All urban politicians read this:

In the national best selling book "THE TIPPING POINT - How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference", author Malcolm Gladwell tells of the BROKEN WINDOW theory, developed by criminologists James Q. Wilson and George Kelling. As summed by Gladwell, the criminologists argue: "Crime is the inevitable result of disorder. If a window is broken and left unrepaired, people walking by will conclude that no one cares and no one is in charge. Soon, more windows will be broken, and the sense of anarchy will spread from the building to the street on which it faces, sending a signal that anything goes. In a city, relatively minor problems like graffiti, public disorder, and aggressive panhandling are the equivalent of broken windows, invitations to more serious crimes."

I think this is absolutely true. Do you?