Progressive Discipline

  Just heard a new term from the Deputy Mayor of Baltimore. Progressive Discipline. That's where you are told you are wrong but are not punished for that. The promise is that we will not give up on you. No matter how manty times you break the law you will not be punished you will be given another chance. That's progressive. Just because you messed up that doesn't mean you should suffer any consequence. You will be told of your error and given another chance. This is just one of the policies coming from the "squeegee collaborative" to address the problem of the squeegee workers in Baltimore.

 Another interesting thing came from that group. I'm calling it conditional constitutionality. For years the mayor of Baltimore has insisted that the squeegee workers have a constitutional right to be on those street corners. Nothing could be done to prevent them and existing laws prohibiting that practice were unconstitutional. But now the "squeegee collaborative" has determined that they can be prohibited from some corners, but not from others. It's all conditional. The constitution applies here, but not there. Yup, pretty progressive I would say. It was also explained that those laws were targeting black workers because the squeegee workers are all black people. So, the law shouldn't apply to black folks, it's just discriminatory. Another interesting interpretation of the law.

 Now the heart of the plan to get the kids off the corners is to simply pay them not to be there. A guaranteed income of at least three hundred and seventy-five dollars a month in exchange for a promise to stay off the street. But, if you are caught still squeegeeing you won't lose that income, you will just be told to stop! That's progressive discipline. The mayor says they are calling this program, earn to learn or learn to earn, something like that. These kids will be provided with training and a mentor. No mention of what training will be given though, or who the mentors will be. No mention of how any of this will actually be administrated. Just a cost of maybe 5 million dollars, well more or less, that's not a firm figure. No mention of where the money is coming from, maybe grants or something. 

 It must be remembered that there is no data base of who exactly are the squeegee kids. Who qualifies for this program? I guess any black child that makes claim to being a squeegee kid. Remember there are no white kids doing this, all the white kids in Balitmore are privileged and not being forced to squeegee to stay alive. How long can a squeegee worker remain in the guaranteed income program? They can for a year. They do have to participate in a work training program. After a year these squeegee workers will be fully trained and ready to join the workforce. 

 Yes, progressive discipline. If you are a thug on the street corner threatening motorists that refuse to pay you to squeegee your windows this is how you get punished. It took one motorist being shot to death by one of these squeegee workers to get it done but the program takes effect Jan 6, 2023. The message is clear. Break the law often enough, create chaos, unrest and disrupt the citizens of the city enough and you will get appeased. It's progressive. Last year the city was going to build a dirt bike facility because of all the illegal dirt bikes on the streets of Baltimore weaving in and out of traffic. They haven't killed anyone yet, so they'll have to wait some more for a facility. 

 The squeegee kids have managed to extort the city of Baltimore. That's what it is called when the mob demands payment for protection against them. The squeegee kids openly threatened the city saying if you remove us from the corners we will start robbing and killing. Yes, that was the statement, and that was followed by the threat that they were armed. Just three days ago a squeegee worker was detained and found to be carrying an illegal handgun. But we are now going to pay them not to do that, peace will return to the city, progressive discipline will correct all this social injustice.