Cory Booker's State of the City, My State of Mind

I went to Newark, NJ Mayor Cory Booker's State of the City address yesterday, and a curious thing happened. I believed him. I believed in him. Maybe that's as corny as it sounds, but it's the truth. I didn't think I was listening to a politician motivated by his self interest or using his rhetoric for sound bites (though there were many). I was listening to someone who gets it, who wants to do what was right for the city, who feels he is serving a calling that means something more than power or fame or recognition. He wants to make life better for his citizens, and he is really doing it.

I feel naive saying so. I know how easy it is for inertia, for bureaucracy, for the overwhelming challenges facing a long-neglected city or for the lure of political ambition to tamp down the loftiest intentions. I've seen The Wire. But I don't know about any behind-the-scenes dealing or hypocrisy, and the sheen hasn't worn off for me yet. And maybe it's a betrayal of my journalistic curiosity, but if anything like that existed, I can almost say I wouldn't want to know. Because right now, I'm thinking about the positivity, the inspiration I felt when he was on that stage, and that's what's real. It's that perception that's making me proud to work in Newark and looking to move to Newark. And maybe it's that perception that's making another person or a company feel the same way, making someone or many someones stop and rethink their assumptions about what has been for so long a maligned place.

I just think he understands. He understands that a renaissance is for every citizen, not just those who can afford to live in tony redevelopment. He understands that minor drug offenders and other quality-of-life criminals need help and not prison. He understands that ex-offenders need to be brought in from the margins and given a second chance. He understands that the future of our cities is energy efficient.

And a lot of people seem to feel the same way. He has an 80% approval rating. Violent crime is down by double digits. Newark has seen more affordable housing, free tax preparation centers, high profile donations and partnerships with celebrities like Shaquille O'Neal and Bon Jovi and Oprah (hey, perception counts), and tons of groundbreakings and ribbon-cuttings (plus a kind of weird sounding project involving Shaq's development of a modern dinner-theater).

I know how I sound: Gushing, starry-eyed, and anything but dispassionate. But I'm aching for some good news, and in this city, with this mayor, I feel like I found it.