How ironic! Exactly one year ago, City Council members "were shocked" by school violence. How well I recall the sickening accounts of attacks on teachers.
A year later, we're informed that the schools are running a deficit and the council is once more taken aback ("Schools deficit stuns members of council," Feb. 19). What's wrong with Baltimore? It's hard to believe our school system could amass a deficit of over $60 million and no one noticed.
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake says she wants more families to come to Baltimore. But with these horror stories about our public schools, what family in their right mind would move here?
I'm a city resident, and our property taxes are enormous. Will we now see them increased to bail out the Baltimore school system? I want my city to thrive and set an example of good governance. That looks like a wish never to be granted.
City Council members must stop wasting time enacting minor privilege fees for awnings, signs, security lights, handicap ramps and bike racks. Instead, they need to tackle the important issues. Rather than dictate the type of bag merchants can give their customers, let's find some way to clean up the public school mess.
Roz Heid, Baltimore