Thier answers will be posted individually as they are ready, and will be collected here.
Alan Walden, Republican candidate for Mayor
My wife and I moved to Baltimore City almost three decades ago, fell in love with the city, and never looked back. For almost two decades, I was an unapologetic Baltimore booster as news anchor and commentator on WBAL Radio and became a member and/or leader of a number of civic projects related to Baltimore’s storied past and remarkable traditions. But with the passage of time, I also realized that Baltimore has some serious problems that require a different attitude and approach.
The public school system is scandalously poor despite the investment of seventeen thousand dollars per pupil per year. We must teach young people how to work, not just how to pass through the system underqualified to enter the workforce or continue on to higher education. The property tax rate, more than double that in any other Maryland jurisdiction, must be reduced; sharply and now. The relationship between the police department and the public at large must be strengthened without delay and the rate of violent crime reduced through greater cooperation between law enforcement and those they are sworn to serve and protect.
Most of all, it’s time to understand that the same people doing the same things in the same way will not produce a different outcome. What is required is leadership that helps create the environment, the structure, in which the individual makes things happen for the better. As I said at the outset: I love Baltimore. It’s our home, and I pledge to take better care of it.
Most of all, it’s time to understand that the same people doing the same things in the same way will not produce a different outcome. What is required is leadership that helps create the environment, the structure, in which the individual makes things happen for the better. As I said at the outset: I love Baltimore. It’s our home, and I pledge to take better care of it.
