Baltimore is known as Charm City, the City that Reads and the Greatest City in America, and yet has never experienced the honor of hosting the ultimate competition in sports: The Summer Olympics.
We, the Baltimore Olympic Committee, feel that a proper demonstration of Baltimore's truly unique status as a host city, especially when compared to other host cities, will show that our fair metropolis is the ideal place to hold the 2016 Games.
This committee firmly believes that the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. Olympic bid of a few years ago was eliminated not because of partisan politics, but instead because of the presence of Washington, D.C. Standing alone, Baltimore's qualities will shine brightly and will not be dragged down by that potemkin village of politicians and lawyers.
The first concern for any Olympic bid is facilities. Baltimore already has two world-class facilities for baseball and football, and would certainly be able to build more with public money.
Marylanders have been extremely receptive to the idea of funding octannually useful public buildings with taxpayer dollars, and we surely could convince them to do it again. Besides, few other host cities can boast that they already successfully raised public money and built their facilities. There's no doubt that Maryland voters are ready to front public money for worthy causes again.
Air quality is another issue that Baltimore is prepared to tackle. According to many reports, Kenyan marathoners are boycotting the Beijing Games because they are worried that it is not actually safe for humans or animals to breathe anywhere near the city. Beijing officials have claimed that they will shut down their factories, mills and foundries during the day in order to alleviate air quality concerns. Baltimore is ahead of the curve in clearing the air by shutting down nearly all of its steel mills.
In fact, Baltimore has led the way in getting rid of manufacturing plants and mills that result in polluted air. This has also had the added benefit of having fewer people driving in the city, which decreases carbon emissions. Thanks to the plan to shut down our dirty mills, Baltimore boasts some of the cleanest air in the country.
Hosting the Olympics means that people have to get where they need to go quickly and safely. Baltimore's transportation network is second to none. Baltimore's public transportation is among the safest in the United States; stabbings and murders on MTA buses are a true rarity. Any driver will tell you that Baltimore's roads are smooth and nearly pothole free; just a few repairs would be needed to fix the odd shock-busting bump.
And just think about traffic; I-695 is a wonderful way to reach anywhere in the greater Baltimore area and only occasionally experiences traffic jams that do not permit a driver to move for hours. With minor expansion, it would be ready to accommodate the thousands of drivers who would be expected to arrive for the Olympics. You can top it all off with Baltimore's own drivers, from cabbies to commuters, who are just about the friendliest bunch of folks you'll ever have the courtesy to have to yield to.
Intangibles are some of the important things that a city needs to host a successful Olympic Games. Vacationing foreign nationals love to party; they will be in heaven with Baltimore having the highest amount of liquor stores per capita in the nation. Baltimore even handily beats out traditional party centers like Miami.
The charm of the Charm City's tightly knit neighborhoods is apparent, especially if you disregard the "murder every 30 hours" statistic. Baltimore's row houses are inviting for visitors; hopefully they will stay and buy them, many of which can now be gotten for a steal. We should also point out that Baltimore's literacy statistics match up well with those from other host cities like Beijing.
Baltimore's homicide rate has also shown signs that it could come down - there have been fewer homicides in 2008 than there were in 2007; we expect this to be true for most of the remainder of the year. Perhaps most importantly, due to the success of the "BELIEVE" program, Baltimore's streets are now clean as a whistle.
Baltimore is extremely capable of hosting the finest Summer Olympics of our time. To overlook this fine city would be to overlook the American spirit itself. Baltimore's many detractors are pessimistic miscreants and should be categorically ignored. The city has turned itself around and is moving in the right direction. Hosting the Olympics would show that we've made it.
Sincerely,
The Baltimore Olympic Committee
