In response to KAL's Sunday cartoon and Wes Moore's op-ed, I start with the presumption that our elected leaders are more motivated by the best interests of Baltimore than they are by their narrow interest in re-election, that our business leaders are more motivated by an interest in long-term business and community health than in short-term bottom line, and that our law enforcement leaders are more interested in really healing the police-community breach of trust than in simply protecting their own ("The world, and our kids, are watching Baltimore in the wake of Freddie Gray," May 1).
In that spirit I expect Gov. Larry Hogan to immediately release the education funds that the legislature has set aside for education in the state budget and to ask for increases in education funding next year.
I expect Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake to announce that all recreation facilities and pools will be open at no cost to city children.
And I expect the Greater Baltimore Committee to announce that every city young person who wants to work this summer will be guaranteed a job.
I expect the Fraternal Order of Police will announce a citywide listening tour in which police will spend time all over the city responding to residents' concerns and preparing recommendations for a public report.
Finally, I expect that all the above leaders will meet together to formulate a plan for the economic, physical and cultural health of the city.
In the words of Mr. Moore, let's get this moment right.
Dick Cook, Baltimore