Democratic Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders got a tour this morning of the Baltimore neighborhood where Freddie Gray was arrested. The Vermont Senator used the opportunity to push his programs to spend more money on jobs, education, and rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure.
The walking tour of Sandtown-Winchester stepped off at the intersection of North and Pennsylvania, Avenues, the epicenter of the rioting that took place in April after the death of Freddie Gray while in police custody. Following along were people who live in the neighborhood, including Troy Spencer.
"He actually around here walking," Spencer said. "He ain’t on TV or talking in a conference room somewhere. He’s actually here. That matters to me."
Spencer said the neighborhood is dangerous and people need help.
"All I want is a change, man," he said. "That’s all I want is a job. That’s all I ask for a job. I don’t care if I have to sweep or mop."
Larry Brown was trailing Sanders as well. He said the neighborhood needs new housing and parks. And he liked what he saw in the presidential candidate.
"It’s a good look so far, it’s a good look," Brown said. "He got a good strong power with him, strong white man, you feel me?"
Senator Sanders’ tour guide was the Reverend Jamal Bryant. As they made their way, Bryant contrasted what they were seeing, with the prosperity downtown.
"So everything that is done is really window dressing for downtown," Bryant told Sanders. "If you go 10 minutes outside of downtown you’re met with the blight of what Baltimoreans really have to deal with."
Sanders said it is stunning to think that a poor neighborhood like Sandtown-Winchester can be so close to the money and power in Washington D.C.
"What we are seeing are kids dropping out of school, being in bad schools, being in dilapidated housing, and it’s time to transform our national priorities. Invest in our kids," Sanders said.
Later at a news conference with about two dozen black ministers and activists, Sanders talked about the high cost of being poor in neighborhoods like Sandtown-Winchester. There are no supermarkets so you pay higher prices at convenience stores. There are no banks, so you rely on check-cashing businesses.
"If I have to cash a check, I’m not paying 15, 20 or 50 percent or whatever the interest rates may be to cash a check. Because I have a bank," Sanders said. "I didn’t notice too many local branch banks in this community, because I guess there aren’t any."
Sanders repeated what is the mantra of his campaign. He said there needs to be a fundamental change in the nation’s priorities. Sanders said in the past 30 years there has been a massive transfer of wealth from working families to the top one tenth of one percent.
He said his presidency would be about transferring that money back, and using it for things like making college tuition free and creating 13 million jobs. Some of those jobs would be used to rebuild the nation’s roads, bridges and water systems. Others would go to building affordable housing.
Senator Sanders said he has introduced legislation that would provide one million jobs specifically for low-income African-American and Hispanic young people.