The Trenton Times published the following opinion piece on November 6, 2013. To read the full op-ed, click here.

Opinion: Trenton’s 2014 mayoral race is already off to a troubled start

By Times of Trenton guest opinion column 
on November 06, 2013 at 6:12 AM, updated November 06, 2013 at 6:21 AM

By Michael A. Walker

The 2014 Trenton mayoral election cycle is underway — and already it lacks substance. As the city continues its descent into the economic and social abyss, in a spiral influenced by a dysfunctional municipal government whose leadership is woefully inadequate, the silence from the mayoral candidates regarding their policy positions to reverse these trends is deafening.

So far, the announced field of mayoral hopefuls includes former Trenton Public Works Director Eric E. Jackson, who is widely regarded as the frontrunner; retired law enforcement executive James Golden; serial business owner Patrick Hall; and Washington insider Paul Perez, the only Latino candidate. The Perez campaign hopes to improve upon the result achieved in 2010 by Manny Segura, who ended up in a runoff against Tony F. Mack, the miscreant who ultimately won the mayoralty thanks to endorsements from people who likely now regret lending their support to a mayor who has been accused of fraud and may end up in prison.

Mr. Perez’s candidacy is particularly intriguing. Despite the fact that the city is 52 percent African American, according to U.S. Census data, Perez and his advisors believe Trenton is ready for its first Latino mayor. This kind of progressive thinking is refreshing in a city that has a highly factionalized and anemic voting bloc. Historically low turnout at the voting booths has yielded mayors who are elected for their popularity and associations, not their winning ideas. In addition, Douglas H. Palmer, a charismatic politician, was Trenton’s mayor for two decades, so it is entirely possible that Trentonians — at least those who participate in Trenton’s nonpartisan mayoral races — do not know of any other way to choose their mayors.

Clearly, Trentonians need a new dynamic that can successfully reorganize their municipal government not only to deliver basic services, but also to execute a strategy to reverse the city’s economic fortunes. It is frustrating that the mayoral candidates do not address specific issues. For example, they are not talking about the city’s obscene property-tax burden. Instead, the candidates are relying on campaign babble that voters hear time and time again — empty political rhetoric such as: “I come from humble beginnings,” “We need change,” “We need to move the city forward” and “It is time for courageous leadership.” It is all so unoriginal, ambiguous, mind-numbing and, quite frankly, useless.