As folks may have noticed, it’s been a little slow here at the Local Knowledge Blog. With the semester winding down, it’s difficult to keep my teaching/research responsibilities going and find the time to block off for writing every day. So, in that spirit, I’m going to borrow a concept from my favorite sports writers (Zach Lowe) and write a list of Ten Things I Like and Don’t Like — in Camden. 

1) Seeing communities preference for institutions rooted in neighborhoods trickling into policies in Camden. There should be space to oppose the broader thrust of policy, while noting individual improvements, like Renaissance Schools having encatchment areas. In that spirit, if this news is true about Camden’s KIPP school serving a broader population (and I know there are some fights over what data we should be using), it’s great to see that be part of a mission and something schools are trying to address. There should be space for acknowledging these movements in the right direction, while still being skeptical of the broader thrust of the policy. 

Serving all kids: All but one of our kids in Camden qualify for free lunch. @KIPPNJ pic.twitter.com/1NOrxL8wrl

— Ryan Hill (@RHTEAM) March 11, 2015

2) Seeing Camden parents engaged. Again, some nuance here. There are a lot of stories about Camden’s parents these days collecting signatures or signing on to support various policies. There are plenty of reasons to be skeptical of these initiatives — one of the hardest things about Camden is disentangling community intent (often fractured in itself) from broader forces — but with education activists collecting signatures attempting to keep McGraw and East Camden from being converted to Renaissance schools, and Parents for Great Camden schools also collecting signatures for “Change and Choice” it’s safe to say that there’s a lot of parental engagement going on. And that’s exciting. 

3) Tax breaks for companies, and non-profits, moving just a few miles down the road. So here’s my first dislike, and it’s a simple one. The Economic Opportunity Act needs to be rewritten to include the clause “if you can throw a stone from the old site to the new site, you don’t get a tax break.” First Subaru and Cooper’s for-profit offices came from the South Jersey region, now we see Volunteers of America doing the same. These moves really point out some of the nonsense going on; these are not new jobs to the region, and few employees need to move here. It’s bad enough to be constantly racing to the bottom by competing with Philly, now South Jersey is in a municipality-by-municipality race to see who can attract businesses by undermining the regional tax base. The idea that trickle-down dollars will come from employees eating lunch in the area just isn’t enough to justify this type of policy. 

4) The Camden foodie scene is starting to happen. There’s audible buzz about Newtown Kitchen, the Camden Supper Club is so packed this month that the restaurant asked for the orders ahead of time, LAEDA is still holding Dine Around Friday’s (come this Friday!) to connect the downtown with commercial corridors. And, of course, anchor restaurants like Donkey’s are getting foodie attention from the likes of Anthony Bourdain. Get on board, the foodie thing is going to happen. 

5) Parking lot buzz. At a time when Philly City Council Candidate Helen Gym is making statements like this, “Parking lots don’t move, they’re ugly, and we should tax them more,” Camden has its own buzz about parking lots. It just received the Golden Crater award for the worst downtown set of parking lots. Putting Camden over the top, was its recent use of eminent domain to, yes, create more parking. 

6) A City Government known for failing to engage. I was invited to speak with some folks this week about strategies to deal with an “unresponsive bureaucracy.” How heartbreaking to hear about a city government that either does not have the will, or if you’d like to be generous, the capacity, to engage with those working throughout the city. 

7) The trend of handing things over to Camden County. Everyone knows about the county-run police force, but after the city couldn’t handle it’s demolition program, that was taken over by the county as well. Not to mention the buying of Campbell’s Field by the county. Here’s an idea for those trying to help Camden: how about focusing on building capacity and engagement in the city, so the city can run its own systems. 

8) My students’ stories about Camden. I learn so much about Camden’s barriers and struggles through the eyes of my students and their interactions with families. My students have just finished doing restaurant reviews across the city. One of them told me this:

@SteveDanley assuming truths. Example,as I brought up onTuesday,I was always told that Camden students had to dodge bullets to get to class.

— Aaron Johnson (@AnimationAaron) April 21, 2015

@SteveDanley I had no reason to think otherwise. Another example: when I told my dad that I had to visit a camden restaurant in kramer hill,

— Aaron Johnson (@AnimationAaron) April 21, 2015

@SteveDanley he literally jumped up out of fear, even though he admits he'd never been there. As for examples from speakers/readings,

— Aaron Johnson (@AnimationAaron) April 21, 2015

9) And, of course, the terrifying way Camden can be discussed through such an ugly racial lens. Here’s a section of a comment this week I chose not to “approve” (while I’m generally lenient with my editorial powers, this crossed the line): “camden city council is BLIND just like the camden county democrats who have DISINVESTED in educating the poor! They have wasted tax payer dollars on THEMSELVES! Havent helped the poor so the poor keep popping out babies and making bad decisions!”

Pretty much, anyone using the phrase “popping out babies” probably needs to go back to the drawing board with a comment. 

10) The joys of spring time. We have the Camden Night Gardens coming up May 1st, but that’s only a high-profile version of what’s popping up all over the city in the nice weather. Block parties. Impromptu gatherings on porches and stoops. More folks walking on main streets. There’s nothing better than sunshine for a city.

Alright. Lots more analysis to come, but that’s 10 Things I Like and Dislike this week in Camden. If you have your own, throw them into the comments.