Ehrenhalt (2016) in his article, "The Reality of Mayors' Economic Problems" opens up his essay by stating, "They vow to rev up the local economy all the time, exposing their misunderstanding and political office." I don't know if this is accurate in every case, since far too many of the people who run for mayor do so for the power, the money, the perks and the junkets and few really give a damn about the people who voted them in. With that in mind, behind closed-door meetings are par for the course and on some level, what I am about to share with you takes place in every major- and middle-sized city in America. The title of this book is Rich Developers and African-American Under-Development: The Economic and Sociopolitical Realities of Segregation of American Cities, and the title carries an explanation of the "ruler and ruled" relationship that is par for the course in America, and has been that way since the Europeans came to this country. Planners and developers worked together to divide up the land, name the cities and streets, and find the financing that would make the streets and lighting better whil e making sure to isolate the new immigrants, blacks, Mexicans and Asians beyond the city limits as well as beyond the pale of human understanding. Eighteen (18) cities will be analyzed in terms of the developer-mayor relationships and how the former impacts on the election of the latter and how the latter, once in office, returns the favor and both entities share money, power and bragging rights over the altering of the downtown skyline and/or the construction of housing and the on-going "re-segregation" of the city's housing stock and neighborhoods. The 18 cities are: New York, Los Angeles, Cincinnati (OH), Lexington (KY), Palo Alto (CA), Fort Myers (FL), Palm Springs (CA), Hallandale Beach (FL), Boca Raton (FL), Pittsburgh (PA), Salt Lake County (UT), Newark (NJ), Plano (TX), San Diego (CA), Irvine (CA), Baltimore (MD), Minneapolis (MN) and Treasure Island/San Francisco (CA). When I say "rich" there will be people who point to some developers as being middle class or will argue that "they are not rich." My point is that in white America, if you are white, your colorlessness and background give you the status of potential heir to the throne. That is the only logical way, for example, to explain how an asshole like Donald J. Trump could become president. Sure, there are poor whites - but they ain't po' because they're white! This book is a primer and is aimed at making the masses aware of how their respective city administrations work with de velopers and contractors to alter the city around the masses of people. The hard working people who drive back and forth on those highways and who see the street lights come on at night have no idea how much money exchanges hands to ensure that these utilities remain in tact. More importantly, they don't even seem to care why some people live in gated communities and others, regardless of income, are relegated to a different 'standard' of the American Dream.
About the Author: Matthew C. Stelly is a doctoral student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee working on a degree in Urban Education and Community Policy. He holds three Master's degrees: Urban Studies (1982), Urban Education (1983) and Political Science (2000). He is working toward his doctorate in Community Policy/Urban Education at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He is the former editor of the Milwaukee Courier newspaper, former director of the Great Plains Black Museum and the Plano (TX) African American Museum, and lead archivist for The Black Academy of Arts and Letters (TBAAL) in Dallas, Texas. Stelly has more than 2,500 articles in print and has won two national essay competitions. He is the founding director of the largest African-American neighborhood group in Nebraska, the Triple One Neighborhood Association and Parents Union. He is publisher and editor of the Triple One News, a two-time nationally recognized newsletter. He is the father of five children - Mandla, Malik, Clariece, Charisse and Shannon -- and remains actively involved in community organizing and neighborhood development in several cities, including Milwaukee and Omaha.