There was a time when Baltimore lived up to its nickname: Charm City.
The Orioles packed Camden Yards, the Inner Harbor thrived, and families could actually walk downtown without feeling like they were starring in a live-action crime documentary.

My family had third base line season tickets for years. We used to worry about catching a foul ball — now you’d better worry about catching a stray bullet. We finally gave up the seats. When your Camden Yards pregame checklist includes Kevlar, it’s not a ballpark anymore — it’s a war zone.

So what changed?

Simple: Baltimore’s leadership got replaced by a clown car of Democratic mayors who couldn’t run a lemonade stand, let alone a major American city.

We used to have real leaders. William Donald Schaefer practically was Baltimore — personally fixing potholes, dragging businesses downtown by sheer force of will, and loving the city like it was his own child.
Kurt Schmoke was smart, steady, and serious — willing to take political heat to keep Baltimore livable, when so many other cities were already sliding into chaos.

They fought for Baltimore.

Now, we get Sheila Dixon, who helped herself to gift cards meant for poor kids.
Catherine “Healthy Holly” Pugh, who ran a crooked children’s book empire like she was auditioning for RICO charges.
And Brandon Scott — who dresses like a wannabe gangbanger and governs like one too. Scott shows up at press conferences looking like he lost a bet at Foot Locker, but that’s still not as embarrassing as the actual condition of the city under his watch.

His idea of leadership? Listening tours, pastel-colored PowerPoints, and hashtags like #StrongerBaltimore — while the homicide numbers climb higher than the skyscrapers.

The rats are getting bigger, the water mains are bursting daily, and businesses are fleeing faster than the Orioles’ bullpen in the 9th inning.

If William Donald Schaefer saw what Baltimore had become, he wouldn’t jump in the harbor — he’d buy a one-way ticket to Florida and never look back.

Let’s be honest:
Baltimore hasn’t had leadership in decades. It’s had excuses.

You’ve elected Democrats for 50 years straight.
Look where it’s gotten you:

• Murder rates that rival war zones.
• Businesses moving to the counties.
• Schools that can’t teach kids to read, but sure can indoctrinate them.
• Taxes that are high enough to make even D.C. look like a bargain.

What’s the worst thing that could happen if Baltimore elected a Republican mayor for once?

• Lower crime.
• Lower taxes.
• Businesses moving back.
• Safer streets.
• Actual hope for the future.

Imagine a Baltimore where Camden Yards is a ballpark again — not a bullet trap.
Where kids walk to school without a police escort.
Where downtown means business, not boarded-up windows and empty dreams.

Baltimore doesn’t need another “Instagram mayor.”
Baltimore doesn’t need another “Healthy Holly.”
Baltimore needs a fighter.
A grown-up.
Someone who actually gives a damn about the city — not just about their image.

Charm City isn’t dead — but it’s on life support.
It’s time for the voters to wake up and save it — before it’s too late.

You’ve tried everything else. Why not try common sense?

Baltimore deserves its Charm back.

By Ian Schwartz

Originally posted on MocoGOPClub.com