A vital fund for Baltimore

The Sun article, “Baltimore voters asked to approve special fund for youths, but without some details” (Oct. 6), presented an incomplete picture of plans for a city youth fund that may have left some readers confused or skeptical.

This fund, if approved by city voters on Nov. 8, will create an exciting opportunity for greater citizen involvement in financial decision-making through an innovative process called participatory budgeting (PB). Over the next few months, a diverse group of Baltimore stakeholders will collaborate with Strong City Baltimore, the national Participatory Budgeting Project, and the office of City Council President Bernard C. “Jack” Young to develop recommendations for a Baltimore PB process, a plan that would give citizens “real power over real money.” This proposal will be evaluated and, hopefully, accepted by the City Council as a part of its plan to administer the Youth Fund.

At the three PB information sessions Strong City hosted last month, attendees made it clear that they want smaller and under-resourced organizations to be represented when youth funding decisions are made. PB is a way to ensure that the “usual suspects” are not the only ones with a place at the table.

Participatory budgeting is a step in the direction of more responsive and accountable municipal government. By directly involving our young residents in budgeting and city-building, we will begin to foster a greater sense of civic engagement and community inclusion and help ensure that the new youth fund reflects the priorities of all Baltimore residents. Tyson W. Garith, Baltimore The writer is director of partnerships and business services for Strong City Baltimore.

Making schools great again

Thank you, Nancy Grasmick, for your wonderful timely analysis of the state of teaching in our country (“The teaching profession needs an overhaul,” Oct. 9). Brilliantly done. I hope the education community as well as the community at large take note of your observations and the expertise you bring to the issue.

At the national level, the current race for president seems to be akin to a weekly TV sitcom with little or no real emphasis on how we view and intend to address the importance of education to our nation’s growth and development. Or anything else for that matter. If we really want strong communities and a great nation, we need to make education a higher priority. A strong educational commitment is what will truly “Make America Great Again.” Nathaniel McFadden, Baltimore The writer, a Democrat, represents Baltimore’s 45th District in the Maryland Senate.

Hogan’s edict to schools

Personally, I have no problem with schools starting after Labor Day. However, I do find ironic that Gov. Larry Hogan, who states his belief that decisions should be made at the local level, has by his executive order taken the decision for opening of schools away from the local boards of education and it made it a state mandate (“A modest proposal,” Oct. 13).

This is not a clear example of local decision-making. Andy Vaughan, Chesapeake City