By Holger Kirk @ Shutterstock.com
President Trump has been in a feud with Rep. Elijah Cummings, who represents Baltimore. Trump tweeted that Cummings has been a bully, and that Cummings has done little for his Baltimore district. In the lastest edition of his widely syndicated column, Walter E. Williams dives deep into the problems that plague Baltimore. Uneducated kids, dangerous streets, and yes, lots and lots of rats. He writes (abridged):
Here’s what President Donald Trump tweeted about Baltimore’s congressman and his city: “Rep. Elijah Cummings has been a brutal bully, shouting and screaming at the great men & women of Border Patrol about conditions at the Southern Border, when actually his Baltimore district is far worse and more dangerous. His district is considered the worst in the USA.”
“As proven last week during a congressional tour, the border is clean, efficient and well run, just very crowded,” Trump added. Cumming’s “district is a disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess. If he spent more time in Baltimore, maybe he could help clean up this very dangerous & filthy place.”
In 2018, Baltimore was rated one of the “Rattiest Cities” in the nation by pest control company Orkin.
What about safety? In 2017, St. Louis had the nation’s highest murder rate, at 66.1 homicides per 100,000 residents. Baltimore came in second, with 55.8 murders per 100,000 people. The unpleasant fact is that predominantly black and Democratic-run cities have the worst records of public safety.
What about education in Baltimore? In 2016, in 13 of Baltimore’s 39 high schools, not a single student scored proficient on the state’s mathematics exam.
Read more here.
