In the New York Times’ article, “Government Can’t Help? Tell That to the South Bronx,” author Michael Powell argues that the government is in fact capable of assisting the economy and taking care of its middle to low income families. Throughout the article he compares past experiences with the South Bronx, which used to be a destroyed, “burnt-out” area, to its present conditions. As a teenager, he believed that the South Bronx was a forgotten and disregarded neighborhood, with no chance of returning to glory or even moderate conditions. However, after touring the area 30 years later, he acknowledged that due to government efforts, it “stands as arguably the greatest public rebuilding achievement since World War II.”
After reading the article, I was very surprised from the fact that he refers to the South Bronx as an area of resurrection. To be honest, coming from Brooklyn, I always looked at the Bronx as a neighborhood filled with crime, violence and ghettos. I never imagined it as a safe area filled with decent apartment complexes and nice schools. According to Celida Pinet, a resident of the South Bronx, it sounds as if it is now a wonderful place to live and raise a family. Based on the success of the area, I’m surprised I haven’t heard about its resurgence until today.
I was also fascinated by the government’s success through these public housing initiatives. In his article, Powell mentions that by the end of the project, the Bloomberg administration will put about $8 billion into the construction of public housing complexes, building almost 165,000 apartments. It really comes to show you that the government has the power and the abilities to make a change in the lives of its citizens. Over the past couple of years, especially through our recent financial crisis, many Americans have lost faith and belief in the government. Hopefully, the South Bronx housing developments can help restore America’s trust in its government.
While reading the article, there was one point that Powell mentioned that really stuck out to me.He states that if you “walk the working-class neighborhoods of Memphis, Newark, Atlanta and even Chicago you still find acres of hopelessness.” This statement immediately reminded me of the public housing development of Pruitt Igoe in St. Louis. Both were in terrible condition, however, in the end, the South Bronx would experience redevelopment and resurgence, while Pruitt Igoe would be knocked down. This made me consider what separates public housing developments from one another? Why are some projects successful and thriving, while others are full of violence and in utter destruction?
After reading Powell’s article, I realized that many of my thoughts pertaining to the government and the South Bronx had been misconceptions. It has altered my view regarding the government’s capabilities, by showing that it has done an excellent job in rebuilding and resurrecting an area that had previously been a ghetto filled with despair and crime. It really goes to show you that the government has the abilities to accomplish great things and hopefully it’ll help reestablish the faith of the American people in its government.
