Former Lieutenant Governor Of Maryland On Baltimore Riots: 'Poor Education Is The Main Driver'
By Rich Zeoli
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Former Chairman of the Republican Party and Lieutenant Governor of Maryland, Michael Steele, criticized Democrats for their handling of the riots in Baltimore and for the way they've managed the city.
Steele told Rich Zeoli on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT that former Baltimore Mayor and potential Presidential candidate Martin O'Malley's decision to institute a stop-and-frisk program poisoned the environment between the police and the community.
"It was considered good policing. It was considered effective policing in the sense that it kept crime off the street. It was an adjunct off of what Rudy Giuliani had done immediately upon entering office in New York, to help clean up the city of New York. This is the next iteration of that and the reality was that the black community felt repressed. They felt that they were unduly subjected to and objectified by police. They were the ones who were targeted."
He said the violence is less surprising when you consider that some sections of the city have yet to fully rebuild from riots in the late 1960's.
"Poverty is the main stay, the main driver. Poor education is the main driver. They're living in a community that was burnt out in 1968, in the riots upon Dr. King's death. That has been the state of that community since that time. So imagine living a community that was burnt out 50 years ago, almost. Where's the motivation? You put on top of that a school system that doesn't adequately educate your child. All these frustrations have lent themselves to what we're seeing played out here."
Steele also insisted that residents in poor communities need to take more responsibility in the governance of their city.
"You get the government you vote for. You get the policies that you vote in. If after each successive election, you see your plight getting worse, not better, you need to check yourself and understand exactly how you're contributing to this because you're putting in place leadership that is not respecting you."