Wendy's Priorities for Baltimore
Prevent Crime & Incarceration
Those 19 and under in Baltimore are being killed and shot in 2023 at a pace not seen in at least a decade, according to a new Baltimore Sun analysis of police data. There have been so many victims that it’s the equivalent of one being shot about every two days and one being killed every week.
- Reallocate the millions of dollars spent putting citizens behind bars and concentrate on the root of the problem: Lack of Employment, Addiction, Housing, Food insecurity, Mental & physical health crisis.
- Restart the Police Athletic League
- Restart “Officer Friendly” to build relationships with officers and the children they serve.
- Establish “Problem Oriented Policing” (POP).
- Install Café style street lights in high crime neighborhoods. A 2016 public – private partnership in New York City showed sizable reduction in crime by adding additional lighting.
- “Squeegee Kids” are trying to earn money. Let’s get them off the street, back in school, and connected to potential employment opportunities.
- The increase of Dirt Bikes on our streets is a safety hazard for everyone on the roads or sidewalks. The city must invest in a dedicated area for extreme & motor sports so that our youth can enjoy their activities in a safer environment.
What has the current administration done for us?
2022 was the eighth year in a row the city endured more than 300 homicides.
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.
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.
Support Education
- Establish budgetary oversight in our educational system by centrally running school budgets so they are equally distributed and administrators are held accountable. Currently, 164 School Principals have complete autonomy over their budgets totaling 1.7 billion.
- Allow Principals to focus on their teachers & students, not budgets.
- Hire additional teaching assistants for every classroom from Kindergarten – 1st Grade to ensure students have essential reading & math skills.
- Ensure educators have access to the necessary supplies & resources
- Initiate a Youth Buddy Program to increase graduation rates. Middle School students select a buddy and if both graduate, they receive a monetary reward. The famous Dolly Parton initiated this program in the 1990s in her home town in Tennessee and successfully reduced the drop out percentage by a significant margin.
$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.
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).
- Reestablish weekly recycling pickup citywide
- Fill 200+ vacant Department of Public Works jobs
- Add more trash cans on the street and promote weekly community clean up campaigns & contests.
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.