50 Years Ago, Baltimore Began to Face a Crisis. Industrial jobs that had provided a large base of good, living wage jobs were leaving Baltimore.
Feb 22, 2016
50 Years Ago, Baltimore Began to Face a Crisis.
Industrial jobs that had provided a large base of good, living wage jobs were leaving Baltimore.
Business Leaders recommended a solution: if
tax payers funded development in Baltimore,
jobs would return to the city.
So…Politicians gave wealthy developers our tax money to
come to Baltimore.
• Inner Harbor – Estimated $2.5-$3.5 billion since the 1980s• Hyatt – $30 million• Airport – $5.2 million per year to Airmall at BWI • Grand Prix- $7 million in road maintenance
How’s their model of development working
out for us?
At the Inner Harbor, David Cordish pays less than $1000 a year for
rent at the Power Plant, and has his own
downtown parking spot and three houses.
The average Powerplant worker
makes $8 an hour on a seasonal basis,
while paying well above $12,000 a year
in rent.
Harbor Point received $107 million in public
money to build infrastructure for a luxury apartment
complex ; $59 million will be used for parks.
$59 million is more than the operational budget
for a whole year for Parks and Rec. Baltimore
closed or privatized 24 rec centers in 2012.
Photos taken from Baltimore Brew website.
Baltimore has over 40,000 vacant houses.
Each year 7,000 people face foreclosure and 150,000 go to rent court . On any given night there are 4,000 homeless.
Yet the nation’s largest trash incinerator is slated to be built less than a mile away from schools in the most polluted community in Maryland.
Baltimore has the highest rate of air pollution-related deaths in the country--higher than our homicide rate.
This is
Failed Development.
We need Fair Development.
But what is Fair Development?
Fair Development puts people first.
…and is guided by five basic Human Rights Principles
Universality
Equity
Participation
Accountability
Transparency
Circle w/ Five spokesBut none of these can operate in isolation.
Instead, they operate like spokes on a wheel.
Indivisible in their purpose.
Without any one, the wheel will break.
What would Fair Development look
like in your community?
We can make this change happen, but we can’t do it alone.
United Workers Human Rights Zone March
Eastside Housing Speakout
Student march from school to Incinerator site
Reflection and Study in Human Rights Committees
No More Failed Development!
We DEMAND
Fair Development!