The recent article highlighting Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's concern over the latest proposed budget cuts to city schools seems genuine on the surface. However, after closer consideration, it's clear that the mayor has not led by example ("Aid cuts hurt city, mayor says," Jan. 28).
She is correct in assessing that education should be a priority in any state budget given that the state constitution only mandates the General Assembly to do two things each year — pass a balanced budget and adequately fund K-12 education. Yet the Rawlings-Blake administration, responsible for only one-third of the overall city school budget, has consistently overlooked their sudden priority for education by only contributing roughly 15 percent of the annual city budget to education while investing close to 45 percent in public safety.
And while I'm sure Gov. Larry Hogan doesn't feel that a $35 million cut to city schools is an ideal policy decision during the first year of his first term, the city has its own obligation to either put up or shut up. So the next time Mayor Rawlings-Blake comes to Annapolis to criticize and holler about fiscal irresponsibility, the Hogan administration should tell the mayor to put her money where her mouth is.
Hassan Giordano, Baltimore