Page 5 - ARUBA TODAY

A5
U.S. NEWS Thursday 1 augusT 2019

HUD leader Ben Carson compares Baltimore to cancer patient

By REGINA GARCIA CANO Baltimore. The program of-
Associated Press fers massive tax breaks to
BALTIMORE (AP) — The only developers who invest in
black member of President certain low-income areas.
Donald Trump's cabinet is One such area is the neigh-
comparing Baltimore to a borhood Carson visited.
cancer patient whose ill- After Carson objected to
ness can have a devastat- having to move his news
ing effect if ignored. conference off the Morning
U.S. Housing and Urban De- Star Baptist Church of Christ
velopment Secretary Ben property, a member said
Carson spoke Wednesday he asked HUD staff to move
in the wake of tweets from because nobody asked
Trump describing Baltimore the church for permission.
as a "disgusting, rat and ro- Church member Gregory
dent infested mess" where Evans said he does not see
"no human being would Carson's visit as a promising
want to live." sign for the district.
Carson worked in Baltimore Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson speaks during a news conference after "The man may have been a
touring the Hollins House, a high rise building housing seniors and persons with disabilities, during
for more than three de- a trip to Baltimore, Wednesday, July 31, 2019. great neurosurgeon, but for
cades and rose to fame for Associated Press him to be in housing makes
his groundbreaking surger- no sense," Evans said. "He's
ies at Johns Hopkins Hospi- Trump family and White row. In 2017, the 342 homi- of any other large U.S. city. stepping in Baltimore may-
tal. He said Baltimore, like House. cides in the city of roughly Carson touted the Trump be because of what's go-
a cancer patient, cannot Maryland's 7th Congres- 612,000 inhabitants yielded administration's "Opportuni- ing on with the comments
sweep its challenges under sional District, which Cum- a homicide rate of 56 per ty Zones" program as a ve- that the president's made.
the rug. mings represents, includes 100,000 people, a rate the hicle to bring investments I don't think it's going to be
"You can dress them up neighborhoods that have FBI called well above that and positive changes to that big of a difference."q
and put a nice suit on them, struggled with poverty and
and you can try to ignore it, crime, like the one where
but that cancer is going to Carson stopped Wednes-
have a devastating effect," day to tour a high-rise
Carson said. "You have to building that's home to se-
be willing to address that is- niors and individuals with
sue if you are ever going to disabilities. The district also
solve it." includes more affluent ar-
Carson's visit to Baltimore eas and landmarks such
was not welcomed by as Johns Hopkins University
everyone. A neighboring and its hospital, the Social
church demanded that Security Administration and
Carson's press conference the Centers for Medicare
be moved off their lot. Car- and Medicaid Services.
son criticized that decision, Thinking back on his many
calling the church's atti- years working in Baltimore,
tude an example of peo- Carson also recalled the
ple not wanting to collabo- poor condition of the
rate to address Baltimore's homes some of his patients
problems. had to return to after he
Earlier this week, Carson de- saved their lives.
fended Trump against alle- "I spent a lot of time try-
gations of racism because ing to give the children
of the incendiary tweets. here in Baltimore a second
He touted the president's chance at life, operat-
record on the economy ing for hours and hours, all
and prison reform during night sometimes, most of
an interview with Fox News. the times being success-
"These are not things that a ful, days later being in the
person who is a racist would dilemma about sending
do," Carson said during the those kids back to some of
Monday interview. the neighborhoods that I
He told reporters Wednes- knew that they came from,"
day that Trump is "very will- he said. Those neighbor-
ing to work with people hoods, he said, had mice,
here in Baltimore, includ- roaches, ticks, rats and an
ing with Elijah Cummings." "unabated lead problem"
Cummings has represent- that affected the children's
ed Maryland in Congress mental development.
for decades and currently Baltimore managed to
chairs the House Over- chip away at its violent
sight and Reform Commit- crime rate in 2018, but still
tee, which is investigating had more than 300 homi-
the Trump administration, cides for the fourth year in a Opening Hours: Monday to Monday from 5:00 pm to 10:30 pm