Washington undergoing renewal program to be a great capital

It's no secret that Washington, D.C. is not the city our nation's capital should be. Random violence robs children of their freedom. The public schools are short of text books and teachers. Local housing projects are havens for drugs.

These problems should worry all Americans, not just those of us who live in Washington. We all want to feel proud of our nation's capital, whether it is the gleaming monuments that millions of tourists see each year or the schools, businesses and neighborhoods that exist in their shadows. We all have a stake in the city and its future.

Although many Americans only hear the bad news about our capital city, Washington has some good news, too. It is an international nerve center for finance, communications, law and health-care research. And it has its people -- a wealth of human talent and potential.

That's why I'm optimistic that, if we all pitch in, the city will shine again. Just look at New York City. Twenty years ago, the conventional wisdom was that New York was doomed to decay. Now, its crime rate is down, its reputation is up, and the city is as alive and vibrant as ever.

Chicago, too, is enjoying a renaissance. For years, the city was notorious for having what many experts considered the worst schools in America. Yet, as I say for myself on a trip to Chicago this week, the city's schools are on the rebound, thanks to strong leadership, better management, more accountability and a committed partnership involving government leaders, business people, school administrators, teachers, parents and members of the local community.

In Washington, solutions will have to come on many different levels. But there are already signs of progress. A new financial control board created by Congress and appointed by the President is now in charge of the city's budget. a well-respected, no nonsense retired Army general, Julius Becton, has been hired to root out waste, fraud and mismanagement in the public schools. The President and Congress have agreed to make Washington a top priority. And perhaps most importantly, citizens, businesses and organizations across the city are tackling an array of social and economic problems at the neighborhood level.

Last week, I visited the Cleveland School, located in one of the city's most depressed neighborhoods. The school is home to 300 children in kindergarten through third grade. It has a dedicated principal, committed teachers and an active PTA (Parents Teacher Association). It also has the support of partners in the community, like members of the U.S. military who volunteer as physical education instructors at the school and also take the children on field trips.

One particularly active partner is a law firm downtown called Holland & Knight. Every week, lawyers and staff spend afternoons tutoring and reading to students. They have spent weekends repairing school facilities. They even reclaimed a neighborhood park and playground from local drug dealers.

The firm has donated computers, supplies and clothing to the school. Lawyers have helped parents with legal problems and represented non-profit organizations based in the surrounding neighborhood for free.

When I visited the school, teachers told me how the lawyers' visits inspired the students to raise their expectations of themselves. Parents described how the firm's involvement fostered a new can-do spirit throughout the neighborhood. And lawyers talked about the rewards of developing new friendships in a community that they might never have visited otherwise.

Given the number of lawyers in Washington, one can only imagine how much good would come if every firm was as eager to commit its time and resources to improving life in the city.

Fortunately, other professional, business and non-profit organizations are following suit. Recently, a community bank, supported jointly by local private investors and the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, was launched to promote small businesses and spur the local economy. And I have seen the commitment of religious communities across the city, which have come together in an unprecedented partnership to strengthen schools and provide affordable housing.

All of these projects are vital, but they are only part of the solution. There is no panacea or quick fix for Washington's deeply rooted problems. The city needs the budgetary changes that Congress and the President are working for. It needs strong, dedicated leadership in local government and business. And it needs the involvement and commitment of every citizen.

As the President said a few weeks ago, it's time to renew our capital city so that Washington is a great place to work and live -- and once again the proud face America shows the world.

-- Creators Syndicate