October 2002

Nearly 300 Maryland teens not only got a close-up look at the democratic process, they also took an active role in helping to elect a governor who will make youth issues a top priority.

The Youth Ambassadors from Baltimore’s Safe and Sound Campaign teamed with the Maryland Association of Student Councils (MASC) to host a Gubernatorial Town Hall Forum October 14. Both major candidates, Rep. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. and Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, fielded questions from young people on a variety of topics affecting children, youth and families. Held at Baltimore’s Polytechnic Institute High School, it is believed to be the state’s first-ever youth-led gubernatorial candidates’ forum.

A panel of Safe and Sound Youth Ambassadors and students from MASC pored through scores of questions for the candidates submitted by high school students throughout Maryland. The panel selected twelve questions, and the submitting students asked them in person during the forum. TV journalist Sade Baderinwa of WBAL moderated the event. Other than the moderator and the candidates, no adults participated in the forum.

Kennedy-Townsend and Ehrlich have had public skirmishes regarding the conditions under which their few joint public appearances would occur, so having both attend this forum was something of a coup. Safe and Sound helped convince them to participate by sharing poll data that shows Maryland’s voters, and the state’s civic leaders, have declared children’s and family issues a priority. Especially in a race as close as this one is expected to be, candidates are eager to address an issue with such widespread support.

A recent poll conducted for Safe and Sound asked, “How important will children and family issues be in deciding your vote for governor?”

• 66 percent said “very important” or “one of the most important.”
• 87 percent said it was at least “somewhat important.”
• Almost 80 percent said they were more likely to vote for a candidate who supports increased spending on programs for children and families.
  

In addition, a Market Research Institute survey of Maryland civic leaders revealed that:

• 86 percent support up-front investment in prevention.
• 75 percent favor earmarking 30 percent of windfalls to children.
• 77 percent favor getting rid of jurisdictional funding caps so that state initiatives can be targeted to areas where the problem is greatest.
  

“Why, voters and civic leaders wonder, are we spending huge sums of money to address the long-term impact of dysfunctional communities and families, violent neighborhoods and under-funded schools when we know that targeted front-end strategic investments can have a much more positive impact at a much lower cost – and bring neighborhoods back to life?” said Hathaway Ferebee, Safe and Sound’s executive director.

For the forum, Safe and Sound prepped the students by distributing seven “white papers” that include the polling data as well as information on the issues that make up Safe and Sound’s key goals. They are:

• Babies are born healthy.
• Children live in safe and nurturing families.
• Children enter school ready to learn.
• Children are successful in school.
• Young people make healthy choices.
• Young people live in safe neighborhoods.
• Young people believe community adults value and appreciate them.
  

“For each of our campaign goals, the white papers make the case that the problem is real, the solution is clear, the support is strong, the objective is achievable, and the time is now to act to change conditions for children and their families,” said Ferebee. The white papers will be used beyond the forum, as Safe and Sound will use them to inform and arm its most powerful advocates, to influence other elected and appointed officials and more.

Thanks to future leaders from Safe and Sound’s Youth Ambassadors and the Maryland Association of Student Councils, Maryland’s next governor is already pondering tough questions and making commitments to help the state work smarter for kids.

For more information on this website about Baltimore's Safe and Sound Campaign, click here. For information on this website about campaigns and communication, click here.