Statement from the Baltimore People’s Power Assembly.
As health care workers and advocates and as community, civil rights and union organizers we call on City and State officials to begin preparations to protect the people of Baltimore especially those most vulnerable for a Covid-19 outbreak in our community.
We believe there are special considerations to be addressed in Baltimore. For instance, most of our population are low wage workers living paycheck to paycheck; close to 25% live below the poverty line; and a large number of people regardless of age have chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease that put them at greater risk for death.
Concerns for the elderly and the poor, the homeless, prisoners and our immigrant population need to be addressed sooner rather than later.
These considerations are not only critical for Baltimore but for workers and the poor across the State of Maryland. As such, we are disseminating this to the Governor, State and Senate Delegates also.
We therefore request a meeting with the Baltimore City Health Department — and other political officials and leaders so that we can jointly address our specific concerns and our proposals.
Concrete proposals and questions:
The people of Baltimore and the many organizations that they belong to are a tremendous resource that can be drawn on in a time of crisis.
The city and state government has the power to declare a State of Emergency to provide for the people and take action to promote not only people’s health and safety, but to protect people from evictions, job and wage losses, and much more.
Addressing these proposals protects the health of the entire population. Unless low wage workers, the poor and those most vulnerable are insured that they will not be stigmatized or suffer great losses, they will be less able and willing to self-quarantine. Unless we involve frontline health care workers and community organizers in being part of the solution, we will be hampered in fighting an epidemic.
Baltimore People’s Power Assembly
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