Clergy wants rec money restored
In May 2000, Douglas I. Miles, then the head of a group of Baltimore churches, stood on the steps of a East Baltimore rowhouse and called for a renewed effort by faith leaders reduce violence and help the police.
On Wednesday, eight years and more than 2,000 murders later, Miles joined another inter-faith group, including Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien, to again call for an end to violence, particularly among the city's youth.
This time, the clergy has more of a plan, including asking for school building to remain open in the summer to serve as safe havens and for a weekend Sabbath next month in which people will be asked to donate $1 to help fund Operation Safe Streets, a project run by the city's health department in which street counselors mediate gang disputes. They also pledged to hold more job fairs and work closely with neighborhood groups.
The religious leaders, in unison, called on Mayor Sheila Dixon to restore funds to keep rec centers, pools and libraries open. Miles, who now heads the advocacy group Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development, was the most forceful critic of budget cuts (the City Council has to vote on the budget before July 1). "Whether we stand under the cross, bow to the Star of David or kiss the stone of Mecca, we stand together and say the violence must end," Miles said.
Budget cuts mean difficult decisions must be made, but I'm not sure we can describe the $65 million shortfall in the terms used by Dixon's spokesman, Scott Peterson, who told me "we're racing against a global meltdown" and we're facing "economic catastrophe." He added that "no one wants to shut down a rec center or anything for a kid," and I believe that, but the message being sent by shuttering any when people are still getting killed is a bad one.
There is an effort underway to save the Police Athletic Leage Centers -- two are being closed and others are being folded into Rec and Parks -- and I've stated before that I think the PAL Centers started with good intentions but have now been largely abandoned by the city (starting several police commissioners ago).
Peterson send me a link to an interesting report by the PEW Foundation that compares the budgets from several cities, including Baltimore's, and what each are doing while facing budget problems.
Miles' organization is holding a meeting tonight to press the issue of PAL Centers:
6:30 PM
Ft. Worthington PAL Center, 2701 E. Oliver Street
On Thursday, May 28th, over 100 parents, teachers, and youth from several recreation and PAL centers will join BUILD to call on Mayor Sheila Dixon to restore cuts to recreation centers. “Madam Mayor, we don’t need a lecture on personal responsibility. We need a Mayor who will provide the basic services so our children can thrive and grow,” explains BUILD Leader Jesse Jacox. Over the past month, BUILD has organized several actions to organize support among Baltimore’s elected officials to include budget hearings and a Child First After School celebration attended by 1000 parents, teachers, and youth. State Senator Nathaniel McFadden and several City Council representatives to include William Cole, Bill Henry, and Ed Reisinger will be present to answer BUILD’s call. If Mayor Dixon does not respond, BUILD will organize a larger action of youth at the Inner Harbor on June 14th.
Categories: Confronting crime, Neighborhoods
Comments
I wonder why city politicians would even
think of cutting the budget by shutting
down the P.A.L. centers and the Rec
Centers. The city has a $ 40 million
dollar surplus and they decide to shut
down programs right before school lets
out? Cutting Library hours , shutting
down Rec centers and pools that
would keep children cooled off and out
of the streets, is a foolish thing to do.
Perhaps the Mayor and city counsel
would do well to review the Baltimore
Sun's 5/29/09 articles' " Gang Raids in
Baltimore". Its about time Baltimore's
leaders stop targeting children for the
budget cuts to programs that will keep
them safe, they need to put the children
first !
Posted by: teelee86 | May 29, 2009 6:41 PM
Many of these Rec Centers are sparsely attended yet costly, and therefore, inefficient.
It would often be better to have larger, more centralized facilities, which are less convenient to users.
If kids don't not want to travel the distance to the more cost-effective Recs, then they need to stay home and stay out of trouble.
I'm not interested in 'throwing money' of infinite magnitude because local kids tend to commit crime if I don't entertain them in a most convenient setting.
Then,... they have to go to jail.
Really, check out how many distinct users of rec centers there are on a regular basis. It's small relative to the costs.
Posted by: galt | May 30, 2009 11:44 AM