ENDING POVERTY & CREATING OPPORTUNITY
Crime doesn't happen in a vacuum—it's driven by poverty, lack of opportunity, and hopelessness. For 30 years, Trenton has been trapped in a cycle where poverty breeds crime, crime drives away businesses, and the absence of jobs creates more poverty. We can't arrest our way out of this problem. We have to break the cycle.
Rolando understands this from personal experience. His parents came to Trenton from Puerto Rico in the 1960s with nothing. They were high school dropouts who worked hard and instilled the values of education and earning your way. All five of their children graduated from Trenton High School and became professionals—teachers, a police officer, contributing members of society. That's the American Dream, and it should still be possible in Trenton today.
But here's the problem: all five of those children left Trenton. They took their income, their home ownership, their taxes, and their influence with them. Thousands of other educated, hard-working Trentonians have made the same choice. Why? Because there's no opportunity here.
The Plan
Create Real Jobs for Trentonians
• Attract businesses that will actually employ local residents, not just occupy tax-exempt buildings
• Work with local employers to create job training and apprenticeship programs
• Support small business development, especially the 70%+ Hispanic-owned businesses that are the backbone of our local economy
Break the Cycle of Concentrated Poverty
• Demand that other municipalities build their fair share of affordable housing
• Stop accepting that Trenton should be the dumping ground for the region's poverty
Invest in Long-Term Programs, Not Feel-Good PR
• End wasteful spending on temporary initiatives that look good in press releases but change nothing
• Fund proven programs that provide job training, addiction treatment, mental health services, and pathways out of poverty
• Measure results and hold programs accountable for outcomes
Keep the Next Generation in Trenton
• Create conditions where educated young people choose to stay and raise families here
• Make Trenton an affordable alternative to New York and Philadelphia for young professionals
• Ensure that children who grow up here can build successful lives here
Address Homelessness with Compassion and Solutions
• Provide real services and support, not just temporary shelter
• Connect people with job training, addiction treatment, and mental health resources
• Work with nonprofits effectively—but recognize that bringing more poverty to Trenton isn't the solution
Why This Matters
Rolando has seen firsthand how poverty destroys communities. He's also seen how opportunity transforms lives—in his own family. His vision isn't about handouts or empty promises. It's about creating the conditions where hard work pays off and families can build better futures without having to leave the city they love.
Let’s go from Trenton to Triumph!!!