Newark mayor uses Twitter to coordinate blizzard response

A few days ago I noted the fact that New Jersey’s Republican Governor Chris Christie decided to take a vacation to Disney World in Florida despite the blizzard accurately being predicted to slam New Jersey with snow. While Gov. Christie saw fit to leave the state for the warmth of Florida, Newark’s Democratic Mayor Cory Booker stayed in Newark and used his Twitter feed to connect with constituents and direct the city’s response to the blizzard:

While Mayor Michael Bloomberg faces criticism over New York City’s slow response to the northeast blizzard, a nearby big-city mayor is getting praise for his unique, hands-on response to the snow emergency. The Village Voice has already proclaimed Newark Mayor Cory Booker as the “Hero of the Snowpocalypse.”

For the past two days, Booker has been responding non-stop to residents’ concerns over Twitter. Booker’s Twitter feed has offered a fascinating window into how a public official can harness social media to handle a city crisis.

Booker told The Cutline that Twitter has been “very, very helpful” in dealing with the situation on the snow-covered ground. “It expands my ability to make a positive impact on my constituents and meet the needs of the city,” he added.

On Tuesday, one Twitter user asked: “Can we can we please have trucks on Wainwright Street ASAP? My street is terrible!” Booker quickly shot back: “On it.”

Another notified Booker today about a street that needed to be dug out. “I’m heading over there to look at ur st,” Booker responded.

Chris Christie could clearly learn a few things from Cory Booker on how a chief executive takes a hands-on approach to dealing with emergencies.

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2 thoughts on “Newark mayor uses Twitter to coordinate blizzard response

  1. Librall hate:
    When guys like Christie handle large amounts of snow they have heart attacks. Perhaps its for the better he’s in Florida.

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