Jerry Shenk: ‘Governance by Democrat’ is ruining America’s cities

What do St. Louis, Baltimore, New Orleans, Detroit, Cleveland, Memphis, Las Vegas, Kansas City, and Chicago have in common?

Once, most were prosperous, safe and well-governed. Today, however, those are among the U.S. cities with the highest per capita homicide rates – plus general crime in each is well above the national average.

All are suffering under “governance by Democrat.” New Orleans hasn’t had a Republican mayor since 1872, Kansas City since 1991, so for at least 34 years, some many more, each has experienced one-party rule.

Furthermore, they’re losing population to safer, better-governed suburbs, exurbs, and states. That includes Philadelphia, another crime-ridden jurisdiction whose voters last elected a Republican mayor in 1948.

Today, “sanctuary cities and states” governed by Democrat mayors and governors who permitted crime to run rampant are actively attempting to thwart federal efforts to do what they and local law enforcement will not do to curb crime and protect federal employees and property. They insist that 1) crime is not a problem, and 2) if it is, it’s the Trump administration’s fault for the “provocation” of “invading” their “sovereign” jurisdictions.

In them, Democrats are trying to impede federal officers assigned to federal-owned facilities from fulfilling their lawful duties.

For the record, peaceful protest is constitutionally protected. Violence is not protest.

Backed by Democrat enablers at local, state and congressional levels, Antifa-led agitators have turned part of Portland, Oregon, a sanctuary city, into a no-man’s land. In fact, the area around a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility is under siege.

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson has denied police protection to federal agents. Camilla Wamsley, director of Portland’s ICE office, reported that her facility faced violence for over 100 straight nights, and that Portland police were directed to stand down.

Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) blamed Washington, claiming that Portland’s anti-ICE riots were “staged to justify federal involvement.”

Oregon’s other Senate Democrat, Rod Wyden, made the mind-numbingly stupid claim that Christy Noem, Homeland Security Secretary, who visited Portland, “was sent by [President Donald] Trump to incite violence.”

However, one downtown Portland business owner reported, “Yesterday…, I was broken into…for the tenth time. … We need help here…something needs to be done, so if [the National Guard] is what we need…, then…it’s a good thing. We’ve been struggling…since 2020.”

Chicago, Illinois, another sanctuary city, is nearly as bad. There, Mayor Brandon Johnson called for the arrest of ICE officers, foolishly claiming that President Trump wants a “rematch of the Civil War.”

In fact, Johnson is the neo-Confederate. Like antebellum Southern Democrats, today’s Democrats are ignoring federal law and assaulting federal property. The Confederacy claimed sovereignty, declared independence, and fought federal troops to preserve slavery. As a black man, Johnson should know that.

In America’s federal system, states – and cities – are not sovereign. Constitutionally, the federal government holds the power to override local resistance and restore order.

A Chicago mob surrounded ICE agents, ramming/boxing in their vehicle to frustrate immigration enforcement efforts. Even though one of the “protesters” was armed and shots were exchanged, Chicago officials allegedly ordered the city’s police to refuse assistance.

Furthermore, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, threatened to arrest ICE agents and issued a challenge to President Trump, saying, “…if you come for my people, you come through me! So come and get me!”

Apparently, Pritzker’s “people” are criminal aliens, ICE’s primary targets.

Chicago and Portland have already met the preconditions for invoking the Insurrection Act. Other Democrat-run cities are getting close.

Since the Los Angeles anti-ICE riots in June, anti-ICE demonstrations, some violent, have occurred in more than 40 cities, including those on the “homicide” list.

As Democrat-run cities plunge further into madness, retailers are shutting down and leaving. The only alternative for the businesses and people left behind is to endure the consequences of the Democrats’ failed governance.

Frankly, party leaders and elected Democrats don’t seem to mind the crime in their cities, possibly because most live in areas unaffected by crime. Indeed, to some, crime and, especially, civil unrest may be politically useful in preparation for the additional mayhem they almost certainly have planned for the remainder of Mr. Trump’s presidency.

Ultimately, though, urban political stagnation and crime are not inevitable. America’s cities are only crumbling and their once-civil societies collapsing because feckless, often corrupt Democrats have been running – ruining – them for decades.

Contact columnist Jerry Shenk at jshenk2010@gmail.com