Newark Mayor uses Twitter to great effect during epic snowstorm and aftermath

Cory Booker, the mayor of Newark, is pretty much the awesomest mayor on the whole entire Eastern seaboard and maybe in the whole world.

I used to live in Newark, but I only lasted there for like two months and I never ran into him while I was casually eating Brazilian burgers, much to my great disappointment. Still, it was totally cute when he got into a feud with Conan O’Brien, who Booker subsequently banned from Newark Liberty Airport for his constant dissing of the city, leading Conan to say he’d have to get into Newark “like everybody else, through a series of poor decisions.” Hee.

Anyway, being a relatively young 39, Booker understands the Twitter and the social media better than older elected public officials. And while other local metropolis mayors were busy being multi-zillionaires and wearing monocles, Booker was responding to tweets for assistance- shoveling Newark residents out, bringing diapers to stranded people and even in one case, bitching a guy out for complaining about conditions only to arrive and find the man’s mother and sister shoveling, complainant notably absent.

The New York Times preserved a few of Booker’s tweets from the storm’s aftermath:

“Mayor, central ward needs ur help bad,” one Twitter message said. “Streets are still a mess.”

Mr. Booker responded: “Where exactly? I’m in Central now making lots of progress.”

When a Twitter message from someone named Stephanie said “My street (UNITY AVENUE ; off of 18th and Styvesant) has yet to be touched,” Mr. Booker wrote back: “I’m sending someone ASAP.”

You can follow Booker on Twitter by clicking here. His latest tweet?

Please DM me his # and address. I will try & help RT @TrulyAware181: Plez help my dad he’s snowed in at home & i cant get to him from NY