The City

by John V. Lindsay

Hardback book with dust jacket. Dj has balck background with white and green lettering.

Genres: History

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1969

Reviews

[Leanne Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent analysis of the problems of NYC and all American cities that have not changed from 1969 to today. Our country has constantly prioritized defense, highways, the suburbs, and rural areas over cities in housing, education, jobs, and public health. The investments were never made, and you can see the inequities today in racial disparities in health outcomes (especially with Covid-19), online education, and lack of housing. And let's not forget how states like Mississippi don't give enough money to their citizens, even though they take more federal funds from states like New York just like in 1969! It all comes together; the funding of highways over mass transit, of single-family homes for white people over minorities fleeing lack of jobs and racism in the South (who were all too happy to unload the cost of their citizens on us while taking more money from the Feds), too a waste of money on defense at the expense of the citizens. The fights over funding for cities are only continuing, ensuring we take on the brunt of the economic hardships of this pandemic. Cities are in crisis because the Republican and Independent money-guys and lobbyists want to take all the money from cities but not invest in the people (and convincing the rest of America, the cities are the problem, not the rich). Hopefully, the pandemic changes this or we will have another 50 years of lost opportunities and waste while the rest of the world passes us by.