Baltimore Mayoral Straw Poll and Youth Forum at City College - Entrepreneur Generations

Today was supposed to be opening day of the baseball season, and I was expecting to miss the Mayoral Straw Poll and Youth Forum, but after cancellation of the game due to field conditions, I was able to attend. Held in our school's gym, about 250 people attended, as well as most of the candidates for Baltimore mayor.

There, the audience got unfettered access to most of the candidates for mayor; the only no-shows were Sheila Dixon, David Warnock, and DeRay McKessen, the latter canceling at the last minute for an out-of-town trip, the other two never responding to the invitation. I will not be voting for Dixon after the scandal, dishonesty, and lack of taking responsibility from her previous administration and aftermath, but Warnock is someone I briefly considered after vociferous recommendations by some people I respect; however, he just isn't showing up to these forums (he has missed several, or is leaving very early), which, for me, is putting him out of contention for my vote.

Of the rest of the candidates who attended, each had a table set up, and each were milling around the gymnasium, engaging with students, parents, community members, and teachers. I had conversations with many of them, and felt good there were so many seemingly smart and capable people running for mayor. After a presentation by our students, including our SOMOS club and SWTT team, each of the candidates delivered a stump speech of around 90 seconds.

Like the last forum I attended, I left being the most impressed with Joshua Harris, whose speech was full of specifics about economic disparity, investment, and equal opportunity. Since I'm a registered Democrat and he switched to the Green party, I won't be voting for him in the primary, but, in the general, he's a possibility, especially if the Democrats nominate someone I don't believe in. His speech, even just 90 seconds worth, had some soaring moments, like this one: "We have to understand the direct correlation between acts of economic injustice and acts of violence in black and brown communities. Before an unarmed young black man is killed either by his peer or by a police officer, he had to live in a community that was void of resources and ignored for services. He had to attend a school that didn't have heat or other resources like after school programs. And we have to begin to address these acts of economic violence that have perpetuated the disparities we see in Baltimore every day." Our students, who have had to endure faulty heating systems for years -- including twice this year, with school canceled because of it -- definitely took note of his words, which would have been right at home in the Divided Baltimore class I took this fall. Joshua Harris gets it; he sees the connection between resource allotment, segregation, crime, and equity, but he does it with a nod towards business as well. I like him more every time I hear him speak.

As for the Democratic candidates, I've vacillated a lot in my support. However, I am consistently impressed with Elizabeth Embry, who strikes me as very authentic, with many fresh ideas about issues; I think she has an interesting way of looking at our city's problems, and I like her optimism, as well as her decidedly un-politicianlike persona. She has an air of competence and caring, and, even though I don't like that most of her experience is with being a district attorney, her campaign is growng on me, and her connection to the Embry Foundation -- which has done great things in the city -- is also important to me.

I also am warming a bit more to the slight possibility of giving my vote to Nick Mosby. I have reservations about him -- mostly, I wonder what he has done as a city councilman, as I've heard a lot of criticism and wonder why he hasn't talked about his five years in office, plus have hesitations about a political dynasty in Baltimore with his wife -- but his plans are very solid, and he is impressive in interviews; I think there's something to his claim that he is as comfortable in a boardroom as he is talking to young black men on the street corner.

So there you have it, my current two candidates for mayor: both about the same age (mid- to late-30s like me), both graduates of top high schools in Baltimore City Public Schools, both polling around 5%. It doesn't seem like either has a chance to win at this point, but I hope both stay involved and run again. Or mount an incredible comeback.

Both Embry and Mosby were impressive in their stump speeches; Embry working with the themes of community policing and service and Mosby discussing education matters. I also always like hearing Calvin Young speak, as his speeches brim with ideas and optimism, and he's someone I hope stays in service to Baltimore for the rest of his life. That optimism is something that Catherine Pugh also projects, but hers is a lot more studied, or even cursory. I had a conversation with Ms. Pugh, and she talked to me about many of the themes that make me think she'd be palatable as mayor, namely her relationship with the state legislature. I asked her how she got along with the governor, and she told me, "very well," and she went on to say she was "very close" with President Obama, something that made me chuckle inside a little bit (there's an ad going around where she proclaims herself "Obama's secret weapon", which the Baltimore Election Facebook page has spent quite a bit of time making fun of). Pugh's never going to excite me as a candidate, and I see her as part of the establishment that has failed the city, but she's not someone I would be ashamed about, like Sheila Dixon. Pugh is a consummate politician, even mechanical (you could set a clock by how long it takes her to mention she created The Baltimore Design School), and I know I won't vote for her -- have heard too many bad things from people who work with her -- but she at least seems nice and relatively competent.

As for the results of the straw poll, they are below, and it's not a surprise to me that the top three chosen by the attendees were also the three candidates I found (and have been finding) the most impressive. I voted for Harris, but could have easily voted for Embry, and I've stated my mostly positive feelings about Mosby.

1) Joshua Harris (G) - 60
2) Nick Mosby (D) - 42
3) Elizabeth Embry (D) - 31
4) Catherine Pugh (D) - 24
5) Calvin Young (D) - 16
6) Patrick Gutierrez (D) - 9
7) Sharon Black (D) - 7
8) Andre Powell (U) - 7
9) Carl Stokes (D) - 5
10) DeRay McKesson (D) - 5
11) Frank Logan (I) - 3
12) Lavern Murray - 3
13) Armand Girard (R) -1
14) Wilton Wilson (D) - 1
15) Larry Wardlow (R) - 0
16) Emanuel McCray (G) - 0
17) Cindy Walsh (D) - 0

It was awesome to see these candidates engaged with our youth and attending this afternoon event in the middle of a busy campaign season. One of the candidates -- maybe Mosby? -- discussed the average 20% voter turnout in Baltimore City, and engaging the youth is how we combat that. It was an uplifting and quality event.

Elizabeth Embry speaking with students in front of her "City Forever" sign.

Elizabeth Embry graduated from City in 1995 and she still fits into her Soccer jacket!  (Note: I also graduated high school in 1995 and wouldn't fit into any of my clothes from then.)

Catherine Pugh meeting with students.

Nick Mosby talks with City teacher Alan Rosenberg.

Joshua Harris, eating a hot dog, chats with my senior catcher.

Joshua Harris gave a particularly insightful speech.

Calvin Young.

Carl Stokes says that Baltimore City gives 13% of its budget to the schools and Baltimore County gives over 50%. Can that be true? Woah.

Catherine Pugh during her stump speech.

Patrick Gutierrez gives rousing speeches.

Nick Mosby during his stump speech.

Republican candidate Armand Girard, who wants us to remember him in the general.

Cindy Walsh. Every time I hear her name, I think of Beverly Hills, 90210. She's a very passionate woman who seems competent and a little kooky (in a good hippy-ish way).

Joshua Harris speaks with a group of students.

The straw polling place; each candidate had a box.

What the gym looked like.

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