Booker, who was sworn in as mayor of New Jersey's largest city, said difficult obstacles lay ahead for the municipal council and local museums, libraries, schools, hospitals and nonprofits, which face limited options with painful consequences.

"The challenges before us demand that we reinvent or even revolutionize government as we know it today," Booker said. "As we are seeing in cities all across New Jersey, we will be forced to do more with less and in the process services will be cut, jobs will lost, and families will be affected."

Booker said he plans to lead Newark in setting the national standard of urban transformation, drive down crime and build more parks and affordable housing.

He said he and the municipal council will work so that future budgets do not have major tax increases and he hopes to reach financial stability by 2012.

"We will be like days before, a city of innovation, of art and artistry, or education and industry," Booker said.

But unlike four years ago, when Booker's team swept the city council, Booker faces some opposition on the council. Newly elected South Ward Councilman Ras Baraka and Central Ward Councilman Darrin Sharif used their inaugural addresses to draw harsh criticism of the mayor.

Sharif took to the podium, detailing the election path that got him to his current position and his run-off election with Booker-backed incumbent Charles A. Bell. He stated the march to City Hall wasn't an easy one.

"All the powers that be -- some of you are here today -- used all of your resources, all of your money to try to crush me," Sharif said. "But what they didn't know is that I have the most valuable resource, the most underutilized resource, and those were the residents of the Central Ward. And not only did I have the residents of the Central ward, I had the residents of the South ward."

Before addressing the audience, Sharif walked off stage to hug his father, Carl Sharif, who worked as Booker's campaign manager in 2006.

In addition, Baraka said he was against "selling out" the city of Newark, an apparent reference to Booker's plans to create a municipal utilities authority to oversee the city's water supply.

"Everything is for sale, even culture and race itself," said Baraka, principal of Central Ward High School. "Healthcare, education, prisons, and now even our water have become commodities."

Baraka said residents are living at a time where economic freedom and broad markets have become the chief organizing principles.

"I sacrifice myself, my family, my time and sometimes my immediate happiness for a cause greater than myself," Baraka said.

After an inaugural ceremony stretching three hours, council members held an organizational meeting in which Donald Payne Jr., the highest council vote-getter in the May 11 election, succeeded Mildred Crump as council president.

Comments (2)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Civil rights Activist
written by Oveston cox, July 04, 2010

Congratulations to Sharif. I met Sharif shortly after he declared himself for canditate and was most impressed by his honesty, sincerity, and most of all his gentlemanly qualities. I was particularily enthused about his passion for the city of Neward and his vision of creating a retreat of sorts for our disenfranchised youth.
Unlike many, I am hopeful that the leaders of the City find mutual ground on the issues at hand, look across the council chambers and recognize that their is an obvious commonality.
I am proud to have commuted my Saturdays to drive from Warren County area not only to support Sharif but to help breathe new life into a city with great potential with hopes that this foward thinking councilman will the light in the council chambers.
Therefore, I say congrats to the City of Newark for you have taken the next step in progress.

Oveston Cox

• 
• +0
• 
• 

Time Will Tell
written by Sheldon, July 06, 2010

I was fortunate to be invitee the inauguration ceremony and I am please to say I enjoyed it.
I am once again a witness to the passion of newly elected candidates but like my title say time will tell.
I was under the impression that Ras Baraka and Darrin Sharif are Activist which will always do good gathering the people for a march but moving forward they will be a part of what the people are marching against.
The People of the South Ward particularly interest me because the School which Ras Baraka was principal has rating of 1 out of 10 and were not able to turn that around this is a school and here they are entrusting him to turn the City I hope it will not be upside down.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

Name

Email

Website

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (registered users only)

I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment