Stories abound about how the deteriorating economy has affected American life; and most of them aren’t good. Earlier this week, the U.S. Conference of Mayors provided even more examples, laying much of the blame for the country’s implosion on the federal government.

“Washington has lost its values, lost its principles, lost its sense of purpose; engaging in endless debate and partisan bickering while people in this country continue to suffer,” USCM President and Miami Mayor Manny Diaz declared Wednesday at the first of five forums across key cities that will delineate an action plan for the first 100 days of a new administration.

Held in Philadelphia, the first gathering focused on the faltering economy and the rise in crime that it has spawned. In a survey of 124 cities in 36 states and Puerto Rico, 42 percent reported crime has increased in their communities as a result of the economic conditions, with robbery accounting for the majority of the crimes committed, followed by theft and burglary.

Even more disturbing, half of the cities surveyed said they have seen a marked increase in youth violence, with most of it occurring within gang and on the streets, though a substantial portion (21 percent) was also happening at school.

Buffalo, NY and Westland, Mich. both reported spikes in school violence and Boston has seen the average age of juvenile suspects and victims decrease by about two years.

For school districts, the buckling economy has been most prominently seen and reported as budget reductions, hiring freezes and program cuts. As painful as those are, an increase in school and youth violence is the last thing anyone wants to report.

Naomi Dillon, Senior Editor