Kim Klacik is Spot-On

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“Guns, drugs, rats and trash are on the streets, while jobs and quality education are elusive.” – Kim Klacik

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She's not lying. In her inaugural campaign video, which went viral, garnering over three million views in less than the first 24 hours online, Baltimore’s 7th Congressional District candidate Kimberly Klacik walks the real West Baltimore passing a multitude of demolished, dilapidated, abandoned and boarded-up homes along with failing businesses. Wearing a bright red dress and matching red high-heeled shoes she asks the question. “Do you believe Black lives matter? I do.” Klacik points out that Baltimore city is in the “top five most dangerous cities in America,” has “skyrocketing homicide, drug and alcohol deaths, and a poverty rate more than 20 percent.” She goes on to say “Democrats don’t want you to see this. They’re scared that I’m exposing what life is like in Democrat-run cities. That’s why I’m running for Congress, because all Black Lives Matter, Baltimore Matters, and Black people don’t have to vote Democrat. Help us win.”

While on her nearly three-minute video walking tour, she takes time to discuss police defunding with residents of West Baltimore. All are in agreement that the defunding of police or reductions in police deployment is ill-advised.

This parallels my own experience serving the good hardworking citizens of West Baltimore while working as a patrol officer. My primary area of responsibility was a five-block by six-block area located in the southwest corner of Baltimore's western police district. People were glad to see me and I became a mostly respected (not feared) member of that community. Race was not a factor in my social or enforcement interactions. The best officers, back then, worked hand-in-hand with good law-abiding citizens to do what we could to eradicate the bad and accentuate the good. We believed in the old Benjamin Franklin adage (circa 1736), “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” We were limited, of course, due to guidelines needing to be followed and limited available resources but we formed partnerships for the common good.

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The fact remains that Klacik was not using props in her city walk, which is now about to exceed 10 million views. This is the real Baltimore. Urban decay is not only seen in West Baltimore but throughout many areas of the city. Even Harborplace, once the crown jewel of Baltimore tourism and its Inner Harbor, developed and built by renowned urban revitalization developer James Rouse during the William Donald Schaffer mayoral years of Baltimore City renaissance, now sits mostly empty after a number of owners, defaults and lack of maintenance has resulted in low tenant occupancy rates.

Baltimore remains a city in major crisis. From an understaffed police department, lack of confidence in police command by the rank and file and their Fraternal Order of Police representatives, a former mayor and police commissioner sentenced to jail time for crimes committed while in office, and now a State’s Attorney under investigation by the city Inspector General's Office investigating her travel and financial disclosures, Baltimore needs new blood and a better direction moving forward.

 “Real problems need real solutions.” says Klacik. Her campaign platform also includes:

  • Create Working Class and White Collar Jobs through the Port of Baltimore, the second-busiest port in the country

  • Reduce Reliance on Entitlements in District 7

  • Make Education Work for Children and Parents by supporting school choice

  • Ensure 2nd Amendment Rights 

  • Increase Healthcare Options to Drive Down Costs

Will reform over privilege finally win out in this race? Democrat Kweisi Mfume, Klacik’s challenger in the general election, believes that he is next in line to take the seat which had been held by fellow Democrat, the late Elijah Cummings. Klacik is working hard to achieve her goal of ousting Democrat representation in her congressional race.

President Donald Trump has endorsed the Klacik campaign, and at the Republican National Convention Kim Klacik was named by Donald Trump Jr. as his #MAGA Candidate of the Week.

For more information on her campaign and to view her campaign advertisement along with the speech she gave at the Republican National Convention, head over to https://kimkforcongress.com/.

Joel E. Gordon is a former Field Training Officer with the Baltimore City Police Department and is a past Chief of Police for the city of Kingwood, West Virginia. He has also served as vice-chair of a multi-jurisdictional regional narcotics task force. An award winning journalist, he is author of the book Still Seeking Justice: One Officer's Story and founded the Facebook group Police Authors Seeking Justice. Look him up at stillseekingjustice.com