Baltimore Is Worth Fighting For

BALTIMORE IS WORTH FIGHTING FOR

Paris' Plan to Restore Faith in Local Government and
Deliver Bold Solutions with Immediate Impact

After knocking on over 15,000 doors to talk face-to-face with District 1 residents, Paris found that over 75% of voters in the First District identify public safety as their primary concern.

As a trained social worker, Paris knows that public safety across our City doesn’t start or end with policing. The only realistic and sustainable path to a safer City requires investments that tackle the root causes of crime: poverty, lack of mental and physical healthcare, trauma, and other systemic causes.

Some of Baltimore’s great challenges will take years to tackle. However, there are many issues we can focus on that will result in immediate relief to Baltimore’s communities.

CORE PRINCIPLES

  • Urgency. We should not delay implementing evidence-based solutions when those solutions clearly exist.
  • Specificity. Local government should be capable of clearly identifying problems, proposing concrete, actionable solutions, and implementing them in an expedient fashion.   
  • Equity. We should always consider the needs of the most vulnerable citizens when making policy.
  • Courage. Solving problems requires the courage to propose bold solutions, and to see them through.

FOCUS AREAS

Following these core principles, Paris’ plan has seven main focus areas:

  1. Paris will champion BPD modernization and reform. READ MORE
  2. Paris will implement public health solutions with immediate impact on crime. READ MORE
  3. Paris will take a hands-on approach to tackling the opioid crisis. READ MORE
  4. Paris will focus on youth support to ensure our children have the resources they need to achieve their full potential. READ MORE
  5. Paris will alleviate economic hardships by focusing on public transportation, housing, and job opportunities. READ MORE
  6. Paris will be accessible and responsive to constituents. READ MORE
  7. Paris will implement practical solutions that welcome and support Baltimore’s immigrant communities. READ MORE

PARIS' HUNDRED DAY LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

While some of the priorities discussed below will require ongoing partnership and implementation over the medium or long term, Paris has identified six legislative priorities that can be prepared and introduced in the Council in her first 100 days in office.

  • Banning Salary History Inquiries. The practice of basing salary offers on a candidate’s pay history perpetuates racial, gender, and other kinds of wage gaps. Paris will introduce legislation to ban salary history inquiries. 
  • Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Task Force. Creating facilities to expand access to critically needed MAT is difficult due to the associated stigma and community concerns. Paris will legislative the creation of a temporary MAT task force to study successful strategies deployed worldwide to eliminate the stigma, build trust with communities, and eliminate any potential negative impacts. 
  • Task Force for Women’s Transportation Issues. Women have different experiences riding transit than men do, especially regarding safety. Paris will create a temporary task force to propose recommendations to the Maryland Transit Administration and the Baltimore City Department of Transportation. 
  • The Office of Returning Citizens Affairs. Baltimore’s high recidivism rate reflects a broken reentry process for many returning citizens. Paris will legislate the creation of an Office of Returning Citizens Affairs to provide returning citizens with a one-stop shop for available resources. 
  • Mandating Translation Services. In places like Southeast Baltimore where significant portions of the community speak a language other than English as their primary language, government meetings should offer translation services. Paris will introduce legislation to mandate this. 
  • Sugary Drinks Tax. A sugary drinks tax works just like a cigarette tax, by reducing a harmful health behavior while also raising funds for important priorities. Paris would create a tax on beverages with added sugar of 1.5 cents per ounce to raise funds for Rec and Parks, DOT, and to create a discretionary fund for Councilmembers to use towards community projects.