While it's not entirely fair to lay the blame of a failed urban neighborhood at the feet of that area's congressional representative - the municipal government bears most of the blame for those kinds of things - it is nevertheless interesting to note how these kinds of issues just seem to follow "Squad" member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) around. In the latest, we see that three Queens neighborhoods in her district, Corona, Jackson Heights, and Elmhurst, have descended into third-world status, with open-air flea markets blocking sidewalks and prostitution openly practiced.

An area in Squad member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s district is being described as looking more like a Third World country as opposed to a thriving American neighborhood, as desperate migrants block up sidewalks selling food and shilling clothing items while prostitutes openly solicit sex from passersby — reportedly including teens. 

The neighborhoods of Corona, Jackson Heights and Elmhurst — a once-vibrant community in northwestern Queens — has now essentially deteriorated into a large flea market with trash overflowing on street corners, leading to unsavory and unhygienic conditions, as video obtained by Fox News Digital shows.

Meanwhile, the neighborhood’s main strip along Roosevelt Avenue has become so renowned for its prostitution that locals have nicknamed the area "the market of sweethearts," and viral online videos advise prospective johns on how to make use of sex workers' services there.

Fox News Digital captured exclusive photos of the area, specifically showing the widespread prostitution, at "all hours of the day"::

In exclusive Fox News Digital photos, sex workers were seen on Wednesday standing outside storefronts soliciting men. Residents say the prostitutes usually take their clients into makeshift brothels for sex. These alleged sex workers operate during all hours of the day, even as families walk by with their children in strollers, and often hang out in front of area supermarkets. Prostitution is against the law in New York.

That euphemism - "the market of sweethearts" - is especially misleading and cruel when you consider that there is nothing even remotely "sweet" about street prostitution; likely, a large proportion of these street prostitutes are not engaging in the trade of their own free will, and if they are, they are likely doing so to deal with addiction issues.

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It's tempting to point at everyone's favorite former bartender-turned-Congresswoman (yes, I'm presuming her gender) for all this, but as pointed out, there are a lot of people involved in governing this area, and it's revealing to see what they all have in common.

The area is mostly represented by progressive politicians, including Congresswoman Grace Meng, Assembly members Catalina Cruz, Steve Raga, Jessica González-Rojas and Council Member Shekar Krishnan. Fox News Digital reached out to Ocasio-Cortez's office, but did not receive a response for publication. 

The neighborhood is often touted as the most diverse in Queens and has long been a melting pot for migrants, but a portion of the migrant population there are reportedly in the U.S. illegally and don’t have permits to work, leaving them with no choice but to take to the streets to make ends meet, residents say.

This is what "progressive" governance has wrought. Oh, sure, they tout the "diversity" of this area, and much good it has done them; the neighborhood is not a melting pot, it's not even a salad bowl. It is instead a refugee camp, with its own black markets; it's unclear how many of the "migrants" setting up the impromptu flea markets and so forth are even in the country legally.

But then, New York is a sanctuary state, yes?

It seems that every day brings some new examples of the deterioration of our nation's major cities. This is just one more added to the list, and once again, we see the inevitable thing that all these deteriorating areas have in common: "Progressive" governance.

A measure of prosperity would help, but these progressive pols are never, ever in favor of the things that bring prosperity: Property rights, low taxation, minimal regulation, and jobs. If only there were some big businesses in the area, say, a big distribution center for a major online retailer, one that would bring, oh, say, 25,000 jobs to this district. One can't help but think that would have made a difference.