By Rabbi Ruth Smith and Mark Sugarman
Shavuot, which we celebrated this week, honors Brit Sinai — the covenant made between the Jewish people and God at Mount Sinai. We the people — the Jewish people — accepted the responsibility to observe God’s mitzvot (commandments).
In the Torah and in the modern world, rights and responsibilities go hand in hand. These rights and responsibilities concern not only our collective relationship with God, but also shape our behavior toward each other.
Americans are taught in grade school that our system of government is based partially on ideas from Enlightenment-era philosophers like Locke and Rousseau. Rousseau coined the term “social contract,” but the idea of an agreement that binds free people into a society is much older. Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks wrote in his 5779 commentary on Parashat Yitro that those Enlightenment philosophers were in conversation with the Hebrew Bible, even more than they were in conversation with Greek philosophers. In particular, he wrote, “ … [A]t Mount Sinai the concept of a free society was born.”
This understanding of a covenant that confers rights and responsibilities has implications in many places and at many levels of political organization. We the people — the people of Baltimore City — also have rights and responsibilities. Among our many rights are safety, education and accountable elected officials. Among our many responsibilities are observing traffic laws, showing up for jury duty and paying taxes.
The covenant that binds the people of Baltimore City to each other and to our home in the city of Baltimore is under attack. Moneyed interests are promoting two initiatives to appear on the fall 2024 ballot that would undermine the economic health and public services, as well as diminish the people’s power in Baltimore City.
One ballot initiative would slash city property tax rates nearly in half over six years. All credible observers, particularly Baltimore City’s Bureau of the Budget and Management Research, expect this ballot initiative to decimate the city’s revenue. The Maryland Center on Economic Policy estimates that the proposal would cost the city about $443 million in lost revenue once fully phased in. Signing a petition to place this on the ballot would leave our city unable to pay for public schools, police and fire departments, sanitation, parks and other basic services city residents rely on. This ballot initiative is an attack on the covenant of the people of Baltimore City because paying taxes is a basic responsibility of our covenant.
The other ballot initiative would reduce the number of seats on the Baltimore City Council from 14 to 8. The goal here is more difficult to fathom; the number 14 is not obviously correct, nor is the number 8. The motivation seems to be that it is easier for corporate interests to exert influence over fewer council members. This ballot initiative is an attack on the covenant of the people of Baltimore City because elected officials should be accountable to the people who elected them, not solely to corporate interests.
We are building a coalition to oppose these initiatives and make it clear that Baltimore City is not for sale. The coalition includes: AFL-CIO Metro Baltimore Council, SEIU 1199, Baltimore Teachers Union, Jews United for Justice, Maryland Center for Economic Policy, Progressive Maryland, Unite Here Local 7 and Maryland NAACP, along with community members and elected officials.
We invite the people of Baltimore City to support and defend Baltimore City. And in the coming months, leading to the November election, educate your family, neighbors and friends about why voting for this proposal would be devastating for our home. Ballot questions don’t get a lot of publicity, and voters frequently enter the voting booth not knowing much about what is being proposed.
Together, we can enforce our covenant and protect our beloved city.
Rabbi Ruth Smith has been involved with Jews United for Justice since its founding in Baltimore in 2014 and is a chaplain in Baltimore City. Mark Sugarman is an active member of JUFJ’s Baltimore Action Team.
