I watched the speech on WBALTV.com. It's sad that such an important speech is so hard to view or hear live. It is all about demand and that says a lot about the complacency of city residents. Most do not care so the media does not make it a priority to cover it. I hope my observations will aid those who want to hold the mayor accountable. Here are my observations and thoughts:
Looks like a packed house at the city council chamber. You can see council members sitting where audience members usually sit. The Islamic chaplain from Johns Hopkins Hospital opens with a prayer.
Council President Rawlings-Blake lists the "dignitaries" in attendance: Pat Jessamy, Joan Pratt, Delegates Anderson, Tarrant, Stukes, and Glen. Judge M. Holland, a rep of Ben Cardin, and a rep of Frank Conway Sr.
The pastor of this church then said a prayer which included the following hilarious quotes:
"continue to multiply her gifts" (talking about Sheila Dixon!)
"grant her the desires of her heart" (again in reference to Dixon!)
"Thank you Oh G-d For President Barack Hussain Obama"
When he was finished Rawlings then acknowledged Dr. Alonzo. She is a better speaker than Dixon. She spoke for a while. She then introduced the "escort committee" who are supposed to escort the Mayor into the chamber. The members of the committee are: Ed Reisinger, Helen Holton, and Robert Curran.
It appears that Margarent Burns is sitting in the back of the room. You can hear people outside of the chamber cheering the mayor as she approaches.
The mayor enters and everyone claps. She starts her speech by asking her cabinet members to stand so we can see this hard working talented group.
Dixon says the state of the city is strong and resilient. She starts to talk about cleaner and greener issues which she talks about a lot throughout the speech. The mayor likes to talk about these issues. It is part of her style. She then brings up getting illegal guns off the street. Illegals guns are brought up throughout the speech. She brings up the fire department, global warming, the transportation system, and a vague mention of school system in the opening minutes.
Our economy is performing relatively well. Residents and businesses are staying in Baltimore. She says the average value of a house in Baltimore has increased. 3 businesses adding a 1000 jobs, She did not name them. There has been real growth in health care and tourism in Baltimore. 80% of goal of booking 475k rooms at convention center hotel has been reached. Westport is coming along, State Center is coming along. The mayor continued to bring up "green" issues.
She went on about the red line for a while and how the highway to nowhere will be a state of the art area. Affordable housing opportunities increased by 2500 units in 2008 First new homes in Oliver in 50 years. Homelessness is increasing- wants to build 275 bed emergency center, critical part of 10 year plan to end homelessness.
The Mayor did bring up vacant properties! She says the city owns 25% of the vacant residential buildings in Baltimore! She wants the land bank legislation passed now.
More cleaner greener Baltimore stuff- single stream recycling, "tree Baltimore", and the office of sustainability. 1 plus 1 trash program will help dirty alleys and streets Citizens survey will determine service direction. Apparently there are some "cost containment measures" in the works so we can maintain our good bond rating. There is "fiscal discipline".
2008 we were a safer city, She commends the police commissioner. Historic 20% drop in murders. She repeated the phrase "20 years low" (yes she said "years") to describe the murder number. She took a moment to acknowledge the commissioner and "partner" Jessamy. People clap for both of them.
The Mayor started to talk about there being too many illegal guns out there. She focused a lot of this part of her speech on this issue. In Seton hill officers were fired upon by drug dealers with illegal guns. Officer Harper was one of them and he is asked to stand. The Mayor asks us to never forget the tragic loss of Ken Harris and to always remember him as a caring husband and loving friend who fought for disadvantaged youth. It was a devastating loss. Good will, will come from this evil act. Acknowledged his wife who was there. The Mayor is fed up with seeing convicted gun offenders let back on street- must have zero tolerance for illegal guns and criminals who use them. One of the suspects in the Harris case was convicted a month before for having an illegal gun. She wants mandatory minimum sentences for illegal gun possession. Harris was more than just a victim of this crime. She says get the law passed and implemented!
2 years ago today Rachel Wilson of the fire department died. She talks of safety in fire department. Never happen again. The fire department is doing a good job. She honors a kid who saved her mother.
Schools- we are finally making progress. After 40 years we have an increase in enrollment. 8 new schools opened. Added 19 pre-k classrooms. 54 new principals. 234 dropouts returned to school. Dr Alonzo and Brian Morris commended. Highest grad rates since 1996. She does not want Annapolis to cut our school budget. We need to perform better as parents, Grandparents, and friends to nurture kids outside of the classroom. We need to invest in after school programs, youth works programs. She has created something called the Mayor's inter-agency sub-cabinet on youth. It sounded like BS to me. We need to reach more young people, maximize the potential of youth. I think the sub-cabinet is supposed to do that.
Murder of juveniles infuriates her- in 2009 she plans to expand gun offender registry and expand it to juveniles. 460 gun offenders on registry in 2008 only 3 arrested again for gun violence. Reducing violence programs- health department safe streets program, Rose street community center-Clayton Guyton and Ray Cook of "On Our Shoulder" acknowledged. These people reach disconnected youth. We should all be just like them she says! We all need to volunteer
Fiscal health is important but she wants to talk about physical health. Health commissioner is best in the USA- Dr. Sharfstein is asked to stand. She brings up the smoking ban. There is a difference in life expectancy in different neighborhoods and she does not like this. "Fit Baltimore program"- help prevent disease caused by inactivity. A woman who lost 90 pounds stands up. Intoxication deaths are down.
The Mayor wants to build upon hope and change of Obama, we are encouraged by new tone in DC and a federal partner who understands urban cities that have been left abandoned. She says Baltimore presents a full court press for federal money for projects.
The Mayor brings up the facts that she cares about resurfacing roads, job growth, and more modern schools. These are all goals. She quotes Bill Cosby. She concludes by saying we have hard decisions ahead. The people of Baltimore (not the Government of Baltimore) ensure we will grow and prosper. If Baltimore puts its mind to it we can do anything "Lets get to work" A rabbi does the benediction at the end.
I was happy to see the Mayor bring up the land bank and empty houses. No specifics were given about it. Specifics were not really brought up in many aspects of this speech. She focused on clean and green way too much, but who can blame her for that. It is a disgrace that she did not mention property taxes at all. The Blue ribbon panel on taxes clearly was just a campaign gimmick that has been long forgotten and ignored.
Comments
It is a shame she did not mention taxes. Even the hint of a lower tax rate in the future would help spur development and home sales, thus increasing the tax base.
First of all, Adam, EVERYONE is a better speaker than Dixon. She has one of the worst speaking voices I have ever heard. It is a harsh sounding staccato, replete with incorrect grammar and incorrect diction. It's just plain ugly, man. Now, as for the substance. She has none. The speech reflected that as it had none. The city is NOT cleaner or greener. That is just another slick slogan designed to perpetrate a fraud on the public, similar to a city that reads, and as useless as believe. The mayor has done nothing, like her predecessor to improve schools. Libraries and rec centers are the wrong places to make cuts. She should cut the tax breaks and other financial perks given to developers, some of whom she sleeps with, all of whom give her campaign money. The city also wastes mega bucks on golden parachutes to undeserving retirees and oustees.
I am embarrassed to have Dixon as a mayor. I would bet hetr IQ is slightly above that of a moron. I don't care whether she is indicted. But, I wish she would get the heck outta here! Blake is a little smarter. But, her politics are just as whack as Dixon. She also appears fat and lazy, and is often pictured with food and coffee. I would like for her to go away along with Dixon. There really is no one there I like except for Mary Pat Clarke. I don't hate Sharon reen Middleton, or Belinda Conaway. But, all the rest are what is wrong with Batimore. I'd like to see the city run by Mayor Jill Carter, Council President Mary Pat Clarke, DPW Chief Adam Meister, Solicitor (a good lawyer), Comptroller (someone smart, frugal, and independent). Then, Baltimore could be a 21st century city that works.
When I heard that speech and saw the people I almost upchucked. A well know educator once wrote "The miseducation of the American Negro" Also let me say the people in Baltimore have been Bamboozaled. See you later suckers... I'm moving to the land of lower taxes and people who know how to run a government without getting that hands dirty.
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