making reckless decisions. Rather the idea is to take moderate well-informed risks and be creative when looking at the stark realities that face communities like Trenton. Instead of seeing hopelessness and desolation, why not see promise and possibility? That's the question I wrestle with everyday and leave with you to ponder.

Trenton Mayoral Debate Shows Need For More Engagement

TRENTON-- Just last week, Patrick Hall, Jim Golden, and Paul Perez sat down at the Big Easy Restaurant downtown to have a talk.

These individuals were not at the downtown eatery just for the food or the ambiance, the purpose of their gathering was to show the people of Trenton what they are made of as the city's mayoral election quickly approaches next year.

Two candidates appeared at the question and answer session in person: former Trenton police director Jim Golden and businessman Paul Perez. Patrick Hall, a local entrepreneur was not physically located at the downtown eatery, he participated in the talk via video conference.

This discussion was organized by citizens Scott Miller and Jacque Howard, who launched Trenton Elections on Facebook to help Trentonians learn more about the candidates.

Golden, Perez and Hall answered questions that were solicited on the Trenton Elections Facebook page and supplied by residents.

During the 2 hour Q & A session, the mayoral candidates were asked things like:

What do you want Trenton to be known for?

What qualifies you to manage a 200 million dollar budget? What experience do you have?

What executive experience do you have? Were you successful? How many people have you managed?

What are your plans to be more transparent?

With regard to transparency, former police chief Jim Golden said that directors need to be present at council meetings. He also mentioned that he wants to make sure taxpayers have access to a power-point presentation that would come directly from the city's directors that would outline their proposals for improving the city.

Businessman Paul Perez said that he would create a system of oversight so that people are held accountable because "City Hall is dysfunctional". He went on to say that "it shouldn't be a surprise that we need money at the last minute".

Hall went on to say that he would bring in qualified people to address the transparency issue. He said that he believed in zero-based budgeting and that "just because you got $14 million dollars last year does not mean you will get it again this year".

The question that was running through a number of people's mind was what are these candidates going to do about crime or public safety day one if they are elected since news reports indicate 18 homicides this year so far.

Former Police Chief Jim Golden said that we need to deploy officers where and when they are needed most.

Patrick Hall said that we need more lighting and surveillance while Paul Perez said that he would look at violence reduction plans that were successful in other cities.

Indeed, as the city of Trenton awaits next year's mayoral election, I think these sorts of forums are very much needed. These forums engage and encourage others to take part in the political process, something that is desperately needed today where there is so much apathy, ignorance, and cynicism toward our elected officials and the overall political process. Its like what Trentonian blogger Michael Walker said. In one of his blog posts, he states that "Trentonians won't start paying attention to the mayoral candidates until early next year". Sadly enough, I think Walker's comments are correct, but I think that's all the more reason why we need to do things to encourage and foster a well-informed citizenry that is active in the political process.

With a well informed citizenry, democracy can flourish and help make our elected officials accountable for their actions. The question becomes: how do we engage and encourage others to be a part of the process, I say we need more community forums to talk about these things, and I plan to help make that possible through blogs like this and through forums in the community.

Click below for video access to some of the debate or discussion: