The Baltimore Sun, like so many other local newspapers has been covering the budget woes of its city. Specifically, they've reported that the City of Baltimore has asked for bids from private companies and organizations to take over the facility management and programming of its recreation centers.
In an October 12 article "Community leaders said they feared losing the centers, which they described as havens for youngsters in embattled neighborhoods. The city currently has 55 centers, with six more that are currently closed or run by others. The city had about 130 centers in the early 1980s."
This morning I woke up to this Letter to the Editor from a Baltimore resident in response to the article which questions the need for government to be in the "babysitting" business. Resident Donald Nichols says, "" Really, it's the city's responsibility to baby-sit the city's children? What happened to the parents in this equation? What happened to their responsibilities?
God bless the First Amendment! But, we have every reason to respond to this letter whether we live in the Baltimore area or not.
Take a minute to click here go to the article and post a comment of your own. Let people know that we are more than babysitting services AND without afterschool program, students would be left to their own devices while parents are working to pay the bills and ultimately pay their taxes. Remind readers in Baltimore and beyond that it recreation programs are a proven, comparatively inexpensive form of crime prevention! You know what to say! Please take the time to say it before these types of rants break out in your local paper and in your communities!
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