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Last night I had the opportunity to support a toy drive in the East Baltimore Community that was held in one of the local establishments by the name of Darker Than Blue. Being there really drove home the point of never forgetting to support local businesses because they are the driving force in building our communities and keeping them driving. During these hard economic times that we are enduring on local, state, and federal level, we can never forget that it is going to be neighbors within the community helping neighbors in the community get over the hump in order to keep our communities thriving. There are kind acts such as this going on across our city on a daily basis and it is going to be up to the community to share this message and change the perception of our great City of Baltimore. I put together a video of the experience with the information and a positive outlook on the great work that they are doing in the community. Here is the link http://youtu.be/0LOwpenJfqk

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Today I had the opportunity to spend my morning in lower East Baltimore with the C.A.R.E Community Association. You really understand the meaning of hard work and dedication when you get a chance to work around community leaders/organizers! These are the real people fighting for our neighborhoods day in and day out. The efforts of residents trying to lift the neighborhoods in our City of Baltimore are going on everyday and any time we have a chance to share, we should tell that story. It is going to be us the communities that highlight the positives and great communities that are within Baltimore City, instead of letting the mainstream media dictate the perception of Baltimore City. So I ask you to share the video with your friends and family within and outside of the Baltimore City barrier to let them know that we are a great city with great leaders and residence thriving to make a difference. Here is the link http://youtu.be/a450laJChcc

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With economic turmoil widespread across the country and the globe, urban communities and cities find themselves dealing with disturbing unemployment numbers. This has everyone brainstorming solutions to deal with high unemployment rates in cities such as Baltimore.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of participating in the Freedom Forum; an event held by Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle. The topic of choice for the Freedom Forum was Local Hiring. The special guest moderator was Ms. Diane Bell Mckoy, the CEO of Associated Black Charities. The panel consisted of myself (Cory McCray), Professor John Bullock (Towson University), the Dean (Sojourner-Douglass College) John Morris, Kenya Asli, Red Line Economic Officer.

The discussion touched on several great points from Unions, to the Occupy Movement, and innovative solutions to locally solve the job crisis. The very first question was “How has the global economic climate affected the availability of jobs in Baltimore?” Since Baltimore City has been known to be a blue collar city, having manufacturing plants such as General Motors, Lever Brothers, Sparrows Points, Domino Sugar, and several can plants, dealing with the economic changes around the globe, has adversely affected Baltimore City. Baltimore City is suffering from high unemployment rates, foreclosures, high rates of poverty, and a loss of population due to the economic crisis. “What role should unions play in job creation?” Unions can have a vital role, if Baltimore City let them participate, several pieces of local hiring legislation have been proposed, and met with road blocks due to the lack of government innovation and need to challenge the status quo. That road block is the “Privileges or Immunity Clause” in the constitution which the city council fails to challenge. The “Privileges or Immunity Clause” has been challenged recently in San Francisco and Prince Georges County. The unions have the ability to play a big role in local hiring, by bringing along their structure, teaching young men and women a trade, and providing Baltimore City residents the ability to make a good living wage. This however, cannot be possible without the Baltimore City Councils ability to be innovative in finding new ideas.

One of the great highlights was when Dean Morris stated “The system is broken and we are going to have to experiment in finding new solutions.” I believe that is the key because no one knows which answer is right or wrong, but we are going to have the courage to try new things instead staying with the status quo which works for 1%, but is broken for 99% of the people. This was such great conversation around the occupation movement and what it can become. If you were unable to attend, I would encourage you to catch the video with some of the highlights of the discussion on Local Hiring. Once again thank you to Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle for giving me the opportunity to share my views and solutions to fixing the problem of unemployment in Baltimore City!

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This week my professor gave his students the task of finding a business article to write about and express our opinions. Well I am not sure about your professor, but majority of my professors have a pretty conservative view. I thought that student loan debt would be a great topic of choice after I read this article, and would help to educate my classmates with a progressive touch. This is something that I feel very passionate about. Since I haven’t been able to write on my blog a lot because I have been busy with school, work, and community activities, I thought this would be a great opportunity to do a homework assignment and blog. Below is my homework assignment/blog and for those that don’t like to read, as usual I have attached a quick You Tube video with the highlights.

Recently, I read an article that caught my attention concerning college debt. The authors name was Allison Linn and it was entitled “Congrats, 2010 grads! Your debt load is the heaviest”. This article caught my attention because I feel as though I can relate to this business aspect/article. I am currently enrolled in a community college and looking forward to going to a four (4) year college. Throughout the article she highlighted many great points, but there were three points that stood out to me throughout the article. Those three points were the cost of a college education for our parents, today’s difficult job market, and student loan debt.

Many children hear the same phrase when they grow up which is “I am doing this to make your life better”. Well, in Allison’s article her attention grabber is “In addition to that hard-earned college degree, most of you walked away with more student loan debt, on average, than those who graduated before you.” Well this isn’t just some perception thrown out in the realm of reality and fantasy. In her article she highlighted a new report from “The Project on Student Debt” which cited that this information is true. So I ask the question “Can we say that the familiar old phrase that many of us grew up to and some are still growing up too is genuine?” The report goes on to state that “on average students who graduated in 2010 are carrying an average of $25, 250 in student loan debt, which is up five percent (5%) higher from a year earlier.”

The next highlight was the difficulty in the job market with today’s economy in turmoil. This once again is no deceptive stage of our imagination but reality. The numbers go on to state “the unemployment rate for 20 to 24 years old was 14.7 percent in September, much higher than the overall rate of 9.1 percent.” The middle class is being crumbled right now and in so many words she saying that the people that appreciate a good education and did the right thing have a price to pay. I am sure that everyone would agree that there is no mystery and that price to pay is no job or an underpaid job when you graduate from college.

The last point that she touched on is those words that we are all scared to say “Student Loan Debt”. In Allison’s article she touched on something that many of us forget which are the people that go to the schools in States with higher cost. One of the States that she went on to highlight was New Hampshire. She stated “In New Hampshire, for example, average debt for the class of 2010 was $31,048. But in Utah, students had an average debt of about half that, or $15,509”. Once again I must say great point Allison.

While I may be bias, my opinion is that the cost of college has run amuck and need to be reeled in with some type of reform. I think that Allison article clearly points out why young people need college cost and student loan debt reform, as stated before this isn’t a mystery, it is killing the middle class. This wasn’t Allison opinion, but hardcore facts and research that states that we are failing our future generations and something needs to be done.

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On October 27, 2011 Occupy Baltimore the 99% was set to get evicted between the hours of 12 midnight to 6 am. The city has declared Occupy Baltimore illegal and is pressing them to agree to just two people remaining there overnight. Below is a letter from the AFL-CIO in support of the occupiers at their occupation site at McKeldin Square. The photo was taken by Photographer Bill Hughes.

“Dear Mayor Rawlings-Blake:

We have been made aware of the city of Baltimore’s intention to close
down the Occupy Baltimore site sometime in the next 24 hours. We write
to express our firm opinion that nothing be done to close down the
site and that instead, an agreement be arrived at which allows for the
confrontation of a peaceful, non-violent demonstration.

The Occupy Baltimore protests have given expression to a widely shared
belief that our economy and our politics are controlled by corporate
interests to the detriment of the overwhelming majority of working
people, including our members, their families and communities. We
share this opinion and applaud the courage and sacrifice of the Occupy
protestors. We believe these protestors should be commended for
standing up for the 99% of us, not threatened with removal.

Cities across the country – from San Diego to Little Rock,
Philadelphia and Washington DC – have worked with their local Occupy
movements to find reasonable accommodations that everyone can live
with. Surely, the city of Baltimore can find a solution that meets the
concerns of city officials and departments while allowing the
protestors to continue their democratic right to peaceful, non-violent
protest.

The Occupy Baltimore activists have made a broad call for followers to
converge on McKeldin Square in order to defend the occupation tonight.
Rather than create a confrontation, we believe it would be wise for
the city of Baltimore to act with restraint and responsibility. Rather
than remove the protestors, we call upon the city to work with
representatives of Occupy Baltimore to find a solution that can
maintain the protest location and respect the rights of our citizens.

We look forward to your quick response.

Sincerely,

Ernie Grecco, President, Metro Baltimore Council AFL-CIO
Glen Middleton, Executive Director, AFSCME 67
Anthony Coates, AFSCME Local 647-67
Peggy Peacock, AFSCME Local 2202-67
Ms. Johnnie Phipps, AFSCME Local 558-67
Lorretta Johnson, Secretary-Treasurer, AFT
Mariette English, President, Baltimore Teachers Local 340
Brenda Clayburn, President, City Union of Balto Local 800
Steve Fugate, President, Fire Officers Local 964
Rick Hoffman, President, Fire Fighters Local 734
Jimmy Gittings, President, Public School Administrations and
Supervisors Association Local 25
Rod Easter, President, Balto Building Trades Council
Bob Cherry, President, Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #3“

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As I anticipate my upcoming 29th birthday, I realized how a decade can change a person’s life so drastically. I find it a privilege to give thanks to God for providing me with family, community, and most of all the IBEW Local 24 for being an instrumental tool in directing me in my path.

As I reminisce about my trials and tribulations as a young adult, I give honor to those who helped me to overcome my adolescent growing pains we call learning curves. Those growing pains are what I focus on in my decision making skills today. Also, the experience I have received from being associated with the IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) Local 24 was able to give me a clear foundation and structure to move further in the right direction.

A decade ago, no one could have told me that I would serve on several community and labor boards and be in the fight to preserve the middle class standard of living. No one could have told me that I would own my first home at the age of 20. No one could have told me that I would be an entrepreneur and own over a half dozen homes in Baltimore City. No one could have told me that I would have a clear understanding of the importance of family. Well this was the opportunity of accompanying my goals I received when I joined the IBEW and the opportunities are endless.

From that foundation I have learned hard work, dedication, and commitment. I know what it is to be a middleclass family man. I know the importance of fighting for the middleclass and IBEW to stay alive and grow, so that we all can live the American dream.

I would encourage any young male or female to enjoy the on-the-job and in-classroom training through the IBEW. The schooling is free and; it is a great opportunity to make a good living wage, affordable healthcare, and a dependable retirement. I hope that all young adults can benefit from the opportunities that the IBEW provides and if not the IBEW, then something very similar.

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Every week as I engage in many positive events that are going on around the City of Baltimore, I find it baffling that many are well attended, but never publicized by the mainstream media. I’ve realized that we can no longer depend on the mainstream media to highlight the good in our city, so right now it is up to the citizens. At this time I would like to highlight a great event called “Operation Oliver” where veterans and activists from across the city have adopted neighborhoods to help clean up, revitalize, and create green spaces. “Operation Oliver” has started in the East Baltimore area and every year they plan on helping another neighborhood. The event yesterday was attended by over 200 activists, and was very successful. The organizers of this event were The 6th Branch, One Green Home, The Veteran Artist Program, numerous colleges and progressive groups across Baltimore. Feel free to watch and share the Video to learn about “Operation Oliver”. The mainstream media won’t tell what happen today, but the citizens will. We always hear about the negative that’s going on in Baltimore, but never the positive. I hope this story is told across the globe!

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Is the subject “increase in poverty” discussed when lawmakers talk about furloughs, unemployment extensions,wage freezes, foreclosures, or jobs for inner city residents? I ask myself “What did they expect when there was a lack of viable solutions to tackle the unemployment or underemployment issue in the inner city? The U.S. Census Bureau released a report recently that stated that 1 in 4 Baltimore City Residents are living in poverty. From 2009 – 2010 the poverty rate in Baltimore City increased 20%. The poverty rate in Baltimore City is now 25.6%, which is 15% higher than the poverty rate for Maryland and 10% higher than the United States of America.

Yes the federal government, banks,and Wall Street have contributed to the increased poverty rate in inner city neighborhoods, but Baltimore City should not be surprised because it’s lawmakers have also contributed to the problem of unemployment and underemployment which has an adverse effect of increasing poverty within Baltimore City.Here are three clear examples of how Baltimore City lawmakers are a part of the problem, while denying favorable solutions.

Problem #1 – In July 2010, a hearing was set for a bill proposed by Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke requiring retailers with gross sales over $10 million to pay workers a living wage of at least $10.59 per hour. Employers could take $2 off the wage if they used that money for employee benefits. Restaurants would be exempt under the bill. Need less to say the bill failed in committee, and never made it to the full council.

Solution #1 – Pay workers in Baltimore City a living wage,instead of the diehard effort to protect businesses that underemployed workers. Are City Council Members aware that they make a living wage? As of 2007 the annual salary for a Council Member was $57,000 for a part time job. Could it possibly be that they feel they are better than the citizens they are representing? Maybe they just don’t understand what it is like to live inpoverty during tough economic times!

Problem #2 – On March 22, 2010 Councilman Bill Henry introduced legislation called Community Partnership Agreements that would have increased local hiring and a good living wage on construction projects over $5 million. In 2011, Council President Bernard Young proposed legislation to increase local hiring in Baltimore City. Both pieces of legislation failed because ofthe recommendation from the Baltimore City law department. They referenced “The Privileges and Immunities Clause” Article IV, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution provides that “Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States.” The aforementioned clause is intended to prevent a state from imposing unreasonable burdens on citizens of another state – particularly with regard to means of livelihood or doing business.

Solution #2 – If local hiring violates the constitution why can’t we find creative ideas/solutions to tackle poverty and local hiring instead of shutting down when we are told “No”. If tuition at State Universities has been found not to violate “The Privileges and Immunities Clause”, than why can’t the City of Baltimore impose application fees to out of jurisdiction workers? If tax incentives to companies that hire veterans and workers employed longer than six months has been found NOT to violate “The Privileges and Immunities Clause”,than why can’t the City of Baltimore give tax incentives to companies that engage in Local Hiring. I am not saying that the aforementioned suggestions are going to work, but they are creative ideas/solutions. “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.”– Eleanor Roosevelt

Problem#3 – Furlough days for municipal and state workers over consecutive years,which means less money in the paycheck. This shows that if you are not unemployed than once again you are underemployed.

Solution#3 – Workers have paid their fair share with furlough days and layoffs; I enjoyed the idea of the bed tax for a city such as Baltimore that has hospitals such as John Hopkins, Mercy, University of Maryland, Bon Secours, and etc. which pay no property taxes and cover a large percentage of our City.

So it should come as no surprise that1 in 4 families in Baltimore City are living in poverty because we as a City have done nothing but tear the worker down, instead of lifting the residents of Baltimore City up. The failed policies of the Baltimore City Lawmakers + the failed policies of the United States Congress = unbearable poverty rates for Baltimore City. Until we begin to educate ourselves, and organize for a change,the beatings will continue!

Feel free to watch the video for this post!

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Growing up in a single parent home in Baltimore City, college expectations were slim for me. I didn’t want to have mountains of debt that I could be paying for half of my life and I knew that my mother couldn’t afford to send me to college without the accumulation of debt herself. So, I decided to go through an apprenticeship program and in 2008 I was able to complete the five year apprenticeship through the IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) Local 24 with a Journeyman Electrician Certification.

Deciding to further my education, in early 2009, I enrolled in BCCC (Baltimore City Community College) part-time. After 3 years of hard work and commitment, I am entering my last semester at BCCC. This journey has been rewarding, but also expensive. After tuition, registration fees, consolidated fees, and facility capital fees, I accumulated bills exceeding eight thousand dollars ($8,000.00). This doesn’t include the cost of school books; over two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500.00). Many students and parents that are paying for 4 year colleges have stated “that was a cheap price to pay and wait to see your bills from a four year college”.

I find myself fortunate to be able to come out of high school and find an employer such as the IBEW, who placed me in the middle class by paying a living wage, affordable health care, and a respectable retirement program. I am fortunate because I could cut back on spending to allow myself an extra three thousand ($3,000.00) plus dollars to accommodate furthering my education, when the reality is the majority of our country doesn’t have that option.

The options are there, but they are limited to:

• Receiving scholarships to attend college

• Receiving loans to attend college, and possibly having the responsibility of paying mountains of debt over your life span.

• Your parents receiving loans for you to attend college, and possibly having the responsibility of paying mountains of debt over their life span.

• Not going to college

• Having rich parents that can pay for you to attend college with cash money

• Waiting to establish a career, and then attending college

The reality is that many of us don’t have wealthy parents and a small percentage of us will attend school on full scholarships. That leaves the majority of the population left with the three options of not going to school, taking out loans, or waiting later in life to be able to pay for school. The latter three options weaken the middleclass, and place a greater division between the wealthy and those in poverty.

In a country where further education is championed to compete in the world economy, this is totally unacceptable. The cost of college is always increasing and becoming unaffordable to most. If we are truly a country that aspire to inspire the next scientist, doctor, and engineer, then we must begin to look for alternative ways to make college affordable to all, not some. If we are truly a country that aspires to restore the middleclass, then we must begin to find alternative ways to make college affordable to all, not some.

Wake up America! If we don’t, we will find our children with enormous debt from college costs never seeking the opportunities to further their education. Even worse we will never witness an ending cycle of generations that can never achieve the American dream!

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No matter what the mainstream media or divisions within the government try to portray, jobs are the number one target for American citizens at this time; Congresswoman Maxine Waters makes her rounds in urban communities bringing the issue straight to the streets with her job summits; AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka states that labor is moving away from the Democratic Party and building their own political structure, which will focus on working class America’s real concern, putting people back to work; President Obama’s bus tour to talk about his plan for jobs.

On the other hand we hear Tea party Republicans shifting the conversation on the debt ceiling, tax breaks for the rich, less government, cutting social security, and etc. Consequently I am saying they talk about anything, but the reality of putting Americans back to work and that is the #1 target for the people right now Jobs, Jobs, Jobs.

The Tea Party Republicans plan for job creation is cutting spending, tax breaks for the rich, and denouncing or criticizing anything President Barack Obama proposes. Well the American people have seen what trickled down economics has done for working America with the Bush tax cuts, no jobs and more money for the rich. We have witnessed what has happened with less spending in the government, fewer services for those in need and public employees on the bottom level with pay freezes and furloughs. We have witnessed their constant criticism of our President Barack Obama, without presenting reasonable legislation to put people back to work. The message to the Tea party is that trickledown economics does not work, so let our President Barack Obama do his job and put Americans back to work from the bottom up.

President Barack Obama has put together a Massive Jobs Plan to fix the infrastructure in America which he is presenting to the House of Representatives this September when they come off of break. At that time we can go in willing to compromise or stand with the 13. 9 million people that were recorded out of work in the month of July, the unknown amount of 99er’s out there who are still unemployed, African Americans unemployed which have been recorded closer to 20% unemployment than 10% unemployment, or the loan carrying students who just graduated from college trying to join the workforce. Pushing the jobs agenda and focusing on unemployment is not the priority of everyone in government which is why we have to pressure all government officials to make sure that when the deal is made for jobs, it is a deal that will put working Americans back to work for a living wage.

Many of the ills across the United States of America can be directly or indirectly connected to the massive unemployment numbers. Consider state and local government budgets, when people are not working that means less revenue for the government, which in turn means cuts in services. Next consider the survival of small businesses, when people are not working that means they are not spending, which in turn means a tougher economy for small businesses to sustain. Next consider foreclosures, when people are not working that means they don’t have money to pay their mortgage or rent, which in turn means they are eventually evicted, deflating the are home property values. Finally, consider the further separation between the middle class and rich, when people are not working this helps to create further division between the incomes of the middleclass and rich. These are a few examples of why Americans placed unemployment as their main concern for the government.

We have a choice America. We can let the Tea Party Republicans or mainstream media change the conversation from jobs or talk about another one of their manufactured stories instead of talking about “America’s Most Wanted” concern which is Jobs, Jobs, Jobs. Right now is the time for us to put a face on unemployment. Inform our Congressional Representatives and Senators on our position about the unemployment in our communities. Please don’t take it for granted that they understand because they may never have been unemployed or directly impacted by unemployment. These are the times where the American citizens are going to have to apply pressure to our good politician to unveil the potential in becoming great politicians. As America continues to engage in the conversation about unemployment and putting people back to work, when you begin to contribute in productive actions never forget that job you save may be your own. I have never been a fan of President Ronald Reagan, but I am a firm believer that even a broke clock can tell the right time twice in a day. In saying that I want to reference a quote “Recession is when a neighbor loses his job. Depression is when you lose yours.” – Ronald Reagan