Submitted by Maria Allwine (not verified) on July 7, 2007 - 3:04pm.
Robb, I'm a little late here, but thanks for your kind thoughts. I don't know how much you know about the Green Party, but we take no corporate/special interest money which means we don't represent those interests when we are elected to office. There are over 400 Greens in office in the US today (mostly in city/county councils, school boards and the like, along with one mayor of a 100,000+ city).
I was talking to a former Baltimore city cop and he confirmed what I've been saying - the relationship between the mayor and state's attorney in Balt city is critical and that is one of the primary reasons that there is no real far-reaching strategy regarding crime. This relationship must be repaired and strengthened. He also said that the police department has had no continuity/strategy over the past many years - they try this - try that, etc. I told him I thought that real community policing would work - but there is a way to do it and way not to - he agreed. We also must find the funds (I'm in favor of using the rainy day fund - we are in an emergency situation) to hire, train and pay to fill the vacant police slots. I am, as I said on Steiner, in favor of decriminalizing (or legalizing) drugs - which of course is not done at the city level - but - we must reallocate our police resources to go after the kingpins/large dealers who usually don't even live in the city.
If elected, I would convene a council of neighborhood activists to work on the issues that each one of us lives with every day - crime, education, taxes, BGE - you name it! Who better than to advise any elected official - the people who know their own neighborhoods. In a nutshell, that's what's really wrong with Baltimore, Maryland and our country. Government turns its back on its own people and that is why government no longer functions as it should. I would work with all I have to change that. If it doesn't change, I'm afraid we are in for more violence, hopelessness and anger from ordinary people who no longer have a stake in our city or its government.
I could go on - but.......
Thanks so much for posting here. My website is almost finished but you can check it out at www.takebackbge.org. Or email me at mariaallwine@takebackbge.org - I'd love to hear what you have to say - any ideas you have - thanks again - Maria Allwine
Robb, I'm a little late
Robb, I'm a little late here, but thanks for your kind thoughts. I don't know how much you know about the Green Party, but we take no corporate/special interest money which means we don't represent those interests when we are elected to office. There are over 400 Greens in office in the US today (mostly in city/county councils, school boards and the like, along with one mayor of a 100,000+ city).
I was talking to a former Baltimore city cop and he confirmed what I've been saying - the relationship between the mayor and state's attorney in Balt city is critical and that is one of the primary reasons that there is no real far-reaching strategy regarding crime. This relationship must be repaired and strengthened. He also said that the police department has had no continuity/strategy over the past many years - they try this - try that, etc. I told him I thought that real community policing would work - but there is a way to do it and way not to - he agreed. We also must find the funds (I'm in favor of using the rainy day fund - we are in an emergency situation) to hire, train and pay to fill the vacant police slots. I am, as I said on Steiner, in favor of decriminalizing (or legalizing) drugs - which of course is not done at the city level - but - we must reallocate our police resources to go after the kingpins/large dealers who usually don't even live in the city.
If elected, I would convene a council of neighborhood activists to work on the issues that each one of us lives with every day - crime, education, taxes, BGE - you name it! Who better than to advise any elected official - the people who know their own neighborhoods. In a nutshell, that's what's really wrong with Baltimore, Maryland and our country. Government turns its back on its own people and that is why government no longer functions as it should. I would work with all I have to change that. If it doesn't change, I'm afraid we are in for more violence, hopelessness and anger from ordinary people who no longer have a stake in our city or its government.
I could go on - but.......
Thanks so much for posting here. My website is almost finished but you can check it out at www.takebackbge.org. Or email me at mariaallwine@takebackbge.org - I'd love to hear what you have to say - any ideas you have - thanks again - Maria Allwine