The commentary, “To save Baltimore city, merge it with the county” (June 5), by Spencer Levy was a refreshing breath of hope for the resurrection of Baltimore. He hit the nail on the head detailing the many advantages the city has in location, transportation and brilliant talent. These are critical factors that open the doors for success and growth for any city.
Unfortunately, it is the level of crime and chaos in the city that completely overwhelm all the positive factors that Mr. Levy details. The fear from a barrage of daily shootings and other criminal acts are dampers that cause prospective employers, employees and residents to look elsewhere when considering relocating. This will not change until Baltimore is once again a safe place to be and no amount of public relations will make any difference until that happens.
Expecting neighboring counties to carry the load for the city’s lack of crime control would be a tough sell under normal conditions and impossible at today’s crime rates. The single most important thing to do in building the future is for Baltimore to put its own house in order as its highest priority. It can be done, but it will take several magnitudes of stronger leadership that we have had for many years.
Dan Crumpler