Wendy's Priorities for Baltimore
When I am Mayor of Baltimore City, you will see a mayor that works tirelessly in the community to bring hope and solutions to problems facing the people of Baltimore. My vison of Baltimore is a vibrant city that has low crime, is clean, has an excellent school system, where everyone has a place to live, and enough food to eat. All of Baltimore - North, South, East and West - will be places everyone wants to visit. We will be a model for the rest of the country. Baltimore will truly be "Charm City."
How do you stop Youth Violence?
Currently 58% of students in Baltimore City Schools are chronically absent and Baltimore’s youth are being shot at highest rate in a decade. Over 30 young people have been killed and 100 shot.
Get them back in school!
- Increase Internship Programs/Trade Schools so students can earn money, credits and learn skills in Middle and High School.
- ENFORCE the State of Maryland’s Attendance Laws (add truant officers)
- End Safe Street and use the money to Open 64 Police Athletic Leagues (PAL).
Improve transportation to and from schools for students and improve our schools!
What has the current administration done for us?
2022 was the eighth year in a row the city endured more than 300 homicides.
$1.7 billion Goes to Baltimore City Schools – but who decides where it is spent?
Currently, School Principals have complete control over funds with no budgetary oversight.
How do you improve Baltimore City schools?
Follow the MONEY.
Despite a massive budget of $1.7 billion, 40% of Baltimore City Public Schools don’t have a single math-proficient student according to the National Review.
Currently, 164 principals of Baltimore City Public Schools have total control of their budgets down to the payroll. There is NO central oversight.
Let's restore fiscal responsibility!
- Centralize and realign budgets so every school in Baltimore City is a great choice with money spent appropriately.
- Allow teachers to call a centralized department (IT, Math, English, Social Studies, Art) to request what they need (books, laptops, and supplies). Let’s never let teachers hear, “Not in the budget.” Which is most principals’ response to requests.
Give principals their jobs back, instead of budgeting – allow them to increase attendance by meeting students and parents, supporting teachers, building community partnerships, and fostering positive parent relationships.
It takes a village.
- I don’t believe I can solve all the problems facing our city, but bringing together those at the grass roots level of the issues – hospitals, churches, community leaders, and representatives of the city – together, we can solve the problems facing Baltimore. I’ll create “Think Tanks”, where your problems can be heard.
- Reestablish “Dollar Homes” to tackle the vacant homes crisis and allow Baltimore residents to build generational wealth.
- Start the path to home ownership for people on rental assistance. Use the funds that support “landlords” to support home owners.
- Greening Communities! Studies have shown designed and maintained green space can reduce violent crime & gun violence.
- Create conditions for economic growth by tackling the City’s broken tax code that crushes small businesses and erases high paying job opportunities.
We’ve ignored this issue for far too long, resulting in the death of three city firefighters in Jan. 2022
Currently, there are more than 14,000 vacant homes in Baltimore.
There are currently 200+ vacant Department of Public Works jobs.
Clean Up Baltimore
Research shows that litter increases crime (Brown et al., 2004; Keizer, et al., 2008). When litter exists, people perceive there to be more crime in the area compared to a place that does not have litter (Roper and Parker, 2013; Stafford and Peterson, 2009).
- Clean Baltimore by filling over 200 vacant Department of Public Works job, give citations when people trash our city, crack down on illegal dumping, give incentives to DPW workers, new equipment and start preforming weekly street cleaning. Start– Charm City Clean-Up, more trash can with daily pick up in busy areas of the city, public relations campaign cand contests across Baltimore for the best Charm City Clean Up.
- Reestablish weekly recycling pickup citywide
- Add more trash cans on the street and promote weekly community clean up campaigns & contests.
Build Community
- Reestablish “Dollar Homes” to tackle the vacant homes crisis and allow Baltimore residents to build generational wealth.
- Start the path to home ownership for people on rental assistance. Use the funds that support “landlords” to support home owners.
- Greening Communities! Studies have shown designed and maintained green space can reduce violent crime & gun violence.
- Build and support existing community action groups.
- Increase Green Spaces – use abandoned buildings or houses to create areas for trees, benches, grass or playgrounds.
We’ve ignored this issue for far too long, resulting in the death of three city firefighters in Jan. 2022
Currently, there are more than 14,000 vacant homes in Baltimore.
End the Violence, Improve Education... let's Put the Charm back in Baltimore.
To make Wendy’s vision a reality, she needs your support. Join us in this campaign, because together, we can make Baltimore the city we all deserve. Your vote, your time, and your passion can help shape our future.
A little donation goes a long way – If 500 residents of Baltimore City donate – our campaign will receive 1.7 million from the Baltimore City Fair Election Fund and we will not owe any favors to people or businesses.