It would be nice if commentator Eric Webster's idea that all Baltimoreans have to do is vote Republican in the November mayoral election would solve the city's problems ("Blame the Dems for Baltimore's problems," May 10).
Too bad the problems in America's cities, where industries have left, large minority populations live and where there is a dearth of major businesses — such as New York's financial industry, Seattle's aerospace industry, California's Silicon Valley or Boston's higher education and research community — to compensate for the challenges.
The complexity of Baltimore's problems transcends a mere change in political parties.
It is easy to cite police brutality and failing public schools as problems plaguing America's cities. It is another thing to identify and accept the core societal issues that result in police brutality and the crisis in public education.
Absent this, it is impossible to define and implement workable systemic solutions to solve our societal problems, of which our cities are but a microcosm.
Joseph Costa, Baltimore