Yesterday, on the fifth anniversary of Baltimore Police shooting Keith Davis Jr., his wife Kelly Davis and more than 50 others adorned their cars with “Free Keith Davis Jr.” signs and caravanned across Baltimore. They honked, hollered, and chanted in front of homes of the prosecutors and judges responsible for taking Davis Jr. to trial five times and sentencing him for a crime he has maintained he did not do.

“For five years, we’ve kind of been on the ground and we’ve been fighting for [Baltimore City State’s Attorney] Marilyn Mosby to do the right thing and drop the charges,” Kelly said. “This year I wanted to kind of take the narrative back because the police and the State’s Attorney have done an amazing job of pushing the narrative and making people forget that Keith was a police brutality survivor. He survived over 40 shots shot at him by four Baltimore City police officers.”

The Free Keith Davis Jr. caravan drove through the neighborhoods where Mosby, Assistant State’s Attorney Patrick Seidel, (the prosecutor during Keith’s fourth trial), and Judge Sylvester Cox (who sentenced Keith) each live. It was an incredibly complicated action that involved a degree of secrecy both to not disclose the action itself and to keep the people who had the addresses of public officials fairly limited.

“Most people didn’t even know about the action. It wasn’t a widespread public action for the reason that we wanted to keep everybody safe,” Kelly said. “We might not want to work with the police, but I don’t want to put anyone in harm’s way.”

This moment of nationwide protest following the police killing of George Floyd has led to tens of thousands in the street—Kelly was part of last Monday’s march organized by The Youth and Baltimore Bloc. But the moment has also enabled a more nuanced understanding of the larger carceral network that enables police corruption and fuels mass incarceration and the role prosecutors and judges have in that. Kelly explained that although police shot Keith, this action was focused on Mosby because she’s the one who has continued to try his case.

“We want the police held accountable. But for me, it has always been very clear that although the police shot Keith and they were never held accountable, the person that has done Keith the most harm has been Marilyn Mosby,” she said. “So we just wanted to let the city know that as long as Keith is in a cage, if we don’t get justice and the city continues to railroad him, you’ll never have peace.”

The caravan began around 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, the exact time on the exact day when Davis Jr. was shot by police five years ago. That morning back on June 7, 2015, Keith was chased by police, who claimed he was involved in the robbery of a “hack” cab driver, chased him into a garage and fired at him more than 40 times, hitting him in the face and neck. It was the first police shooting that happened since the Baltimore Uprising and as a result, was of special interest to activists.

It also changed the life of Keith’s then-girlfriend Kelly and turned her into an advocate for police and court accountability and a vocal critic of Mosby. Kelly was on the phone with Keith as he ran away from police. She could hear the cops yelling, and Keith told her,  “Baby, I’m gonna die.” 

The saga of Keith Davis Jr. is incredibly complicated and has been covered extensively in a podcast titled “The State V. Keith Davis Jr.,” and has been frequently reported on by the Beat, and many other publications (Soderberg, cowriter of this piece, has written about it for The Appeal as well), but here is a quick summary. 

After Keith was shot by police, he was charged with a number of crimes including armed robbery and assaulting police officers. The police said they found a gun near Keith. His lawyers would later allege that it was planted. The officers involved in Keith’s shooting were cleared by Mosby before they were even interviewed about the shooting.

Davis then went through a series of trials over the next five years, first for possessing a gun and then, for a murder when the police and State’s Attorney’s Office claimed they connected the gun found on Davis to the murder of a man named Kevin Jones. Over the next four years, Keith would go to trial for Jones’ murder four times, prosecutors introducing circumstantial evidence only: His first trial ended with a hung jury; his second trial resulted in a guilty verdict but he was granted a new trial when it was revealed that one of the State’s witnesses was unreliable; the third trial was also a mistrial (during that one, the State introduced a video never-before-seen that they claimed showed Davis walking behind murder victim Jones moments before his murder); the fourth murder trial resulted in a guilty conviction and a sentence of 50 years.

It is likely Keith will be getting a fifth trial: “We filed an appeal and recently a couple of weeks ago, the Attorney General’s Office filed an opinion and said that Keith would be successful on direct appeal,” Kelly said.

In the meantime, Keith remains in jail where he has been since his police shooting. His lawyers have argued that because his case is on appeal and because of breathing issues Keith developed as a result of being shot in the neck by police, he should be put on home monitoring until the end of the pandemic. A judge ruled in April that Keith would not be put on home monitoring and would remain in jail.

“Keith was completely healthy before he was shot by Baltimore City Police in his face,” Kelly said earlier this year. “It did severe damage to his nasal and sinus as well as, I believe—when he was intubated—it messed with his lungs and so he has had severe asthma attacks. I feel so helpless because the reality is I can do everything I need to do to keep myself and my children safe, but I can’t do anything in Keith’s case.” 

This morning’s caravan ended at Druid Hill Park where there was a gathering in celebration of the fact that Keith, unlike many other victims of police violence Kelly stressed, was alive.

“We’ve been marching and protesting injustice for George Floyd for Breonna Taylor, and so many that lost their lives at the hands of law enforcement and Keith actually survived,” Kelly said. “And although me and my children celebrate that every day, we wanted the public to celebrate with us as well.”

The post Caravan For Keith Davis Jr. Highlights Prosecutors’ Role In The Problems With Policing appeared first on Baltimore Beat.

Maryland voters will have an important decision to make on February 4 when they pick who can best represent the 7th Congressional District—the congressional seat left vacant by the death of Rep. Elijah Cummings and includes parts of Baltimore City, Baltimore County, and Howard County. A field of 32 candidates—24 Democrats and 8 Republicans —are running. In preparation for last week’s “Real Talk Tho: Special Election for 7th Congressional District,” the Real News Network and the Beat sent out a questionnaire to all the candidates running.

The answers of those candidates who did answer are below. While we do not want to prioritize candidates over others, we’ve decided to begin with the answers from two of the frontrunners for reasons explained later on.

Jill Carter (D)

Please write a few words about who you are and your background.What makes you the best candidate? Civil rights is a family tradition for the Carters. My father, Walter P. Carter, was the leader of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and led sit-ins, boycotts, and other protests in Baltimore during the 1960s. He died when I was young, but not before we both helped Parren Mitchell’s successful campaign to become the first Black Congressman from Maryland. I went to Western High School and graduated from Loyola College with a Bachelor’s in English. After graduating, I was a journalist with the AFRO and later received a law degree from the UB School of Law, beginning my legal career which continues to this day. I began serving in the House of Delegates in 2003 and I was elected to the State Senate in District 41 in 2018, with a post on the Judicial Proceedings Committee and advocating every legislative session for the people, without pause. 

I believe I am the best candidate for the position because of my record and my background. I first began serving in the House of Delegates in 2003 and have introduced or co-sponsored bills on a whole host of issues that are just beginning to get traction: Ending the lead crisis. Addressing mass incarceration. Adding accountability to government agencies and the police. Universal healthcare. Our district deserves a Congresswoman who has the policy knowledge and the moral compass to get funding for our local needs, advocate for national priorities, and hold government accountable to the people. Maryand is also lacking in women’s representation in Washington, and I am a woman up to the task of representing our proud district.

What is your fundraising goal, and who will you be targeting for fundraising? Our fundraising goal is $750,000 and we are targeting small-dollar, grassroots supporters around the country who want to promote a progressive and independent voice in Congress. We welcome donations to our PO Box and an ActBlue is forthcoming. Unions such as SEIU1199, SEIU500, IBEW, BTU, and NNU are organizations who we seek as donors of both campaign dollars and GOTV capacity. Justice Democrats, Brand New Congress, and the Sunrise Movement, among other progressive issue campaigns, would be welcomed as donors or supporters in this race.

Our campaign will not be accepting donations from corporations or corporate PACs. We will accept the support of union and issue-based PACs and independent expenditures, if they choose to support our campaign in this race and they understand that I won’t change my stances based on my donors. I’ve been a longtime supporter of campaign finance reform and will introduce or co-sponsor legislation to support publicly financed elections nationally.

Rep. Cummings was regarded by some as a lifelong civil rights champion, especially concerning voting rights for all. What makes you the best candidate to continue this work? Like Congressman Cummings, I am a practicing attorney and have the legal acumen to expand human rights legislation in Congress. My record on civil rights, criminal justice, and voting rights is extensive and the Congressman was an inspiration and guide to me in this work. Many of the issues of police accountability and government accountability were issues that I was championing over a decade before the murder of Freddie Gray or the cruelty and lawlessness of the Gun Trace Task Force were unmasked. I served as the Director of the Baltimore Office of Civil Rights and Wage Enforcement prior to my ascension to the State Senate. I have immense pride that Congressman Cummings called me “The People’s Champion”. Not only do I have a history of civil rights advocacy, I also have serious plans on how to take the freedom struggle to Congress. 

I want to author legislation that will work to end the War on Drugs, mass incarceration, homelessness, and the criminalization of poverty. I will fight to make the right to vote, the most sacred right in any democracy, inalienable to the incarcerated and expand the Voting Rights Act. I will fight to end poverty and support a public health approach to addressing the systemic issues that create crime. I will push for a special prosecutor who can investigate police departments and police brutality cases around the country, which would assist the enforcement of the consent decree.

Do you think it’s important to continue investigating the president? If so, why are you the best candidate to continue to hold the powerful accountable? It is very important to continue the investigation of this criminal, cruel so-called president. Like the late Congressman Cummings, I am an attorney and could use my legal skills on the House Oversight Committee, particularly the Civil Rights and Civil Liberties subcommittee, to investigate the corrupt President’s violations of the law and the public trust. However, I want to make it clear that investigating and uprooting government corruption must be complemented by public policy that works on behalf of the people and serves their needs.

How familiar with you with the demographics of the people who live in Congressional District 7 and the challenges they face? How will you meet the needs of the people who live in this district? I am quite familiar with the District, as I have lived here my entire life. I can recall campaigning as a child for Parren Mitchell, our first Black Congressman. In my service as a Delegate and Senator representing West Baltimore, I have advocated for their issues, particularly ending the lead crisis, increasing school funding, and raising wages, throughout my career without ever turning my back or wavering in my solidarity. 

I will serve the whole district by fighting for federal funding for public transportation, education, and infrastructure upgrades for the roads and water systems that we all share. I will support legislation to abolish student loan debt, convert to tuition-free higher education, conserve our forests and parks, and guarantee world-class education, daycare, housing, healthcare, and high-speed Internet for all our neighbors.

Many in Baltimore regarded Cummings as a great supporter of and advocate for the city. Do you agree? What will you do for Baltimore City? Congressman Cummings was a great supporter of the City and stood tall to defend postal workers and working families through his career. Most importantly, Congressman Cummings represented Baltimore well in the halls of Congress. He lived a life as a dedicated public servant and he will never be replaced. I seek to succeed him and honor his legacy by continuing his fight to the very end. And I will continue his work by advocating for public policy that heals Baltimore and addresses the underlying problems in our beautiful City.

For Baltimore City, I will fight for increased funding that can go directly to the City budget earmarked for education, recreation, infrastructure, and public housing. I will also serve as an independent voice that can call out wrongdoing in City Hall and Annapolis. I will also support Medicare For All, which will grant comprehensive healthcare without co-pays or deductibles and save working families hundreds/thousands of dollars a year and end medical debt. I will fight for federal funding to build public housing and end homelessness in Baltimore City and the United States at large. I will bring federal funding to create a community court for our City, based on community courts in Philadelphia. I will fight for a lead-free future so our children won’t be poisoned in their homes and in their schools.

What is your position on environmental protections here in Maryland and across the country? I strongly support environmental protections and seek to expand them. We need more national parks and conservation areas. We must improve the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay and our tributary systems. We must the air quality of Baltimore City, especially South Baltimore, where the lower air quality leads young Black children to have higher rates of asthma and allergies. Environmental protections should also include converting to 100% renewable energy, more sustainable farming practices, and ending wars abroad that contribute so greatly to climate change.

Are you in support of the Green New Deal? I will be a co-sponsor on the Green New Deal and I will advocate locally and nationally to help pass this bill. For the 7th District, the Green New Deal, will provide federal funding which we could use to build the Red Line, or future transit projects that connect Columbia to Baltimore to Randallstown. This legislation will also convert all public housing to 100% renewable energy and create union jobs that will finally grant economic opportunity to many residents of the district. The Green New Deal is good for the 7th and I will cosponsor this legislation and hold rallies in our district. 

Maya Rockeymoore-Cummings (D)

Please write a few words about who you are and your background. hat makes you the best candidate? I am a change agent, social justice advocate, policy wonk, small business owner, author, and consultant. Only the fourth generation from slavery, I grew up in an Air Force family living in places across the country and abroad. My parents, who were staunch Democrats and civil rights activists, often shared stories of what it was like to live in and survive the segregated Jim Crow South. They instilled in my siblings and I the importance of community service and encouraged us become defenders of human rights and to work toward a more just, inclusive society. This passion led me to earn a Ph.D. in political  science and served as the basis of a twenty year career working as a staffer on Capitol Hill, as the Senior Resident Scholar for Health and Income Security at the National Urban League, as Vice President for Research and Programs at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, and as Founder, President and CEO of my own consulting firm Global Policy Solutions. To help advance the cause, I have also served on numerous boards that include the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, National Council on Aging, TransAfrica Forum, National Association of Counties Financial Services Corporation, Baltimore Museum of Art, and Year Up Baltimore among others. It has also been my honor to be elected and to serve as the Chair of the Maryland Democratic Party, a volunteer position, for nearly a year. 

I’m the best candidate because I am a problem solver who has worked  on issues relevant to the Baltimore region for more than twenty years. For more than 11 of those years, I fought alongside Elijah Cummings, the man who represented this district since 1996, and understood and shared his hopes and dreams for the 7th Congressional District. As a former Capitol Hill staffer, I am deeply familiar with its processes, and am willing to roll up my sleeves and work hard and collaboratively to address challenges and maximize opportunities for people and their environment while building on Elijah’s legacy.

What is your fundraising goal, and who will you be targeting for fundraising? My campaign is building a strong coalition of support with deep roots in the 7th Congressional District. In order to fund this campaign in the way it should be resourced, we will be relying on support from an expansive network of neighbors, family, friends, and colleagues who are willing to contribute to my campaign. While I will be accepting contributions from sources that align with my values, I also built a statewide small dollar donor program while I was Chair of the Maryland Democratic Party which increased fivefold during my tenure. I hope to replicate that grassroots energy in my own campaign. 

Rep. Cummings was regarded by some as a lifelong civil rights champion, especially concerning voting rights for all. What makes you the best candidate to continue this work? Elijah stood for civil rights because he was acutely aware that African Americans have been denied the full rights of U.S. citizenship throughout history and within his lifetime. One of his earliest civil rights victories was marching alongside Ms. Juanita Jackson Mitchell to integrate the Riverside pool when he was just a kid living in South Baltimore. We shared a passion for civil rights advocacy because of my own family’s experience with racial discrimination. As the fourth generation from slavery, I am the granddaughter of people who were refused the right to vote and treated inhumanely. My father, a former chair of an NAACP chapter and my mother, a faithful soldier in the struggle, taught us the importance of continuing the battle for equality, equity and justice. Like Elijah, I too have experienced the challenge of racism first hand. I am a graduate of Prairie View A&M University, an HBCU in Texas. While there, I served as the social action chair of the campus chapter of Delta Sigma Theta and as president of the political science club. In 1992, I was leading an effort to register student voters so that their voices would be heard in a local campaign. Student turnout was high in that election but after the votes were tallied the Waller County Police arrested 13 students; claiming that they voted illegally. We then organized a student march to the Waller County Courthouse to demand the expungement of the students record and to fight for our right to vote. In 2004, when Congressman Cummings was Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus I asked him to intercede in yet another voting rights violation at Prairie View. I was grateful that he agreed and, as a result, the George W. Bush Justice Department stepped in to assure PVAMU students their rights. The battle for voting rights at Prairie View and around the country continues. It is something that I am passionate about and will continue to fight for as a fundamental aspect of protecting and preserving our democracy. Another prominent example occurred in August of 2014 when Mike Brown was shot and killed by police in Ferguson, Mo. Images of the unrest filled our TV and I was greatly disturbed, could not rest, and was keenly focused on what could be done to address the issue of extrajudicial killings of people of color. So I came up with an initiative called Beyond Ferguson and partnered with Angela Glover Blackwell of PolicyLink to take out ads in the WashingtonPost.com. We developed a sign on letter that included Elijah and more than 100 prominent people of all backgrounds from across the country and sent it to the Obama White House where it was distributed across departments. Our efforts helped spur the Obama Administration to create the Task Force on 21st Century Policing and it, along with the unrest following the death of Freddie Gray, helped to set the stage for police reform in Baltimore and in places around the country.

Do you think it’s important to continue investigating the president? If so, why are you the best candidate to continue to hold the powerful accountable? Donald Trump wants to turn our democracy into a dictatorship of tyranny and we cannot let that happen. So yes, it’s incredibly important to fight against fascism and to protect our democracy. I’m the best candidate to hold the powerful accountable because I’ve done it before. For example, when Wall Street and George W. Bush tried to privatize Social Security in 2005, I was on the front lines fighting against their efforts to steal the hard earned benefits of America’s workers. I’m proud that we were able to stop the Wall Street titans and Bush in their tracks, preserving the program so that seniors, the disabled, and surviving dependents can continue to count on the economic security provided by Social Security for years to come. The Republican agenda to privatize Social Security will continue and I will continue to speak truth to power and fight their efforts to undermine working families. 

How familiar with you with the demographics of the people who live in Congressional District 7 and the challenges they face? How will you meet the needs of the people who live in this district? Very familiar. Maryland’s 7th Congressional District is incredibly diverse. This district ranges from some of the most poverty-stricken to most affluent zip codes in the nation and it includes people from all backgrounds. Heartbreakingly, we also have structural discrimination in Baltimore that manifests in major health and wealth disparities such as a twenty year difference in life expectancies between zip codes that are only five miles apart. I have spent a career 

focused on studying and identifying solutions to these disparities across the areas of health, education, and economic security. I have also walked the streets of Baltimore for twenty years and lived here with Elijah Cummings for twelve. As a result, I am very familiar with the deep challenges and needs of Baltimoreans as well as the diverse concerns facing people in Howard County and Baltimore County. I will focus on leveraging the knowledge and skills I have developed in the areas of critical concern to fight for the needs and aspirations of the people of the 7th Congressional District. My vision includes continuing the fight that Elijah led but also building on his legacy in a way that can bring transformation, healing, and prosperity to the city and region. 

Many in Baltimore regarded Cummings as a great supporter of and advocate for the city. Do you agree? What will you do for Baltimore City? Yes, of course. My husband was Baltimore’s biggest booster. He loved Baltimore, its people, and was one of the greatest leaders in the history of this region and this country. As a City resident, I too love this City and I will fight everyday for our town. That means addressing structural discrimination, supporting ongoing efforts to improve police and community relations, implementing truly universal health care, protecting Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, ensuring every child has access to world-class education and training whether they’re in Columbia or Sandtown, and bringing more good jobs back home. 

What is your position on environmental protections here in Maryland and across the country? We only have one planet, and we need to take care of it. Climate change is an existential threat and a global issue. I appreciate many of the environmental protections passed by the Maryland General Assembly and other states, but I think we should go further to ensure sustainable development and responsible growth. 

Are you in support of the Green New Deal?  Yes, absolutely.   

Below are the responses from a few of the other 7th Congressional District candidates. We’d like to add that these answers are printed pretty much as is (save for occasional adjustments for clarity) and that includes some claims that may be controversial or even unsubstantiated.

Christopher M. Anderson (R)

Please write a few words about who you are and your background. What makes you the best candidate? I live in the district, I see the problems we face every day. I helped clean up the district with Scott Presler and others. I also helped Delegate Don Dwyer and Senator Robert Hooper on H.R. 3313 in the Maryland General Assembly. I’ve been a community activist working for change since the Baltimore Uprising. My grandfather, Christopher Bland, owned Bland’s carryout in the district on Riggs Avenue in Baltimore. I know the problems the district faces and I have the passion to solve the district’s issues.

What is your fundraising goal, and who will you be targeting for fundraising? Most of my fundraising goals will be targeted to Baltimore County, Howard County, and conservatives in the nation. I will accept donations from corporations and PACs, I see no reason not to.  

Rep. Cummings was regarded by some as a lifelong civil rights champion, especially concerning voting rights for all. What makes you the best candidate to continue this work? Like Rep. Cummings, I’ve been a community and political activist in Baltimore. I’ve served in the USCG reserves. I helped with the Maryland Committee against the Gun Ban in 1994; I mentored the youth through a nonprofit organization called Project Raise; I was the boy’s youth leader in the Baltimore Christian Warriors; I wrote the first petition in Baltimore for Police body cameras; I marched with the 300 Men, People’s Powers Assembly and the Clergy March during the Baltimore Uprising.

Do you think it’s important to continue investigating the president? If so, why are you the best candidate to continue to hold the powerful accountable? No I don’t think it’s important to continue to investigate the President. I heard Rep. Ilhan Omar say President Trump has over 100 illegal impeachment offense but we are going with the Ukraine phone call because we can not prove anything else. That’s the very definition of a witch hunt and a waste of taxpayers money and time.

How familiar with you with the demographics of the people who live in Congressional District 7 and the challenges they face? How will you meet the needs of the people who live in this district? I’m very familiar with the demographic of the 7th district. I see the issues every day it faces. The increase in crime in Baltimore county will only increase without congressional intervention which no Democrat can solve. Howard county will have that to look forward to as well unless we change course in this District. I will meet all the needs of the people in my District by not voting on party interest over the people of the district. I will make sure the enterprise zones are empowered and the opioid crisis solved for good. 

Many in Baltimore regarded Cummings as a great supporter of and advocate for the city. Do you agree? What will you do for Baltimore City? Rep. Cummings was a great supporter of Baltimore, unfortunately he was not a great advocate for Baltimore. He was a great advocate for Democratic party interest which created most of the problems in Baltimore to begin with. With a high opioid death rate and an out of control murder rate, it’s no reason the $1.8 billion dollars this administration sent to the district hasn’t made a difference & that’s partly the responsibility of the congressional seat. I will vote with the best interest of Baltimore & not vote party interest over the district. 

What is your position on environmental protections here in Maryland and across the country? This is such a tough issue today, there’s not enough being done bipartisan to protect our environment nationwide. Both parties can not agree on the science of climate change and this is hurting the world. 

Are you in support of the Green New Deal? The Green New Deal is a start to making us aware of the issues of climate change but unless Rep. Alexander Cortez gets the help of both parties I can’t support this deal. Most of her own party didn’t support it, it’s time both parties sat down together and work on a deal we all can be happy with.

T. Daniel Baker (D)

Please write a few words about who you are and your background. What makes you the best candidate? I am TDan Baker. I am a very, very concerned District 7 citizen regarding race relations, corporate influence in government, US foreign policy, and especially climate change. Son of a Baptist Minister and high school Math teacher. One of the first graduates of the Virginia Military Institute to join the Peace Corps. Huge fan of JFK’s ‘can do’ vision supporting the ‘moonshot’ and ‘civil rights’. A civilian veteran (US Foreign Service) of Afghanistan (2 tours), International Public Health professional, and recently returned Country Director of an infectious disease prevention and treatment program covering southern Turkey and northern Syria.  

I believe in Telling the Truth, Rule of Law, and The Constitution. I believe that America’s diversity is her greatest strength. I believe that there is serious denial in government – that needs to be called out and addressed at the federal level – regarding the realities of race relations and climate change. I believe that there is serious corruption in government – that also needs to be called out, investigated, and addressed – regarding corporate influence in government and foreign policy.

I believe that most folks in District 7 want: to have the financial boot off their throats – even if a little bit – so that the income they are making today stretches a little bit further each month (perhaps by reducing the work week to 4 days); to feel safe and secure from violence – both domestically and internationally; to have access to decent health care, food, and education for their kids.

And I believe that the following policies can help achieve these wants! Equal Pay:  Same salary for same job; Minimum Wage: = A living wage!;Drug Use Decriminalization: For non-violent offenders; Education: Pay teachers their real worth! Ensure curriculum is preparing our children for their future; Female Reproductive Rights: It is a woman’s right to choose and have access to health care services!; Universal Health Care (Plus Public Opt) : It is a Human Right! People should have the right to choose the kind of care they want; Gun Control:  License and registration to own; Immigration: Far enough back, aren’t we all immigrants?;  Legalization of marijuana: And new research into medical use; Gay marriage & adoption:  We all need love & loving parents!; Improving Transportation and Infrastructure. 

I’ve been fortunate over my career as an international health & development professional to have visited many countries of the world, and I have seen with my own eyes the changes which have befallen other countries suffering from poor governance, corruption, and lack of leadership to address climate change.  We must fight to prevent this from happening to the United States!

Given all the changes that are coming our way–as a country and as a species–I am the best candidate for the position because I’ve seen just how ‘bad’ things can get in such countries and have spent 20 plus years working from the national down to the local country level attempting to prevent and then provide treatment when such things occur. 

Finally, the US Congress is in need of leaders who not only directly represent the will of their constituents but who also understand the global realities of what we ALL will be facing in the coming decades … leaders who can make balanced, informed, and measured decisions for how best to respond to the Global Climate Crisis working on behalf of our Districts, our States, and our Country…I am one such leader.  

What is your fundraising goal, and who will you be targeting for fundraising? Given the short timeframe of this special election primary, my fundraising goal will be a modest $250,000 which I hope to raise through crowdfunding and individual donations. As one of my key platform issues is to repeal Citizens United thus removing the influence of corporations in government, I will not be seeking nor accepting donations from corporations nor PACs. 

Rep. Cummings was regarded by some as a lifelong civil rights champion, especially concerning voting rights for all. What makes you the best candidate to continue this work? Who can replace Congressman Elijah Cummings?  The short answer is no one.  Congressman Cummings will be remembered as champion and true believer in the ‘idea of America’ and American Democracy.  Any American seeking to succeed this “mentor, civil rights activist and stalwart advocate for Baltimore” (Baltimore Sun) and District 7 will be required to not only bring an ‘A Game’ but heart, passion, smarts, tenacity, creative thought, patriotism, and belief in a better tomorrow worthy of Rep. Cummings’ and District 7’s endorsement and respect.

No easy task, but to climb a mountain, one must take the first step.  Herein—with the utmost respect and appreciation for the work and legacy of Congressman Cummings—I humbly present myself as one citizen who will work to give it his all to rise to the challenge of following ‘a great’ as Maryland’s next Representative to District 7 championing those policies and positions that District 7 wants.  

Do you think it’s important to continue investigating the president? If so, why are you the best candidate to continue to hold the powerful accountable? I fully support The Constitution and thus the impeachment process continuing on its due course.  This said, I despise bigotry and I despise any hint of white supremacy.  Though I respect the office of the President, I am deeply disturbed by the hubris and arrogance of this single individual who thinks that he alone knows better than the 243 years of experience encapsulated in the 44 Presidents who preceded him.  

How familiar with you with the demographics of the people who live in Congressional District 7 and the challenges they face? How will you meet the needs of the people who live in this district? Many politicians will tell you that they already know all District 7’s concerns and thus what the district needs. I have lived in District 7 for 15 years, and while ‘I think’ most people of the district want: their income to stretch a little further; to feel safe and secure from violence; and to have equal access to health care, good education, and adequate food, ‘I also think’ that the approach, championed by many of my opponents, lacks flexibility, open mindedness, team work approach, and a level of humility that most voters of District 7 – and throughout the United States – would prefer in their representative.

What I present in my campaign website (VoteTDanBaker.com) is ‘Who I am’ and then ‘What I believe’ in order to give District 7 voters a quick glance opportunity to know me and my thoughts. However, when it comes to ‘District 7’s Concerns?’, I’m asking that all perspective voters visiting the site take 2 minutes to complete a brief poll to identify those issues, which are of greatest importance to them.

In the days prior to computers, high speed internet and smart phones, a district voted for a ‘representative’ who alone went away to Washington, D.C. to speak ‘for’ their district.  The present day approach I will take is to go a step further and to work directly ‘with’ District 7 voters to identify the majority (or at least plurality) position for how constituents want me to vote on any and all major legislation.  My hope (and pledge) then is to vote ‘with’ – not just ‘for’ – District 7 100% of the time!

What is your position on environmental protections here in Maryland and across the country? As a trained member of Vice President Al Gore’s Climate Reality Leadership Corps, I’ve believed in the need for US leadership and an aggressive response to the Global Climate Crisis for many years now.  The UNEP report that came out this week provided evidence and stated emphatically that the global community of countries is not effectively reducing its Green House Gas emissions to meet the pledges of the Paris Climate Agreement signed in 2015 to keep global temperature rise below 1.5 C.  Though several states and cities across the US are working diligently to meet the Paris Agreement, including Maryland, clearly much more needs to be done.  To this end in my website platform I propose a “stretch goal” to begin Reversing Climate Change – while establishing new jobs – starting right here in District 7 by: Establishing the first all renewable energy municipality (including all residences and businesses) in the United States and by training District 7’s unemployed and underemployed in solar and wind turbine manufacturing, grid conversion, and systems installation.

In establishing the first all renewable energy municipality in District 7, what is required first and foremost is citizen and distributor incentives to convert from fossil fuel based electric supply to renewables only supply. To be clear, several outside companies have attempted this in District 7 in the past, but households remain hesitant to switch their electricity supply for fear of a mishap in billing or getting stuck with an incorrect increase in cost. *As a point of fact, renewable energy costs per kilowatt hour are typically 3 to 5 cents less than that of fossil fuel-based supply.

As Representative for District 7, I would work with local communities and all levels of Maryland state and local government: first, to identify the economic and environmental benefits of conversion to ‘renewables only’ for municipal electric supply; second, to move such popular initiatives forward while overcoming key roadblocks to making such a conversion successful; and third, to entreat and lobby the US Congress to provide support for this cutting edge, first of its kind, state and locally run, initiative.

Developing a model for the “GREEN AMERICA” renewable energy employment initiative in District 7 will require integrated investment in both rural (solar array and wind turbine component manufacturing) and urban (grid conversion, electricity storage, and installation) development. To attract such investments will require incentives – for small and large businesses alike – in the form of favorable terms of land use and taxation so that existing and startup green manufacturing companies can in turn offer attractive and favorable terms to their newly recruited and trained District 7 employees.

Are you in support of the Green New Deal? Absolutely!  However, given that the U.S. has been misdirected over the last three years by a climate denialist while shirking decades of successful environmental policies and protections at the now hollowed out EPA, we are now faced with the stark reality of unstoppable climate chaos unless we reduce GHG emissions by 7.6% each year over the next decade. (UNEP)

The cost of such a massive intervention is now estimated to cost @ $2.5 trillion – the same amount expended in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001.  So while the effort is absolutely necessary – albeit very late – the question then becomes … Where does the money come from?  If under a Democratic Executive and Congress, the USG could begin to cut back certain redundant or outdated programming at the Department of Defense. *The United States government spends +50% of each year’s budget, some +$600,000,000,000 ($600 Billion), on defense, with one result being that the DOD has itself become the single greatest consumer of fossil fuels in the United States as well as the single largest institutional emitter of Green House Gases in the entire world. (Brown University).

As a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute, I fully support maintaining a force more than capable of defending the borders and shores of the United States but otherwise: It’s time to begin eliminating force redundancy while reducing emissions at the DOD and it’s time to retrofit and convert the DOD from the single largest institutional polluter on the planet, to the institution that is leading the charge to reverse climate change.  

Join me in calling for a rationalizing of future DOD spending—presently greater than the defense budgets of the next seven countries combined—to more appropriately align with the greatest national security threat that exists to the United States today, climate change.      

Terri L. Hill (D)

Please write a few words about who you are and your background. What makes you the best candidate? As a physician and an experienced legislator, I bring a perspective that’s unique from anyone else in this race. I’ve treated patients in this community for 30 years, so my insights about healthcare are invaluable to the discussion. I know the barriers to care that they face and I’ve used that experience to craft successful legislation to remove some of those barriers. But there is more to be accomplished and Congress needs my kind of experience to pass good laws that ensure every person has access to quality healthcare. 

I’ve been a resident of this community for 50 years. I am a graduate of the public schools and I earned my undergraduate degree in bioelectric engineering from Harvard University and my medical degree from the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons. I returned home to set up my small business and have practiced in the Baltimore metro area for almost 30 years. I am an experienced legislator, first elected to the House of Delegates in 2014 and reelected in 2018 where I represent Legislative District 12, which includes sections of Baltimore and Howard Counties lying within the 7th Congressional District. Although my focus has been on healthcare, my legislative successes extend to education, the environment and improving the lives of the underserved. In the most recent session, I sponsored successful bills that improved access to prescription drugs for patients with chronic illnesses, created programs and funding mechanisms to assist seniors wishing to age in place, provided access to HIV prevention medication to minors, and ensured better public and jurisdictional notice of contaminated rivers. Ensuring that every child has the opportunity to succeed, that every person has access to good healthcare and that every worker receives a sustainable wage is central to my vision for the people of Maryland 7^th Congressional District.

What is your fundraising goal, and who will you be targeting for fundraising? 

Rep. Cummings was regarded by some as a lifelong civil rights champion, especially concerning voting rights for all. What makes you the best candidate to continue this work? Like many of us in the race, I considered the Congressman my mentor. His encouragement nurtured me. 

His vision inspired me. His courage emboldened me to step up and do more. And, like many in this race, my work has been focused on civil rights and social justice. And, l share with some of my fellow competitors, deep roots in this district that bind me to its wellbeing. I am humbled by the opportunity to continue his work, and to build solutions to our problems by focusing on our promise. The issue of voting rights and the national campaign to suppress votes and disenfranchise citizens was THE primary issue which propelled my decision to run for office in 2012. I proposed legislation to address gerrymandering in my first term in General Assembly and the stakes have only gotten higher since that time, particularly on the national level , with the slow assent of propaganda, and the clear commitment of some to usurp the will of the majority in order to obtain and retain power by any means necessary. 

Do you think it’s important to continue investigating the president? If so, why are you the best candidate to continue to hold the powerful accountable? Yes, if the President has not been removed from office, I will continue to hold him accountable. And if he isn’t held accountable through the prescribed process, I will work to ensure that the process is changed so that the imbalance of power between branches of government is corrected. Lastly, I will remind us all that the ultimate power to affect change lies in the ballot box and I will work to restore the rights of disenfranchised voters and rally every citizen to exercise their right to vote, the ultimate tool of accountability. 

How familiar with you with the demographics of the people who live in Congressional District 7 and the challenges they face? How will you meet the needs of the people who live in this district? I’ve lived here for 50 years and practiced medicine in hospitals throughout the Baltimore region for 30 years. My longtime faith-based community lies within Baltimore City and I’ve represented portions of Congressman Cummings’ district in Baltimore County and in Howard County. I am uniquely aware of the diversity of this district and the problems and opportunities it faces. We have problems including the lack of good health care, jobs that pay enough to sustain us, and public transit to get us to those jobs, but we also have the promise of living in a diverse community with world-class hospitals, good employers and successful small businesses. As their state representative for the last five years, I have worked to meet the needs of many of these constituents through direct constituent services, through successful legislation that addressed the needs of seniors and of children, and through established partnerships with public schools, local governments, service organizations and private businesses. I will continue this work at the federal level to ensure funding levels that are commensurate with the needs of District 7. 

Many in Baltimore regarded Cummings as a great supporter of and advocate for the city. Do you agree? What will you do for Baltimore City? Yes, Congressman Cummings’ heart and home was in Baltimore City. Like the Congressman I have a vision for Baltimore City that builds on its promise. I see young people choosing to invest in parts of Baltimore City and companies who wish to expand and employ residents. Citizens are newly engaging in restoring parks, cleaning debris, and ensuring its waterways are clean. New local leaders are emerging with energy and fresh ideas to tackle the problems that have created barriers to success. I know as a state representative that Maryland’s success is tied to the success of Baltimore City. The City does not stand in isolation. I will fight for that success through innovative federal programs to address addiction,  improved services for the homeless, meaningful housing subsidies, and programs to solve intractable unemployment. I am committed to ensuring that federal investments and funding are commensurate with the need, reflect a correction for the disproportionate burden borne by these communities over multiple generations, and are obligated for the many years required to effect the needed changes and sustained results. So, he was absolutely a supporter and advocate for the city and its residents. But his reach encompassed much more. He was an advocate for his entire district and the state. He looked to what was best in each part of the community and looked to how to use its example as a solutions roadmap for other areas. 

What is your position on environmental protections here in Maryland and across the country? In July, I asked the Attorney General to issue an opinion on whether local jurisdictions were following federal and state forest conservation laws pertaining to our priority forests. The opinion has triggered local jurisdictions to review and strengthen local laws across the state. In October I filed a joint resolution asking the General Assembly of Maryland to officially declare a climate emergency, the first step needed for rapid response. Last session I introduced successful legislation that required better downstream jurisdictional and public notice of contaminated rivers and streams. I sponsored successful legislation to allow local jurisdictions to limit the use of plastic bags. I did not succeed with legislation that sought to conserve energy in state funded buildings and to evaluate construction projects with a goal towards limiting bird strikes. We can do better to protect our steep slopes, to lessen impervious surfaces, to protect trees and to reduce impacts from development. Additionally, at the state level we try to fight against the rollback of environmental protections by the federal government. These rollbacks related to water quality, chemical regulations, fuel consumption and emissions have devastating effects, especially in our poor and urban communities. We must take action now, to restore our protections and to survive climate change. 

Are you in support of the Green New Deal? I support the far-reaching goals of the Green New Deal Resolution to reduce consumption of fossil fuels and limit greenhouse gas emissions and to translate these efforts into high paying jobs in clean energy industries. 

Liz Matory (R)

Please write a few words about who you are and your background. What makes you the best candidate? I’m the unicorn. Before unicorns were cool. Having been a democrat operative and now vocal conservative advocate, I have fought through a lot of the persistent issues still facing our community. Like so many other voters, I grew tired of the lip service and empty promises of my former party. We need someone who can remain nimble and passionate to fight for all of us. Not tow the party line, but have the power to discern the best answers for our district. If we elect a traditional lifelong fill in the blank, we will not find solutions, only continued frustration. And if we nominate a republican who has built their reputation on bashing the last representative, we will not make any progress either. 

I am also the only candidate who has received a nomination for congress in the 21^st century meaning almost 78,000 voters in 2018 wanted me to represent them in congress. No other candidate has had that honor from recent history. I was born and raised in DC. Attended Sidwell Friends, Columbia University, Howard Law and received my MBA from the Robert H Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. I am a part of the lost generation of lawyers, those who finished law school around the economic downturn so I went to non-profit fundraising instead of practicing law. After working on the Hill for congressman from California, I got to serve on the founding team of the first all-girls public charter school for girls in Washington. It was then when I realized that one or two schools in Southeast were not enough to address generational poverty and the miseducation of our youth. I returned to my alma mater Howard University School of Law to serve as the director of development under Mayor Schmoke and my sense of urgency led me to pursue by MBA. By the end of B-school, I had already started my first campaign at the state level. That was also the year that I saw how the sausage was made by being a democrat field organizer for the 2014 gubernatorial election. The greatest spark of consciousness was when I reconnected with Christopher Barry for his special election to fill his late father, Marion Barry’s seat on the DC City Council. Chris actually said he would be a republican because his entrepreneurial and patriotic spirit is more aligned with that party. Christopher succumbed to his drug addiction on August 14, 2016 and my life was permanently altered from his death. In many ways, having lost my first love, I have no choice but to fight and push forward. As of 2018, the 2^nd congressional district was the most viable seat for a political convert, and graciously I received the republican nomination and garnered almost 78,000 votes for congress.  On November 30, 2018, I accepted Jesus as my personal lord and savior and do believe wholeheartedly that only He is the way, the truth, and the life.

What is your fundraising goal, and who will you be targeting for fundraising? My goal is to raise enough money to connect with the right voters first in the primary and then later in the general. I am targeting former supporters from both Maryland and across the country, since my message resonates with other disenfranchised voters from other states who are also interested in conserving our republic. Corporate donations are not allowed on the federal level. Though PACs are. If I share the same values as the PACs, I will accept the contributions. And since the teacher’s union is the largest special interest group in our state, I have to have something to counterbalance the goliath that feeds the political establishment here in Maryland.

Rep. Cummings was regarded by some as a lifelong civil rights champion, especially concerning voting rights for all. What makes you the best candidate to continue this work?  Both Congressman Cummings and I graduated from Howard University. Our alma mater has instilled in us the same understanding and love for our cultural heritage. It is because of the encouragement and support I personally received from Congressman Cummings that I am running for the 7^th. The moment that he passed away, I knew that no other Republican would have the ability to honor what was good and be honest with what was not as good. I am running to ensure that our country remains the greatest country on earth and that every citizen knows and values that he or she is the most powerful citizen ever created in the history of humanity. I wholeheartedly believe that we must return to our shared conservative and Christian values. Most of us live by conservative principles and we don’t even know it. What people claim to want in their representative will never be achieved by condoning socialist/communist ideologies. The party that Cummings started out in does not exist at the time of his death. Most democrats know this and that is why you see so many running despite his widow’s candidacy.

Do you think it’s important to continue investigating the president? If so, why are you the best candidate to continue to hold the powerful accountable? I think everyone in office or formerly in office should be scrutinized at the level that the current administration is being scrutinized. I look forward to identifying the several missing pieces starting with who slaughtered Seth Rich and why 70% of our uranium is now owned by foreign countries and companies. If you investigate one, investigate the last four administrations. It’s only fair.

How familiar with you with the demographics of the people who live in Congressional District 7 and the challenges they face? How will you meet the needs of the people who live in this district? Having spent the last five campaigning through the region either as a candidate or a campaign worker, I am extremely familiar with the gerrymandered districts and their demographics. 

One of the best things to ever come from CD7’s gerrymandering is that it now includes rural, suburban, and urban communities. Since 2012 sadly many of the citizens in CD7 did not think that their representative cared very much about their needs because he only spent time in heavily democratic voting areas. And it turns out that much of the issues that were in existence since 1983 are still present and perhaps have gotten worse over the years. 

What else can voters do, but to vote for some who refused to continue that dead end and found better more sustainable solutions. I have had the honor of hearing directly from voters and I have heard them loud and clear. This election for this district is the best way to represent citizens and help us get back to our shared values of individual liberty, God-centered living, personal responsibility, and economic sustainability.

Many in Baltimore regarded Cummings as a great supporter of and advocate for the city. Do you agree? What will you do for Baltimore City?  Cummings was a very vocal supporter of his city, but many civic leaders acknowledge that the 2012 gerrymandered weakened his representation by dividing the city among three congressional districts, giving some to Sarbanes and some to Ruppersberger.  These other two congressman have been able to glade down easy street while Cummings had to do the heaviest lifting and received all the negative attention for what was ultimately a shared responsibility for every elected official related to the city. The best thing I can do for the City is learn from the people who have been in the trenches for decades. They know what works and they also know who are the crooks. I don’t have any cut cards, so we need someone who is willing to listen but have the brains to figure things out. Very few people have had the opportunity to connect with the several sides of society. Our congressional representative must be able to respect the city, honestly and prayerfully – that is what I offer. We will not find solutions, unless we return to our Christian values.

What is your position on environmental protections here in Maryland and across the country? We have very strong environmental protections in our state, but has we have found out there needs to be collaboration between the states that share resources. Federal regulations, while some are necessary, ultimately favor corporations who want to protect their market share from competitors who could offer better services to consumers. Congress has lost a lot of its credibility because of the deals made with such cronies who pay to keep their favored representatives in office. The longer someone is in office (especially through the several levels of government – local then state then federal) they have become beholden to their donor base more than their constituents. As we have seen so brilliantly in Maryland politics, Baltimore specifically.

Are you in support of the Green New Deal? Absolutely not. I think it’s a very ingenious way for communism to take hold of our constitutional republic. As with many overreaching government efforts, they start off sounding nice and altruistic, but in the long run were only ways for individual liberty and constitutional rights to be relinquished and muted.

Saafir Rabb (D)

Please write a few words about who you are and your background. What makes you the best candidate? 

For too long Maryland’s 7th Congressional District has been underserved by Washington despite the District sending more than its fair share of earnest public servants to Congress. There is lots of potential here but it’s been hamstrung by the old ways of politics at both the federal and local level. I have spent my life in the service of this district’s residents: building affordable housing, helping addicts rebuild their lives, and creating jobs in Baltimore and beyond. People are tired of hearing platitudes and promises, and throughout my career I’ve worked across difference to get meaningful work done for ordinary people. We have arrived at a point in this country where office holders at the highest levels of our government routinely attack our allies abroad and our own citizens, including this very district. Our district is not the “disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess” that our President would have our fellow Americans believe. Our district needs forceful leadership, and means that stepping up to serve is an obligation.

Saafir Rabb is a business strategist, community developer, and advocate for cultural competence. Born in Baltimore City and growing up between Baltimore and Howard County, he has spent his life working behind the scenes in the communities of Maryland’s 7th district, promoting social enterprise, expanding addictions recovery efforts, building low to moderate income housing, and creating jobs for residents. Saafir went on to build a business career with global philanthropic reach. Throughout this career, he has remained committed to changing the circumstances of District 7 for the better. Saafir is proud of his Maryland heritage and is dedicated to improving the apparatus through which communities connect with their representatives. Saafir’s story starts out like many others in the 7th district. He was born in a city rife with failed programs that have divided Baltimore City, Baltimore County and Howard County. His neighborhood, like many others in the 7th, lost close to half of all residents due to financial woes, violence that has taken lives and a never-ending drug epidemic now being felt throughout the region, and has witnessed program after program fail to make real change. As the son of a teacher and a union steelworker, Saafir is dedicated to promoting workers rights, strengthening unions and protections, and raising the minimum wage. Our friends, family and neighbors should not have to work multiple jobs in order to put food on the table for their families; this is why Saafir has a strategy that reprioritizes middle class Americans. Saafir has developed an accomplished business career that spans the globe. He has focused his business efforts on promoting diversity and inclusion, building a broad international network of business leaders in the process. This has given him a unique lens into international problems. Saafir will champion diplomacy, working to find common ground solutions that promote peace while opposing irresponsible policies that hurt American credibility at home and abroad. Saafir graduated from Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland, and received a Masters degree from Johns Hopkins University. Saafir served as an advisor to President Barack Obama’s transition team and is currently a board member with the Coalition for Black Excellence and Words Beats and Life.

What is your fundraising goal, and who will you be targeting for fundraising? Sadly, due to the nature of American campaign finance this race will require several hundred thousand dollars in order to win. Our nation is long overdue for campaign finance reform at the state, local, and federal level. Until such time, I plan to accept donations from people who see promise in my ability to represent and serve the residents of Maryland’s 7th District in Congress. I will not be accepting donations from corporations or corporate PACs. We welcome support from groups dedicated to electing leaders who will improve the conditions of working Americans, our schools, our environment, and our community. I will evaluate each group on its individual merits when accepting or declining contributions.

Rep. Cummings was regarded by some as a lifelong civil rights champion, especially concerning voting rights for all. What makes you the best candidate to continue this work?  I was born in the district, have served the district, and understand the district. Turning that service into legislative influence to continue a legacy of pragmatic and progressive priorities in Congress is my chief goal. To that end I would create legislation to expand federal funding for states implementing automatic voter registration and push for additional oversight over states and localities that pursue voter roll purges.

Do you think it’s important to continue investigating the president? If so, why are you the best candidate to continue to hold the powerful accountable? Yes without a doubt. The President and his administration have consistently engaged in a series of potentially illegal activities, which have tainted the image of our nation both at home and abroad. Like most Americans and residents of the 7th District, I too have low regard those who are corrupt and will not hold the powerful accountable. This nation needs leaders whose lives and work reflect the hope and promise of America. We need to show moral courage and hold the powerful accountable, especially those in elected office, now more than ever.

How familiar with you with the demographics of the people who live in Congressional District 7 and the challenges they face? How will you meet the needs of the people who live in this district? I was born and raised in the district. My life is in the district. My business is in district. We are not the victims that President Trump would have our fellow Americans and the world believe. While he may target and criticize our city, his administration represents an expression of moral decay and is emblematic of the kind of government that has neglected its constituents time and time again. We are Americans in need of tangible proof that we have awoken from this collective American nightmare; affordable housing, good schools, criminal justice reform, and jobs. I have the experience of working across difference to bring jobs and addictions recovery to the residents of this district. I have dedicated my life doing that. That dedication comes from an awareness of the district and its unique challenges. I ask for the opportunity to continue to dedicate myself to the residents of Baltimore, Baltimore County, and Howard County in our nation’s capital.

Many in Baltimore regarded Cummings as a great supporter of and advocate for the city. Do you agree? What will you do for Baltimore City?  I believe that Cummings was a great supporter and advocate for the city. It will be impossible to fill his shoes but we can continue on the path that he was walking. Like Rep. Cummings, I will be an advocate for the city and the district as a whole. Many challenges we face here in the 7th often bleed across county lines, across socio-economic lines, and racial divides. The scourge of addiction plagues residents of White Marsh and Columbia, just as it does residents of Park Heights. We need to tackle addiction, vagrancy, and economic stagnation which have held us back from our full potential. My life’s work will inform how I tackle those issues in Congress, issues I’ve dedicated two decades to at the local level.

What is your position on environmental protections here in Maryland and across the country? Addressing climate change is a top priority and we need to reinstate Obama-era protections for our natural resources as a first step. This administration’s efforts to undermine America’s natural heritage are deeply unpatriotic and must be rolled back. We must recommit ourselves to that fight beginning right now. In Ellicott City, for example, we’ve seen how climate change has led to excess flooding. In recent years, Maryland has experienced some of the worst storm seasons in memory, including flooding compounded by climate change. 

Are you in support of the Green New Deal? Climate change is a global challenge. I support measures like the Green New Deal to address fundamental issues of environmental health, which have gone unaddressed or under addressed by our government. 

The post Real Talk Tho Questionnaire: 7th Congressional District candidates respond appeared first on Baltimore Beat.

-Members of the Baltimore City Council were busy this week. Baltimore Fishbowl reports that Councilperson Shannon Sneed is the lead sponsor on a bill which would eliminate weed testing for some city jobs. There was other legislation proposed, too, including proposals to extend the deadline for adopting a Complete Streets manual, strengthen the city’s gun-offender registry law, and create a commission that would review the city’s charter at least once every ten years.  City Councilperson Ryan Dorsey also noted on Twitter that Mayor Bernard “Jack” Young signed legislation that would ensure that city leaders be in the know about ethics laws and be up-to-date with financial disclosure documents.

-There was lots of drama involving vans and gas this week. First, a van full of diesel fuel caused city officials to evacuate buildings and shut down streets—with many officials assuming this was a bomb (it was the anniversary of September 11 and President Donald Trump was coming to town). Turns out, the van owner was stealing fuel and he was storing it in the van—just another Baltimorean trying to make some money however he can. Then! Hours later, another van carrying fuel was found in Baltimore County. Police said they were investigating whether the two incidents are connected. 

–Maryland Matters reported that just one of the 14 politicians Maryland Democratic National Committee members voted in favor of allowing that party to hold a debate focused only on climate issues. The vote was held last month but the results were recently released. Larry Cohen was the only DNC member who voted in favor of the debate. Eight members voted against, and five didn’t cast votes at all. Maryland Democratic Party Chairwoman Maya Rockeymoore Cummings didn’t vote because she said she had a family emergency. State Sen. Cory McCray, who did vote against the climate debate by proxy, said climate isn’t as important of an issue for his constituents, instead pointing to things like justice reform and policing. However, climate issues hit Black communities the hardest first, as evidenced in this study we referenced last week. Climate change is already here—can we be sure our Democratic leaders are ready for it?

-Fern Shen of the Baltimore Brew got the runaround this week as she tried to get to the bottom of reports that a Black man’s body was found hanging at a park near Carver Vocational-Technical School. Even though social media was abuzz with reports of kids seeing the body, Baltimore Police detective Nicole Monroe said that school police were able to get to the scene early and cover the body. However, city schools police chief Akil Hamm said that his officers were not first to the scene and told her she needed to go back to BPD. There’s still lots we don’t know about the incident, including this report that the incident could be linked to another crime, and city officials’ game of pass the blame isn’t helping. “We say we want to talk about the trauma children experience every day in this city. Well, here it is,” WEAA’s Karsonya “Kaye” Wise Whitehead said.

-And the Gun Trace Task Force scandal continues. Last week, Baltimore police officer Carmine Vignola was charged by federal prosecutors for lying to a grand jury. Vignola, the feds say, lied to them about his role in the planting of a bb gun on a man that GTTF leader Wayne Jenkins intentionally ran over back in 2013. One of the other officers involved in planting the bb gun, Sgt. Keith Gladstone, was indicted earlier this year and plead guilty. His sentencing was scheduled for Friday but has been postponed, presumably related to these new charges (a third officer involved in this bb gun planting, remains unnamed and not yet charged). In related news, a federal judge ruled that a multimillion dollar lawsuit by Umar Burley and Brent Matthews, two men who were chased by GTTF’s Jenkins and had drugs planted on them and did years in jail for it, can continue forward. Lawyers for the Baltimore Police and officers involved had motioned for the case to be dismissed. In addition to Jenkins, the lawsuit names Gladstone as the officer who brought the drugs and planted them and former Deputy Commissioner Dean Palmere, implicated as a superior who as part of BPD, enabled police abuses of power to go on unchecked.

-On Thursday, about 100 or so people gathered in Harbor East to tell our terrible president Donald Trump to go fuck himself. That night, Trump’s motorcade arrived in Baltimore for a GOP Retreat held at the Marriott and Baltimore came out in a fairly big way to tell him, “nope,” complete with plenty of signs and outrageous costumes, a guillotine, and a giant rat balloon. Beat news editor Brandon Soderberg was there and one of his tweets summed it up pretty nicely: “Any sense of authority or even the novelty of the, you know Thee President being near Thee Ppl doesn’t exist; rightfully mad protesters, annoyed worried cops, and like nine maniacs howling about all Trump has done for ‘the blacks.’” The protests continued—all organized by a group called Baltimore Welcoming Committee which brought together a number of other local activist groups—all weekend with a LGBTQ+ dance party in front of the Marriott on Friday night and a march calling attention to the climate crisis organized by the local chapter of Extinction Rebellion Saturday afternoon.

-In 2020 local election news, Brandon Scott announced he was running for mayor, which we all pretty much knew was going to happen soon (Read the Beat’s report from Scott’s announcement here). It would seem that some other major players in the mayoral election—namely, Jack Young and Sheila Dixon—will announce they’re running soon. Additionally, the Afro reported that councilperson Shannon Sneed was running for city council president. And then councilperson Leon Pinkett formally announced he was running for council president. For a sense of where council members running stand, Dr. Lawrence Brown reupped a tweet from earlier this year breaking down how council members voted on a few key issues (hint: note who voted against $15 minimum wage and for mandatory-minimums for gun possession). In national election news, Joe Biden said some condescending racist nonsense about education and parenting and playing records for kids and then a couple days later told some sort of “The Little Rascals” meets “The Warrior” tale about this one time he fought a gang member named Corn Pop or something??? Who knows, man.

The post Week In Review: Baltimore protests Trump, more GTTF fallout, 2020 elections heat up, and more appeared first on Baltimore Beat.

-A joint investigation by NPR and the University of Maryland’s Howard Center for Investigative Journalism found that heat can have deadly consequences in the parts of the city where poor people of color live. “Across Baltimore, the hottest areas tend to be the poorest and that pattern is not unusual. In dozens of major U.S. cities, low-income neighborhoods are more likely to be hotter than their wealthier counterparts,” wrote journalists Meg Anderson and Sean McMinn. Researchers found that when it’s hotter, there are more 911 calls for health issues like asthma attacks and high blood pressure, and those aren’t always documented as heat-related illnesses. It shows that life is deadlier for people who are poor and of color in more ways than one. On a related note, Baltimore City Schools without air conditioning closed two hours early last Wednesday. School officials told WBAL-TV that they are still working on constructing new schools as part of the city’s 21st Century Schools Initiative.

-Late last month, Tyrone Banks was shot and killed by police. One police officer and one bystander were shot as well. We still do not know if Banks fired any shots—police say he had a gun and that he was involved in a shooting the day before he was killed—and we still don’t know how many shots were fired by police but 13 officers who discharged their weapons were, as per policy, put on administrative leave pending an investigation.

-The new school year has begun, which also means it is time for Sinclair-owned local channel Fox45 to spout more misinformation about public schools in Baltimore and the way they are funded, and that means Governor Larry Hogan is going to gladly repeat that misinformation despite there being just about no way by now he doesn’t know that what he is repeating is at best, cherry-picked info and at worst, straight-up lies. Check out Jaisal Noor’s interview with Jess Garner for the Real News Network about information on the reality behind school funding in Baltimore.

-Since the March 1, 2017 indictment of seven Baltimore police officers who were members of the Gun Trace Task Force, there has been plenty of back and forth between the State’s Attorney’s Office and defense attorneys representing people arrested by GTTF. On and off cases have been dismissed, with lawyers—especially the Office of the Public Defender—saying there are way more. The SAO has argued that some of these cases should not be overturned. Plenty of lawyers have said—rightly, we think—that you have to dismiss every case involving dirty cops who stole from people, lied on police reports, falsely arrested people, and in some cases planted guns. Anyways, the SAO has announced they are dropping nearly 800 cases involving GTTF officers which is encouraging news even if many believe that is still just a start.

–Private donors have put up 17 million dollars to fund the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins Medicine, the most significant center of its kind in the whole world. For those who don’t know, Hopkins has been an important place for research on psychedelic for decades, back in the sixties before research of this sort became illegal and in recent years as psychedelic research has started up again (in 2000, Hopkins became the first to get regulatory approval to begin research again). Primarily, Hopkins has focused on psilocybin (shrooms, basically) for issues such as smoking cessation—and it has been massively successful for those who have gone through the treatment. Funding this kind of research is great news and has the potential to change the world. 

-We’re learning a little more about the death of Bailey Reeves, a 17-year-old trans teen who was shot and killed on Labor Day. In all two people were killed and five others injured in Labor Day shootings. Reeves was remembered this past Friday at a candlelight vigil held at the Ynot Lot. According to Out Magazine, at least 17 trans people have been killed this year and most of those were trans women of color.

-The headline on this Baltimore Sun story pretty much says it all: Baltimore hasn’t kept track of millions in grant money. (Again). Apparently, city agencies are pretty good at finding grant money. What they aren’t great at, according to a new audit, is accounting for those dollars. The city receives nearly $448 million in grants, or about 16 percent of its $2.8 billion budget, wrote Luke Broadwater. And, Broadwater reports, this problem has been going on for years! In a city entrenched in such serious and complex problems (see, um, everything else in this Week in Review), keeping track of money should be an easy fix.

-The Baltimore Police Department says it doesn’t have the tools needed to properly track sexual assault cases, according to their Annual Sexual Assault Investigations Data Report, which they must submit to be compliant with a federal consent decree. “The report notes that the department continues to struggle with ‘paper based reporting, data system silos, antiquated data systems,’” according to the Sun. This part is especially troubling: “Because of its paper-based reporting, the department is unable to determine how many victims identify as transgender, queer or nonbinary.” Last time we checked, the BPD is one of the most well-funded agencies in the city. Where, then, is that money going?

The post Week In Review: Hogan repeats Fox45 propaganda, RIP Bailey Reeves, GTTF-related cases dropped, and more appeared first on Baltimore Beat.

-A chase on Wednesday night ended with Tyrone Banks, a Baltimorean with a history of mental health issues, being shot and killed by police, a police officer shot in the leg, and a bystander shot in the cross-fire. Commissioner Michael Harrison has said that a gun was recovered from Banks but he did not know if Banks shot at police. Video of the incident captured by someone who was in downtown on President St where the shootout shows a staggering amount of shots fired. Police say Banks had fired at them and tried to drive into them the day before. The sister of bystander told Channel 2 that BPD did not mention her sister’s shooting during the late night press conference after Banks’ death, in an attempt to downplay it. She also described.her sister’s experience: “She felt pain and looked down and she saw blood. She looked up, couldn’t go anywhere…there were empty police cars blocking her, people running along the side she said she did see some of the policemen get out of the car and run.” The incident brings up questions about whether police should be firing at a moving car, whose bullet struck the bystander, and why Banks did not get the help he heeded that honestly, here in Baltimore, we do not expect to be quickly or even adequately addressed. 

-The Department of Justice has filed an employment discrimination lawsuit against the Baltimore County Police Department for its discriminatory hiring practices. The DOJ says that since 2013, BCPD has been involved in “unintended employment discrimination against African American applications for entry-level police officer and cadet positions by making hiring decisions based on the results of hiring examinations that were not job-related and that disproportionately excluded African American applicants.” The complaint explains that the written test is “not job-related” and that over almost a decade, black applicants have consistently passed the test less frequently than whites and that the “difference between the pass rates of white and African American applicants on the…Exam[s] is statistically significant.” Pretty much, the written test which is not a necessity for being hired, is being used to accept or reject applicants and this written test favors white applicants. The lawsuit also provides solutions to this discriminatory practice including getting rid of the test, “remedial relief to all persons who have suffered individual loss as a result of the discrimination,” and locate hiring measures that are not discriminatory.

-Baltimore City’s official version of Stop Snitching is no more. Back in July, the state’s Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Baltimore’s practice of including non-disparagement agreements in police misconduct settlements—gag orders that demand citizens who received settlements not speak about them to the public is unconstitutional on First Amendment grounds. At the time, City Solicitor Andre Davis said the city planned to request that the case be reheard. However, this week, Davis told the Baltimore Brew that Baltimore won’t be contesting the ruling in the state’s Supreme Court.  “We, of course, will do whatever the [district] court orders,” Davis said. The ACLU of Maryland, filed the case on behalf of Baltimore woman Ashley Overbey Underwood and the Brew. Overbey Underwood was denied a portion of a $63,000 settlement she received after what she said was a brutal beating by police, when she spoke out against the Baltimore City Police Department. The ACLU of Maryland called the move “another victory for the free speech rights of the mostly Black + Brown residents of Baltimore who are survivors of police abuse!”

-Good news: Mary J. Blige and Nas came to town. Better News: They donated a portion of the proceeds from the coucert to Liberty Rec and Tech Center in Baltimore. The two performed at Royal Farms Arena this past Thursday. “In 2012, Baltimore City Recreation and Parks reduced the amount of recreation centers they were supporting from 55 to 31. Liberty Rec and Tech Center were among those cut,” The Baltimore Sun reported. And this happening on the same week that Jay Z’s announced his strange deal to make the NFL woke or whatever, lining his pockets, promoting his artists, and really tossing Colin Kaepernick to the side, is encouraging as a far less sinister sort of philanthropy. When we nurture kids in the city, everybody wins. 

-A Baltimore man who spent 31 years in jail for a murder charge who ultimately had those charges dropped, is has filed a federal lawsuit against Baltimore Police, Baltimore’s mayor, and City Council. Gary Washington’s lawsuit says that BPD forced a 12 year-old and a 13 year-old to identify Washington as shooting Faheem Ali back in 1986, by threatening to take the kids away from their parents. The lawsuit quotes an officer saying, “Cooperate or you’ll never see your mother again.” In 1999, the 12 year-old (who was the only witness tying Washington to the murder) testified that he was coerced. This arrives among a series of recent murder cases (Keith Davis Jr., the trials for the alleged killers of Taylor Hayes) which has made BPD and the State’s Attorney’s look a mess.

-You know how traveling from Baltimore to the Eastern Shore results in mess and backup the closer you get to the Bay Bridge? The people in charge of things are working to change that. Transportation officials are spending $5 million to study ways to reduce backup but Governor Larry Hogan said this week that he’d only approve the addition of a third span of the bridge. It seems weird to make that kind of statement before the exhaustive study even really gets off the ground but hey that’s Larry Hogan. And of course, this is just enabling more travel in automobiles and avoiding the potential of serious public transportation plans—and as the Baltimore Sun’s Editorial Board pointed out, the planet is in danger and Hogan’s solution doesn’t take that into consideration at all. Oh, and in other transportation news: there will now be a bus that takes you from downtown Baltimore to the Guinness Brewery. A beer bus? Really?

The post Week In Review: DOJ sues Baltimore County police, BPD brutality gag orders unconstitutional, a beer bus, more appeared first on Baltimore Beat.

-Around 40 known lynchings happened in Maryland between the years 1854 and 1933, and we are about to find out more about them. The Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission met for the first time on Monday. Members of the commission are tasked with reviewing the history of lynchings in this state in the hopes of learning more about the way anti-blackness still infects American life. The commission’s first public hearing happens September 12 at the University of Baltimore School of Law. Find out more about that here.

–WYPR’s Emily Sullivan looked at Harford Road’s “road diet,” a plan spearheaded by City Councilperson Ryan Dorsey, which is aimed at reducing car traffic and making the area more safe. The city reduced four busy traffic lanes to three, Sullivan reported, leaving two lanes to run up and down the street. “Baltimore City has basically shirked any level of responsibility to use its power to design streets in order to move people, and instead has chosen to try to move cars,” Dorsey said. For some reason, it’s hard for people to accept that our old ways of thinking about transit  (i.e. cars over everything) aren’t working. Any movement in the other direction really is a good thing.

-A jury found Keon Gray guilty of the July 2018 death of seven-year-old Taylor Hayes last Wednesday. Hayes was shot while riding in the backseat of a car and died two weeks later. The Baltimore Sun reported, Judge Althea Handy read a statement asserting that lead detective Kevin Brown had changed his testimony. Also, a witness told the court that the car found with traces of Gray’s DNA wasn’t the car she saw near the shooting scene. Gray’s attorney told reporters that his client still maintains his innocence. We want Hayes’ family and community to find peace and resolution for this tragic incident, but coming weeks after the Keith Davis trial, which also resulted in a guilty verdict and also introduced major issues with a detective involved, there are concerns about whether Gray received a fair trial.

-The smell of cannabis is no longer enough of a reason to search a citizen in Maryland, thanks to a unanimous ruling by Maryland’s Court of Appeals. This is crucial because even post-decriminalization (which happened in 2014), police officers could still use the smell of cannabis (or the claim that they smelled cannabis) as a justification for a search. It’s important to stress that police have long used weed smell as a justification for getting into citizens’ pockets, car, or house. And there are plenty of cases over the years in which cops made ridiculous claims about smelling cannabis across the highway or through rolled-up windows, and so on. Taking this away as a shortcut investigative tool will put less people in contact with cops prevents egregious Fourth Amendment Violations.

-Attorney General Brian Frosh has said he wants to charge more people dealing drugs with manslaughter if the person who bought the drugs died of an overdose. Ok, where do we begin on this one? Larry Hogan, who hasn’t found a vulnerable person he doesn’t want to throw in jail, has long said he thinks this is a good idea, so when Hogan is for something, we should all think hard about supporting it. But more importantly, it will actually cause more overdoses because it will prevent people from calling for help when someone overdoses for fear that they might get charged. Moreover, it’s part of a really terrifying pivot surrounding drug war rhetoric: Even as many express more sympathy for drug users, there’s a desire that goes all the way up to President Trump to vilify dealers and it fundamentally misunderstands who sells most drugs (users themselves) and how we reduce overdoses and keep drug users safe.

-We here at the Beat covered the Johns Hopkins University Sit-In in-depth, from its beginning and on through its early morning raid by police and then the Beat’s Brandon Soderberg wrote a piece for the website The Outline, where he revealed that a professor at JHU, Daniel Povey, had tried to break into the sit-in with bolt cutters and brought a small, possibly inebriated crew with him. That happened just a few hours before police raided the sit-in, which means that a person employed by JHU attacked students who were protesting claims by the university that it needed a private police force to keep students safe. The mind boggles. The story about a JHU professor going after students didn’t get much traction—until last week when it was made public that Povey had been fired from JHU. What followed was some really awful news coverage which gave Povey (who wrote an unhinged, bizarre, and offensive rant you about why he attacked students occupying a building) way too much time to explain himself. 

-Public defenders gathered at the District Courthouse on Wabash Ave. on Thursday in support of public defender Durriyyah Rose who was held in contempt of court by Judge Joan Gordon because, the judge claimed, Rose was delaying a court proceeding and was rude to the judge. Rose’s client was charged with petty theft, and was going to not be charged in exchange for paying restitution and Rose asked Judge Gordon to be able to advise her client. So, a lawyer was put in lock-up for asking if she could consult her client about what the client was agreeing to do in exchange for not being charged. If Rose is charged with contempt, she could be disbarred, and after the high-profile nature of the charge and the display of solidarity by public defenders, Judge Gordon deferred the ruling until a later date. Baltimore’s Office of the Public Defender are doing some of the most thankless and often important work in this city (OPD recently represented Keith Davis Jr. and were heavily involved in overturning GTTF cases for example) and this kind of attack of defense attorneys is disturbing—and does no one in the criminal justice system any good.

The post Week In Review: Maryland reckoning with lynchings, cannabis smell isn’t enough to arrest you, and more appeared first on Baltimore Beat.

-Baltimore City Police are still investigating after they said Sgt. Isaac Carrington was shot Thursday in an attempted robbery while he was off-duty. Carrington, who has been with the department for 22 years,  was outside of his Northeast Baltimore home, officers say, when he was shot. The 43-year-old is currently in critical condition. There was a big to-do the following day when WJZ-TV reported that police had apprehended two people who were riding in a car thought to be similar to the one Carrington’s shooters used to get away in. Turns out the people in that car had nothing to do with it and were arrested for outstanding warrants. The television station issued an update not long after but their mistakes could have meant that two people could have had their names tied to a very high-profile case. Remember: it’s way more important to be right than to be first, fellow journalists. Meanwhile, other cars fitting the description of the shooter’s car have been stopped and many are scrutinizing details of the shooting (or lack thereof) and finding echoes of Sean Suiter’s shooting in 2017.

-The Baltimore Police Department’s new Deputy Commissioner in charge of Public Integrity—Internal Affairs, basically—is Brian Nadeau, who has been in charge of the F.B.I.’s Baltimore Field Office since 2015, so he has been here for the death of Freddie Gray and the Gun Trace Task Force scandal. A few months ago, Harrison had named Michelle Wilson, an assistant Maryland Attorney General, to the job but after two days it was announced she would not be joining the department. Though a direct connection was never made, many pointed to Wilson’s public criticism of State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby and her claims that Mosby lied about an incident she witnessed. This of course all means BPD has been without a permanent leader when it comes to investigating cops for awhile now, so someone taking the job is a move in the right direction. There is, of course, no shortage of problems within the police department. Just this week, three Baltimore police officers were sentenced: Arthur Williams, who pummelled a man on Monument Street in 2018 received nine months in jail; Carlos Rivera-Martinez, who beat up a minor in front of City Hall on July 5, 2016 received six months in jail; and Aaron Heilman, who was found in his police vehicle drunk last year, received probation and community service for his on-duty DUI.

-Governor Larry Hogan, who for a hot minute there was floating the idea of running for president as a sort of anti-Trump Republican, and who has successfully recast himself as a reasonable moderate even though he is far from it, went Full Trump this week when he used the shooting of Sgt. saac Carrington to critique Baltimore and its politicians. “We ask that you keep this officer in your prayers as he fights for his life. But thoughts and prayers alone are not enough. We have been pushing to get these violent shooters off the streets,” Hogan tweeted, trying to score quick political points. As many pointed out, Hogan has been withholding $245 million in funds that would help Baltimore, including police funding for technology upgrades and rape kit funding. A follow-up tweet said, “Now is the time for city and legislative leaders to finally join us and support our efforts,” using the longstanding “us vs. them” approach to politics that further isolates Baltimore. Hogan’s solution, mind you, is mandatory-minimums for first-time gun offenders which have shown not to work and is essentially just a stronger version of a bill already passed—mandatory minimums of 10 years for a second violent crime offense. As the Beat’s Lisa Snowden-McCray observed: “Larry Hogan is gaslighting an entire city.”  

-Toni Morrison died this week at the age of 88. Selfishly, we wish she was still here. Thankfully, though, she left us with so much wisdom about love, racism, and the world that we can use as  armor or comfort to get through these tough times. Take this selection from a 1975 speech she gave at Portland State University: “The very serious function of racism…is distraction. It keeps you from doing your work. It keep you explaining, over and over again, your reason for being,” Here in Baltimore, the writer’s group Zora’s Den will be paying tribute to Morrison on Thursday, Aug. 15 at the Eubie Blake National Jazz Institute and Cultural Center (847 N. Howard St.) with readings from Abdu Ali, Cija Jefferson, Victoria Kennedy, and more.

-On Tuesday evening, a sudden and massive rain storm exploded over Baltimore, flooding streets, causing power outages, closing businesses early, trapping people in their cars, and generally making life even worse for those experiencing homelessness.. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. was flooded with water covering cars tires, the area on Charles Street by Penn Station was the same, while the neighborhoods of Harbor East, Fells Point, and Little Italy were flooded. The whole thing was terrifying and it caused a lot of damage—there was even hail—and as is often the case, made many of us think about the climate crisis and also how this city has been developed and the most vulnerable.

-Baltimore City Council President Bernard “Jack” Young has been working to make sure Baltimore’s immigrant community feels as safe as they can. In July, after the Trump  administration announced upcoming U.S. Immigration and Customs officials raids in Baltimore and around the country, Young and Police Commissioner Michael Harrison announced that they would not be offering any aid in those raids. On Wednesday, Young’s office announced an executive order declaring that “city personnel will not arrest, detain, or investigate an individual based on a federal administrative warrant, a belief that the person is not present legally in the United States, or suspicion that the individual has committed a civil immigration violation.” Young also announced that he’s allocating more funding for the Safe City Baltimore program, which offers legal aid to people facing deportation.

-About three months after a ransomware attack all but halted city government, the ability for the city to process and for citizens to pay water bills returned this week, covering the span of April through July. Despite calls from some for relief from the bills (they’ll also reflect a rate increase), there won’t be any kind of discount for the inconvenience and confusion surrounding the water billing process. However, the Department of Public Works is offering a monthly payment plan for those who won’t be able to pay all at once. Learn more about that here. There is also this op-ed from members of the Baltimore Right to Water Coalition which broke down what Baltimoreans need to know about the rate hike which really will be a problem for low-income folks.

-Right-winger Scott Presler, who ran the racist, anti-Muslim group ACT For America and is a fervid Trump supporter brought some Trumpian bad faith to Baltimore when he organized a trash clean-up in West Baltimore. He claims he and his group of hundreds cleaned up tons of trash and Presler also rather ridiculously, tweeted out a photo of a newspaper from 2008 about Obama’s presidential victory and claimed he found this eleven year old paper in the trash and I guess was trying to say something about how Obama failed? Who knows. As District 12 City Council candidate Dave Heilker pointed out, the numbers they suggested they cleaned up are hard to prove really and the likelihood of them finding a newspaper in perfect condition is shady. We’ll also add that there are plenty of efforts of people cleaning Baltimore up every day (we often mention them in our Community Events calendar) and joining up with one of those instead of setting up their own and boasting about it would get them a lot further. Also: there are way bigger problems in Baltimore than trash. Honestly though, we don’t expect to see these people back in Baltimore again—or let’s check in on Presler’s crew in six months or a year from now.

The post Week In Review: Hogan goes full Trump, a police shooting, police department chaos, more appeared first on Baltimore Beat.

-We here at the Beat are still processing the guilty verdict Keith Davis Jr. received last week. While we won’t weigh in on whether or not Davis is guilty of the crime he’s been charged with—murder, this was Davis’ fourth murder trial—it was apparent that the case is full of holes and problems and always has been. As Davis’ defense explored the numerous ways Kevin Jones’ homicide was either poorly investigated or not investigated at all and more and more details don’t quite add up (cell phones kept for months by the lead homicide detective; the gun the defense has claimed was planted has its origins at a gun store frequented by cops and there’s no record of its sale; one of the officers who fired at Davis was investigated by the FBI for dealing drugs), the State’s Attorney’s Office played fast and loose with the details of the shooting and its evidence and have yet to locate a motive for Davis shooting Jones. The case shows what many critics of Marilyn Mosby’s office have already said: that its office will stop at nothing to secure a conviction and in this case, kept prosecuting him for the same crime until they got a guilty verdict (a previous guilty verdict was reversed after a star witness was shown to be misrepresented by the SAO). This verdict also shows how desperate Baltimoreans are to believe the police. And so, the Keith Davis Jr. saga continues.

-City Council President Brandon Scott introduced a sprawling, ambitious, and most importantly, thoughtful plan for Baltimore last week. The one getting the most press is a proposal to lower the voting age 16 because well, it’s a kinda wild idea (it’s also a good one, a smart way to engage the city’s youth politically) but the entire Legislative and Proposal Policy is worth a read (Baltimore Sun uploaded it so you can read it yourself here) and here are some of its highlights: end ‘gag orders’ in city legal settlements, strengthen city ethics watchdogs, expand access to public hearings, restore local control and oversight of the BPD, address trauma associated with violence and addiction, resist regressive ‘tough on crime’ laws, enact youth athletic protection, establish funding stream for the Equity Assistance Fund, and investigate racially and economically disparate impact of fines and fees.

-Retired Baltimore Raven Ed Reed did us proud this week when he turned up at Thursday’s Hall of Fame game wearing a shirt adorned with the faces of victims of police brutality—including Freddie Gray, Sandra Bland, and Mike Brown. It’s a big deal when you consider how hard National Football League owners have fought against Black players taking any kind of political stance. In case you missed it, quarterback Colin Kaepernick reached a settlement with the NFL back in February after he alleged that he was essentially blacklisted for his on-field protests against police brutality. Reed will be inducted into the Hall of Fame Saturday. We hope other prominent former Ravens—cough—Ray Lewis—cough—follow Reed’s lead.

-Last weekend, after Donald Trump decided to drag Rep Elijah Cummings and the city of Baltimore through the mud, everyone had something to say. Well, almost everyone. Maryland Governor Larry Hogan had apparently taken the weekend off and could only be bothered to issue a passive-aggressive statement through a representative that blamed both sides. “More attacks between politicians aren’t going to get us anywhere,” the statement said. Hogan eventually got around to addressing the insults himself but that wasn’t much better. “I don’t think you can put all the blame in Baltimore City on Elijah Cummings,” Hogan told Fox News, “but he could do more to help.” Getting tired of hearing us point out that Hogan isn’t the sensible moderate that everybody wants him to be? So are we.

-We kinda want to go to church now. Specifically, Morning Star Baptist Church of Christ in Southwest Baltimore, where this week members told U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson to kick rocks after he tried to hold a news conference on their property without their permission. Carson was there to justify President Donald Trump’s repeated attacks on Elijah Cummings and Baltimore City. Carson expressed annoyance about having to move, saying, “I mean, this is the level to which we have sunken as a society.” Also, of course, Carson has been using his time as the head of HUD to make life harder for the millions of people who depend on the government to have a roof over their heads, here in Baltimore and all over the country.

-Baltimore police veteran Lieutenant Robert Quick has been suspended, reports Fox 45’s Joy Leopola. “Sources tell me Quick is accused of teaching a class at the police academy while allegedly being intoxicated. He was removed from the class and suspended with pay,” Leopola tweeted. Quick is a member of the Consent Decree’s Implementation Team which has shocked many in Baltimore for some time. Why? Ok, well deep breath here: In 1996, Quick was part of a group of cops accused of detaining a man and calling him racist names; in 1997, a jury awarded a man named Brian Reddick $275,000 because a group of officers including Quick, violated his rights; in 1999, Quick was involved in the death of a man named Larry Hubbard, who those on the scene said Quick beat up and was then shot in the head by Quick’s partner at the time, Officer Barry W. Hamilton, because Hamitlon said, Hubbard fell on top of Quick (residents claimed Hubbard plead for his life before he was shot and killed); in 2000, Quick was arrested for drunk driving in White Marsh after he crashed his car into a parked car; in 2011, Quick was investigated along with Ian Dombrowski for overtime fraud due to payments being entered more than once once—both were cleared by then-State’s Attorney Greg Bernstein; and in 2014, Quick was suspended because he shared private police emails with Sheryl Goldstein, who had worked in the mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice and was the wife of Bernstein. It sure is interesting how everyone from Trump to well-meaning pontificators writing about the city’s problems don’t ever connect the city’s problems to something like this—a notorious cop suspended for allegedly showing up drunk to work.

-Baltimore Mayor Bernard “Jack” Young decided that while Trump and his followers were dragging Baltimore for being dirty and “rodent infested,” he might as well get in on the action, too. Local news cameras followed our mayor strolling around a neighborhood in East Baltimore, ranting over piles of trash he spotted. “We are not dirty but we’ve become dirty,” he said. Lots of people have pointed out that the big piles are more likely the work or contractors who might not even live in the city, rather than residents and that Young has been in office for decades now, so he should shoulder some of the blame for this sort of thing—and absolutely should not be shocked by it. Young would probably get more done if he actually talked to people here as opposed to yelling at them for TV cameras. 

-Of course, it was some rich dicks in the club level. Some people at the Orioles game last night unfurled a “Trump 2020” banner during the game and of course, most of the stadium boo-ed them and soon, they were escorted from the stadium (because Camden Yards doesn’t let you hang banners in the stadium). That’s about all there is to this one but well, let’s slow down here. Something awful is happening to Baltimore right now thanks to Trump, who has spent the last week targeting the city in speech, particularly one of its representatives Elijah Cummings, and even LOLZ-ing about the homicide rate. And just as Trump’s racism and his supporters’ bad faith arguments about why he isn’t racist and you indeed are the real racist sir, have bowled opposition over on a national level, it’s happening here as much of our city’s Democrats are as ineffectual as their national-facing counterparts (though they are still vastly preferred to um, actual fascists) and really are to blame for this city’s problems. That does not mean Trump isn’t also to blame or has any interest in helping out. Meanwhile, local news is uncritically profiling the propagandist who helped start this all and our governor gets national coverage opposing Trump while echoing Trump’s criticisms of Cummings. We’re fucked.

The post Week In Review: Still processing the Keith Davis Jr. verdict, how Hogan piles on Cummings and helps Trump, and more appeared first on Baltimore Beat.

-Mayor Bernard “Jack” Young says he is considering running for mayor in the next election after initially saying he wasn’t. He got really candid about how the political sausage is made with The Baltimore Sun this week, saying he had a plan worked out with council vice president Sharon Middleton where she’d serve out the term as council president while he finished out Pugh’s term as mayor, and then they’d run for their former positions. But then Brandon Scott messed that all up when he ended up being voted as city council president instead—a shocking admission of the ol’, “I’ll scratch your-back, you scratch mine” way of doing things in Baltimore that Young’s so mired in he doesn’t realize he shouldn’t have said that aloud. Young says that people have been encouraging him to run for mayor based off how well he’s done since taking over in May. That says more about the sad state of lowered expectations in this city than anything else. 

-The Department of Public Works is investigating whether a Baltimore City employee is using Twitter and Facebook to spew hate about Black people and Jewish people, while also praising Nazis. Twitter user, @eliSunday3 first found the accounts, tweeting out “So it’s come to my attention that we have an actual nazi working for the city of Baltimore.” Baltimore City councilperson Zeke Cohen said, also via Twitter, that he was looking into the incident and had already spoken to DPW Director Rudy Chow, Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming and City Solicitor Andre Davis about the posts.

-In “Baltimore City is falling apart” news, more of the city fell apart this week. On Wednesday, a whole Light Rail platform got swallowed up into a sinkhole, two days after a Monday water main break that caused a train derailment and flooding near M&T Bank Stadium. The city’s aging, crumbling infrastructure isn’t a surprise anymore—nor is the fact that climate change accelerating the process. Too few in power are quite sure how to get out of this mess or interested in dealing with it.

-The embattled teacher’s union election has finally been decided and Diamonté Brown, part of a grassroots, activist-oriented coalition has won. Back in May, Brown won the election but then the results were challenged by incumbent Marietta English amid accusations that the process was biased. As a result, The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) investigated those claims and upheld the decision. For more on the election, read Jaisal Noor of the Real News Network’s piece, “Grassroots activists Diamonté Brown confirmed as victor in teacher’s union election.”

-Keith Davis Jr., a man shot by Baltimore Police in June of 2015 and then later charged with the murder of Kevin Jones (based on the gun police said they found on him after they shot him), who has gone through three murder trials already, began his fourth trial today. Activists have rallied around Davis, alleging a cover-up and prosecutorial shenanigans, and his trials have had enough twists to lend credence to these claims including: a man who worked for a drug cartel as the state’s star witness claiming Davis confessed in jail to him; the sudden appearance of security camera footage which offers up a different suspect; the lead prosecutor being arrested for drunk driving; the involvement of a Baltimore cop investigated for drug dealing by the FBI, and more. We repeat: this is Davis’ fourth time in court for the same crime. For more context, read pieces on the case by Beat cofounders Brandon Soderberg (for the Appeal in 2017) and Baynard Woods (for the Guardian in 2016) and listen to Amelia McDonell-Parry’s “Undisclosed” podcast about the case. And read these round-ups by Megan Kenny and Baltimore Courtwatch of some of the events of today’s proceedings.

-The Baltimore Police Department announced a new recruiting slogan earlier this week: “Be a Part of the Greatest Comeback Story in America.” The marketing campaign surrounding this costs $200,000 dollars and intends to bring in more city residents, particularly women and people of color into the department. There’s a lot to say here for sure, but we’ll just focus on how this is another example of how the city prefers and isn’t afraid to pay serious amounts of money to try and make itself look better rather than actually do better. A comeback story is what you call it after the fact, you know? And along with recruiting, a serious reckoning with what BPD has done to its citizens and radical changes to police transparency and other policies which protect dirty cops would go a long way.

-We know firsthand how hard it is to run a news website on a shoestring budget and with a shoestring staff. That’s why it’s so impressive that Fern Shen, editor and publisher of the Baltimore Brew, along with Ashley Overbey Underwood, were able to successfully challenge the city’s practice of requiring people  to sign non-disclosure agreements to settle police misconduct lawsuits. This week, a panel of judges ruled that the rule was unenforceable, adding “there can be no serious doubt that the government has used its power in an effort to curb speech that is not to its liking.” Overbey Underwood says she was beaten by police in 2012 after she reported a burglary in her home. The case was filed in 2017. Of course, the city plans on appealing the decision but for now, we consider the move is a big win for journalism, and for victims of police brutality.

-While some of the problems with Marilyn Mosby as Baltimore’s top prosecutor are apparent in the latest Keith Davis Jr. trial (again: this is Davis’ fourth trial for the same murder), her forward-thinking approach to drugs should not be ignored. On Wednesday, Mosby testified before Congress about support for a federal decriminalization and legalization of cannabis. Mosby’s announcement earlier this year that her office would stop prosecuting cannabis possession cases was—if you’ll allow us to toot our own horns here—informed by Beat cofounder Brandon Soderberg’s work with Baltimore Fishbowl and while we have explored the limits of this announcement (full legalization now is the truly progressive approach), it is still encouraging to see more forward-thinking weed policy talk. Meanwhile, Mosby also signed onto a legal brief supporting safe consumption sites for drug users—a controversial move in the United States but something that has been revealed to be life saving in places where these sites have appeared (there are 120 safe consumption sites around the world).

-Oh wow, Abell Foundation published a report this week by Sean H. Vanatta titled, “The Municipal Banking Movement: An Opportunity for Baltimore,” which argues that Baltimore should totally have a public bank. Namely, this city’s decades of divestment and general bank consolidation creates “banking deserts.” A little over 40 percent of Black Baltimore is “underbanked,” the report says. Public Banking would also enable inclusive and equitable banking. Read the report here. Baltimore, let’s make this happen.

-We assure you, we aren’t trying to turn this website into the Isabel Mercedes Cumming fan club but Baltimore’s inspector general has again, uncovered ridiculous amounts of wasted time, money, and energy. This time, it’s the saga of a boat stuck in the Inner Harbor which BPD spent more than $11,000 to remove when they could have just gotten the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to remove it—at no cost to the city. Baltimore Fishbowl’s Brandon Weigel told the story better than we ever could so head over to Fishbowl and read, “Report: BPD wasted thousands salvaging a boat, when the state would have done it at no cost.”

The post Week In Review: Crumbling infrastructure, a Nazi in the DPW maybe, Keith Davis back in court, Mosby supports safe consumption sites, and more appeared first on Baltimore Beat.

-We are still waging battles to make sure that everyone has access to clean and affordable drinking water. Organized by the Baltimore Right to Water Coalition, lawmakers, activists, and citizens rallied outside City Hall this week against a near 10 percent water rate hike that started this week. It is the first of three yearly rate hikes for Baltimoreans. Baltimore Right to Water pointed out that according to the United Nations, water bills should not be more than three percent of a household’s income. “With the rate increase, more than 40% of families in our city will be billed more than this amount,” said Rianna Eckel of Food and Water Watch. “While we recognize the need for improvements to this aging system, the Department of Public Works has failed to propose a meaningful comprehensive water affordability program to ensure that low-income families still have access to water.” For more, read Dharna Noor’s report from the rally over at The Real News Network.

-The state will be designating Baltimore’s Pennsylvania Avenue corridor as an official arts and entertainment district. The news means a part of the city that has long been ignored by city leaders can now benefit from the tax breaks and extra attention that comes with the designation. Beat Editor in Chief Lisa Snowden-McCray wrote a little about what organizers hope to eventually do with the area for Essence Magazine last winter. “What we want to do is use Pennsylvania and North Avenue as a place where we want to light up, illuminate and revitalize live entertainment,” said Arch Social Club president Van Anderson.

-On Monday, July 1, the day that the ridiculously-named Community Strengthening Act (aka the bill that lets Johns Hopkins University have its own armed, private police force—the first of its kind in the state) went into effect, students and residents who have been organizing against the bill gathered to show they aren’t finished their efforts against it. For those who have not been following the Beat’s coverage, protests against the bill escalated in April when students began a sit-in at a JHU building and then eventually, took that building over, all of it ending with a hundred or so police raiding the building, making a handful of arrests. Since then, students and residents continued demanding a meeting with Hopkins about the police and are still waiting, so last week a group of 100 or so marched through Charles Village, stopping by the BPD building on 29th Street and the Campus Safety building next door, showing they were not going away and opposition has not wavered.

–An op-ed for Maryland Matters written by Bobby Moore and Richard DeShay Elliott lays out an argument for why bro-faced councilman for District 11 Eric Costello has got to go and specifically, why a progressive needs to primary the hell out of him. The op-ed details how Costello opposed the minimum wage hike, takes major donations from developers and staunchly defended decisions such as the Port Covington TIF, and is a major player in the “squeegee kid” debate where his solution continues to be “sick police on kids trying to make a few bucks.” The op-ed goes on to explain that Costello could be beat in an election. “We need a progressive candidate to emerge in the next two months and we must unite behind him or her. If several progressive candidates are interested, they need to meet privately and openly hash out which among them has the best shot and be open to throwing their weight behind a fellow progressive,” the op-ed demands.

-Last Friday, attorney Steven T. Mitchell was arrested for allegedly smuggling in suboxone to Roxbury Correctional Institution. The stories were typically, apoplectic and all simplified this to “GASP—Baltimore lawyer sneaks drugs into a jail.” Well, for one suboxone, although it is a controlled substance and it is illegal to sneak anything into jails, is a drug that doesn’t really get users high and is used to treat opioid use disorder. It is a medicine for those struggling with drug use. Getting it to people will help people. Plenty advocate that it should be allowed in jails already and in some states it is and by 2023, thanks to Maryland Senate Bill 846, it must be made available to inmates in Maryland jails who need it. Why Mitchell snuck it in, we don’t not know (the Beat reached out to Mitchell for comment but he declined to comment) but shame on local media for misunderstanding and misrepresenting suboxone. This is a classic example of how straight-down-the-line news fails to inform.

-As first reported by Beat cofounder Baynard Woods on Twitter, a case will go to Maryland’s highest court to determine whether the city is responsible for the actions of members of the Baltimore Police Department’s corrupt Gun Trace Task Force. From some of Baynard’s tweets: “City Solicitor Andre Davis laid out the city’s case that GTTF officers were not acting in the scope of their employment when they committed crimes as part of a complicated legal maneuver to get the Court of Appeals to provide a ruling on the issue…as part of the strategy both the city and the legal team of William James agreed on a statement of facts—which includes Wayne Jenkins planting a gun on James, who was denied bail and spent 7 months in jail…here the City of Baltimore is agreeing that its officers planted a gun on James…There’s a lot more to say about the legal arguments on several different fronts—according to Davis, the intent is to join this case with a federal case in asking the state’s highest court to rule on [the] scope of employment.”

-Larry Hogan announced right before the holiday that he would not be releasing $245 million in funds that were earmarked for various programs around the state. For Baltimore, that means among other things, less money for the cash-strapped Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, fewer opportunities for kids to take part in the city’s youth jobs program, and a lack of funding to test rape kits (on this issue Hogan said he will find other ways to fund it). Of course, we are used to Hogan depriving Baltimore of resources that could make the city better so at this point, this behavior isn’t surprising. What continues to baffle us is that the narrative of Hogan, the great centrist just won’t die. In early June, WBAL-TV’s president and general manager Dan Joerres wrote an editorial lauding Hogan for choosing not to run against President Donald Trump and staying here to pursue moderation in Maryland. The Baltimore Sun’s Editorial Board chided Hogan for the funding decision, but don’t forget that they also endorsed him for governor. At the time it was frustrating—now it feels like journalistic malpractice.

-Rain clouds rolled through Baltimore on the Fourth of July, but here, they’d cleared out in time for dazzling fireworks shows all over the area. In D.C., however, as President Donald Trump hosted his bizarre, patriotism-themed salute to himself, it poured. Soggy reporters posted pictures of attendees swathed in plastic parkas and fenced off military machinery in the pouring rain. Granted, there’s not much of anything to celebrate anyway, with reports continuing to come in about the tortuous and unsanitary conditions of refugees under the Trump administration. And there was a Baltimore connection in Trump’s messy, error-ridden speech. Either by idiocy, an inability to read the teleprompter, or both Trump declared, “our Army manned the air, it ran the ramparts, it took over the airports, it did everything it had to do, and at Fort McHenry, under the rockets’ red glare, it had nothing but victory,” apparently shoving Fort McHenry and the War of 1812 into a hot mess of ahistorical nonsense about the Revolutionary War. Merry Independence Day or whatever.

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