Obama rapped on urban problems

A Sun-Times article involving our very own Roland Burris:

[Community activist Mark] Allen and others directed their comments to U.S. Sen. Roland Burris, who has had en even rougher start than Obama. But Burris was spared the residents’ criticism during the 90-minute meeting at which they asked him to carry their agenda in Washington.

Allen’s concerns were echoed by former Chicago Housing Authority Director Phil Jackson, now head of the Black Star project, who showed Burris a map of the 34 Chicago Public School students killed in the last nine months — centered around a flag that marks Obama’s home in Kenwood.

More stimulus money needs to be targeted to jobs and internships for youth, Jackson said. “When we had a summer jobs program, we were able to keep 80 children safe and off the streets,” Jackson said. “When it ended, three of them were shot. One of them was killed. We have to rebuild the black family. We need strong institutions in our community.’’

Obama’s stimulus package includes $2 million to hire more police officers and buy new crime-fighting technology.

But Burris told Jackson there was little the government could do to solve the problems of broken African-American families.

“No government, no senator, no alderman, no representative is going to be in your family dealing with those kids that we’re raising,” he said.

And Burris, 71, said he found himself at a loss trying to stop some children from turning to crime, saying “an old gentleman like me trying to deal with 10- and 12-year-olds that will cuss you out in a minute if you look at ’em . . . ”

Jackson interjected: “That’s what we need help on.”

“A dollar bill ain’t going to help that,” Burris replied.
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Asked after the forum to address Allen’s criticisms of Obama, Burris said: “Those are his comments. I don’t have any comment on that.”
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Burris has all but stopped taking questions from the media and does not publish a schedule of public events. He was visibly alarmed to see a reporter arrive at Saturday’s meeting and emphasized that any story should include the fact that his vote was crucial to passing the stimulus bill.

Ald. Anthony Beale (9th), who sat at a table with Burris, praised Burris’ stimulus vote and faulted the media for covering Sen. Richard Durbin’s news conferences to announce stimulus funds for fixing up the CTA Blue Line and other projects.

“It took two senators to vote on the stimulus package out of Illinois, yet only one senator is having press conferences about all the money that’s coming to different programs, different things in the city of Chicago,” Beale said. “We need to stress the fact that there were two votes.”

Interesting! Via Marathon Pundit!