As you have probably heard, Mayor Pugh is on a temporary leave of absence as she recovers from pneumonia and deals with the state investigation into her Healthy Holly book deals with UMMS.  Just this week, the the Baltimore City Council and the Maryland State Delegation have called on her to resign.   This is the latest example of the revolving door policy between wealthy institutions and powerful Democrats.  While Kaiser Permanente purchased $100,000 of Mayor Pugh’s books and later received a $48 million contract to provide City employees with health insurance, poor Baltimoreans continue to pay ever increasing costs for medical care.   Continue reading

The selection of a Baltimore City Health Commissioner is an opportunity to prioritize public health to meet the urgent needs of Baltimore residents in collaboration with residents. Disparities in health outcomes, life expectancies and access to necessary services exist in Baltimore despite being home to major medical institutions. Priorities and programs that have been initiated in the city to address health concerns are often determined without participation by residents or those who are being served. We describe key areas of concern and solutions to address them below.   During the process of choosing a new health commissioner, we request the mayor to hold town halls with candidates in different parts of the city to hear from residents about their healthcare needs. Candidates for commissioner should explain how they would improve public health and time should be provided for candidates to respond to questions from the audience. Continue reading

Dr. Marvin "Doc" Cheatham, former President of the Baltimore NAACP, discussed why he became a member of the Maryland Green Party's local Baltimore City chapter. Continue reading

Baltimore, MD- The Baltimore City Green Party will release a bold vision for achieving equity in higher education. The Maryland Higher Education Equity Act (MHEEA), will be one of the Party’s top objectives in the coming 2018 Maryland General Assembly session. “This will be an important bill that seeks to achieve educational, racial, gender, immigrant, and environmental justice through a set of ten deep reforms of the University System of Maryland and the state’s network of community colleges,” said Joshua Harris, who is exploring a run for the Maryland House of Delegates in the 40th District as a Green. “Let’s build a bright future for our City and our state by centering equity in higher education,” he added. The bill would enable tuition-free undergraduate education at all University System of Maryland (USM) institution and Maryland community college for any graduate of a high school in the state. Additionally, room, board, books, and graduate school tuition would be free for descendants of Maryland’s enslaved and indigenous peoples. “I am looking forward to seeing (Black) community leaders and public figures supporting [Historically Black Colleges and Universities] (HBCUs) in Maryland. The MHEEA bill is not only a chance to do so, but an opportunity to show unwavering support for ALL students enrolled in college across the state,” said Brandon Walker, a Coppin State University Urban Studies student and Ujima People’s Progress Party activist, in a written statement. In addition to tuition-related provisions, MHEEA addresses serious shortcomings in how Maryland’s public colleges and universities interact with African Americans, Indigenous peoples, immigrants, women, the environment, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities within the USM. MHEEA would make Maryland a national leader in sexual violence prevention by mandating a 1 credit class on the topic for all freshman, increasing funding for Title IX enforcement, and creating an independent state-level monitor to ensure schools' proactive compliance with federal and state law. MHEEA would codify Judge Blake’s ruling ending the duplication of successful HBCU programs at Historically White Colleges and Universities within the USM. MHEEA would make all USM and community colleges Immigration and Customs Enforcement non-compliant sanctuary campuses, allowing all students to learn free from the fear of deportation. MHEEA would mandate all USM and community college presidents submit five and ten year plans for reaching specific sustainability goals. The bill would be paid for with a Peace, Equity, and Green tax on military contractors, household incomes over $250,000, and major polluters. These industry and tax bracket groups, which have received numerous federal, state, and municipal tax cuts in recent years, would be asked to pay their fair share to achieve a more highly educated, less indebted, more efficient, innovative, and productive workforce in Maryland, making the state an international destination for startups and businesses. By pursuing equity in higher education, MHEEA aims to build community wealth across the state.