BMORENEWS.com

Pres. Bernard "Jack" Young, Baltimore City Council

Thanks to Pres. Young, Clarke, Holton, Henry, and Branch for Standing Up!

By Doni M. Glover, www.bmorenews.com

(BALTIMORE – June 22, 2012) – If you think this is the column where I lambast City officials for not funding the recreation centers, after-school programs, and fire stations to the tune of a mere $6 million out of a $3 billion budget – I’m too tired. I’m too weary to write another word.

But, I’ll try.

Last night at City Hall, President Bernard “Jack” Young was joined by four colleagues in an effort to keep basic City services available in the future; he was joined by Council members Helen Holton, Mary Pat Clarke, Bill Henry, and Warren Branch.

I commend these heroes and sheroes for fighting the right way.

Quite possibly, the others received special promises. So, why get mad? That’s politics. Right?

This is, however, where I reflect on black elected officials from the past – those brave hearts who knew that being an elected official was about serving the people – not one’s own political career.

Be that as it may, “politics makes strange bed fellows.”    

“This was for summer jobs, after–school programs, fire stations – stuff everybody agreed was worth funding,” said Lester Davis, Communications Director for the Council President.

“$6 million out of $3 billion?”, he posed. “This was disheartening.”

Davis said that part of the plan asked for a re-allocation of a mere “$800,000 in the City Police budget – which is over $430,000 million. The Mayor’s people suggest this would jeopardize crime. At a certain point, our children either matter or they don’t. There was more than enough fat in the budget to figure out a way to keep our recs, after-school programs, and fire stations.”

According to Minister Cortly "CD" Witherspoon, "Curran, Spector, Middleton, Cole, and Scott consistently voted against our kids throughout the process." Witherspoon, who has been following this process closely, added, "We had to organize a telephone campaign earlier in the week to force Welch to report to City Hall to vote for parts of the amendments. Mosby announced prior to the vote that he was voting no because he cut a deal with the Mayor."

Brian Keith Easley, another Baltimore youth activist, said, "Even though the vote was disappointing, there is an upside to this story." He added, "Throughout this entire process, there was a strong contingency of organizations and individuals working hard on behalf of our children. So if nothing else was accomplished, the Mayor now knows that the citizens of Baltimore are beginning to work together to change how politics is done in this town. We are tired of being sick and tired and this issue has unified us giving us the blueprint on how to proceed from this point on."

Tags: & Fire Stations: Das Dat Bullsh*t, After-School Programs, Baltimore, City Council Votes 9-to-5 to Not Fund Recs