Mott Haven residents waffle about re-electing Obama*
By Rachael Johnson
Outside
the Bronx Preparatory School in Mott Haven, passerby Orville Brown leaned back
and sighed deeply, "No. I'm not voting for him again," he said. A
Jamaican-born, night school teacher who’s lived in Mott Haven since 2007, Brown
did not feel 'fired up and ready to go' as the President's campaign message suggested
four years ago. “I campaigned for him, volunteered for him, went to the
inauguration and froze my ears off for him, but I’m thoroughly disappointed,”
Brown said.
Brown voted for President Obama in 2008, but said that this time around he’s voting for the Republican nominee Mitt Romney because he hasn’t seen enough of the changes that the president promised. “He’s an intellectual," Brown said of Obama. "He doesn’t have a grasp on how the economy works.”
Brown also said the President wasn’t strong enough on foreign policy issues, “He told Medvedev that he would think about the issues in Russia after the campaign was over.”
In the middle of the same block, a mix of 6th, 7th and 8th graders lingered in front of a colossal blue door to the front of the schoolwaiting for their parents to come pick them up. But Terrence Debrecourt, a parent, was already there looking for his two kids. The single dad of three children has struggled for several months to find work. “It’s tough. I live here in the Bronx and we have the highest unemployment,” said Debrecourt. “The President of the United States is afraid to stand up for black issues.”
Unemployment in New York City is 9.1 percent and 14 percent in the Bronx, according to reports by the New York Times. The U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics reported that while the nation’s unemployment rate has dropped to 7.6 percent, black unemployment remains high at 14.1 percent. Mott Haven’s population is 25 percent black. This crushingly high unemployment rate in the black community has effectively made politicians consider it a ‘black issue’.
“I’m not sure that Romney will help, but Republicans are smart enough to know that if we hurt, they hurt too,” expressed Debrecourt who voted for Obama in 2008, but thinks that since that time the president has not done enough to address black issues. “He wants to let them know that ‘I’m with you’ and not necessarily with us,” he said.
Four years ago, Mott Haven residents and businessmen were some of the presidents’ strongest supporters. But on the corner of Alexander Ave and E 138th St, there’s not a consistent voice of support for the president despite the fact that the city was deep Obama territory in 2008.
Kimberly Rodriguez, 24 said that she wouldn’t vote for Romney. “Obama picked up the pieces and got us this far and Romney is going to put us back in a sink hole,” Rodriguez said. “Honestly, when I saw the post of when Osama Bin Ladden was dead, I felt that peace.”
She also said that she felt shut out by Romney’s comments about the fact that 47 percent of Americans won’t vote for him because they are victims who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them. “Anyone that doesn’t have a high income, they are going to shut off these programs to the people living in poverty.” Rodriguez said that she voted from Obama in 2008, but she hasn’t decided if she will vote in this election, “They benefit. The politicians. It’s not my vote, it’s their vote,” she said.
Kim Haden walked around the green subway gate behind the NYPD’s 40th precinct to avoid bumping into people entering the underground No. 6 station. "I'm voting for Obama because he's getting stuff done," said Haden, who had just picked up her two sons from school. "He's a black president!" exclaimed Elijah Woods, Haden's 7 year-old son. "I think about what he's doing now and [will do] in the future. For my children's future; is why I'm voting for him," she said.
Sabrina Ramirez, 24, was headed home to 145 Brook Ave from working as a receptionist at a flower shop. "I'm not voting this year,” said Ramirez who voted for Obama in 2008. "I haven't seen any changes," she explained.
But, Ramirez also said that people haven’t given Obama enough of a chance, “You can’t do what you need to do for the whole country in four years,” she said. Ramirez, who was out of work for almost two years before finding employment, said she wanted more job training programs to assist with finding work. “It’s [still] so hard now to get a job,” she said.
Alex James, the musical director at the Bronx Temple Seventh-day Adventist Church in Mott Haven, has seen the changes put forth by the president. “Folks aren’t aware of what he’s done. The programs in place for housing; and in 2010 he stopped the abuses of the banks,”he said. “With what I’ve seen him do, he’s gone over the top to get my vote. Not because he’s a person of color, but all he’s done.”
Despite the lack of excitement by those who were once ‘fired up and ready to go’ for Obama in 2008, James said there’s a certain amount of activity for the president in the neighborhood. “The Hispanic involvement is strong. They seem to function as one heartbeat,” he said.
Brown voted for President Obama in 2008, but said that this time around he’s voting for the Republican nominee Mitt Romney because he hasn’t seen enough of the changes that the president promised. “He’s an intellectual," Brown said of Obama. "He doesn’t have a grasp on how the economy works.”
Brown also said the President wasn’t strong enough on foreign policy issues, “He told Medvedev that he would think about the issues in Russia after the campaign was over.”
In the middle of the same block, a mix of 6th, 7th and 8th graders lingered in front of a colossal blue door to the front of the schoolwaiting for their parents to come pick them up. But Terrence Debrecourt, a parent, was already there looking for his two kids. The single dad of three children has struggled for several months to find work. “It’s tough. I live here in the Bronx and we have the highest unemployment,” said Debrecourt. “The President of the United States is afraid to stand up for black issues.”
Unemployment in New York City is 9.1 percent and 14 percent in the Bronx, according to reports by the New York Times. The U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics reported that while the nation’s unemployment rate has dropped to 7.6 percent, black unemployment remains high at 14.1 percent. Mott Haven’s population is 25 percent black. This crushingly high unemployment rate in the black community has effectively made politicians consider it a ‘black issue’.
“I’m not sure that Romney will help, but Republicans are smart enough to know that if we hurt, they hurt too,” expressed Debrecourt who voted for Obama in 2008, but thinks that since that time the president has not done enough to address black issues. “He wants to let them know that ‘I’m with you’ and not necessarily with us,” he said.
Four years ago, Mott Haven residents and businessmen were some of the presidents’ strongest supporters. But on the corner of Alexander Ave and E 138th St, there’s not a consistent voice of support for the president despite the fact that the city was deep Obama territory in 2008.
Kimberly Rodriguez, 24 said that she wouldn’t vote for Romney. “Obama picked up the pieces and got us this far and Romney is going to put us back in a sink hole,” Rodriguez said. “Honestly, when I saw the post of when Osama Bin Ladden was dead, I felt that peace.”
She also said that she felt shut out by Romney’s comments about the fact that 47 percent of Americans won’t vote for him because they are victims who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them. “Anyone that doesn’t have a high income, they are going to shut off these programs to the people living in poverty.” Rodriguez said that she voted from Obama in 2008, but she hasn’t decided if she will vote in this election, “They benefit. The politicians. It’s not my vote, it’s their vote,” she said.
Kim Haden walked around the green subway gate behind the NYPD’s 40th precinct to avoid bumping into people entering the underground No. 6 station. "I'm voting for Obama because he's getting stuff done," said Haden, who had just picked up her two sons from school. "He's a black president!" exclaimed Elijah Woods, Haden's 7 year-old son. "I think about what he's doing now and [will do] in the future. For my children's future; is why I'm voting for him," she said.
Sabrina Ramirez, 24, was headed home to 145 Brook Ave from working as a receptionist at a flower shop. "I'm not voting this year,” said Ramirez who voted for Obama in 2008. "I haven't seen any changes," she explained.
But, Ramirez also said that people haven’t given Obama enough of a chance, “You can’t do what you need to do for the whole country in four years,” she said. Ramirez, who was out of work for almost two years before finding employment, said she wanted more job training programs to assist with finding work. “It’s [still] so hard now to get a job,” she said.
Alex James, the musical director at the Bronx Temple Seventh-day Adventist Church in Mott Haven, has seen the changes put forth by the president. “Folks aren’t aware of what he’s done. The programs in place for housing; and in 2010 he stopped the abuses of the banks,”he said. “With what I’ve seen him do, he’s gone over the top to get my vote. Not because he’s a person of color, but all he’s done.”
Despite the lack of excitement by those who were once ‘fired up and ready to go’ for Obama in 2008, James said there’s a certain amount of activity for the president in the neighborhood. “The Hispanic involvement is strong. They seem to function as one heartbeat,” he said.
Romeo
Valentino grew up in Mott Haven and attended St. Jerome’s Church on 138th
St and Alexander Ave. His business is within walking distance from St. Jerome’s
Church on Willis Avenue. “As a business
owner, I am a Republican. My whole family is Republican, but I’m definitely
voting for Obama because he supported immigration laws for this area,” said
Valentino. Valentino owns a driving
school and said that under President Obama, the community will get stronger. “With
the Dream Act, people will help build the economy, get driver’s licenses [and]
people working behind the restaurant [counters] can get out and really work,”
he said.
Briseida
Bravo crosses in front of St. Jerome’s Church and speed walks to a Yoga class. Next
week, Briseida plans to vote for Obama.
She explained that the last four years under Obama have been better for her
than under President Bush. “The government is peaceful,” she said in broken
English. “A lot of money and a lot of persons killed,” she said referring to
the war in Iraq that started under President Bush’s presidency, but ended in
President Obama’s first term. She doesn’t feel connected to Romney because she
fears that he’d be “racismo” and not for the interest of all people.
It’s
expected that President Obama will win all of New York’s 31 electoral votes on
Election Day according to the web site fivethirtyeight.com, a New York Times well-respected blog, but
the people who choose to support him hope their voices will be heard this time.
“There is still opportunity out there to live the American dream,” said
Valentino.
*This
story was reported in November 2012
