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Baltimore Politics Examiner
Showing entries for Category: Rikki-Spector

HarborView Amendment Update And Much More

POSTED June 24, 3:09 PM

I just received an email update from Federal Hill:

Thought you might be interested in knowing that the City Ethics Board quietly rejected the complaint that was filed against Councilwoman Spector with respect to the apparent conflict of interest she had in voting to support the HarborView Amendment to the Key Highway Urban Renewal Ordinance.
Note that the Ethics Board decision is dated and was mailed on June 17^th – one day before the State Prosecutors Raid on the Mayor’s home.
Three days later June 20 the Mayor signed the Bill., creating as much as $17 million in additional future development rights where construction on the site had been fully maxed under the law’s previous restrictive provisions.

Friday night began our weekend of horror with the shootings in Federal Hill.
Yesterday, (according to the Baltimore Sun) the Mayor admits receiving “gifts” (including cash and furs) from “a prominent developer whose projects benefited from tax breaks and zoning changes she supported as City Council President”
This developer (Ron Lipscomb) has ties to Silo Point, the Ritz Condos and HarborView among other prominent projects.

Here is a copy of what the ethics board had to say about Rikki Spector.

Categories: crime , Rikki Spector , developers , Federal Hill , Sheila Dixon , Richard Swirnow , HarborView

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Is This The Big One? Mayor Dixon's House Raided By Investigators

POSTED June 17, 3:42 PM

You can read about it here and here.

The state prosecutor's office has been poking around at Dixon and a few of her associates for two years so this is nothing new. You just don't raid the house of the Mayor of Baltimore at 6AM though. If they are competent (and since they work for the state it is quite possible that they are not) then they must have some very juicy information.

There was an interesting quote in the Sun article from Rikki Spector:

"I have never seen a mayor more focused and transparent in her mayoral position"

Rikki is the last person on City Council I would want to come to my defense on issues pertaining to transparency.

Categories: Rikki Spector , Sheila Dixon

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Ethics Complaint Filed Against Rikki Spector

POSTED June 16, 10:35 PM

A formal complaint has been filed against Councilwoman Rikki Spector with the Baltimore City Board of Ethics. You can view a copy of the first page of the official complaint here.

As you can read the complaint is based on Spector casting the deciding vote on bill 08-0117 (The Urban Renewal - Key Highway - Amendment) while it was still in committee. Rikki Spector lives in the HarborView development (even though she is supposed to live in and represent a district in Northwest Baltimore) and has received campaign contributions from the developer. It is important to note that the 3 councilmen (Cole, Reisinger, and Kraft) representing districts on the water voted against this amendment.

Even if the ethics board lets this slide the final say is really with Mayor Dixon. She has the final say in making the amendment official. We will be watching....

Candidates Account	Contributor Name(Address)	Amount	Date Received	Contribution Type
Dixon, Sheila Friends For	Harborview Limited Partnership No. 7 (500 Harborview Drive 3rd Floor, Baltimore, MD, 21230)	$250.00	04/23/2007	Business Entity
Dixon, Sheila Friends For	HARBORVIEW LIMITED PARTNERSHIP NO.3 (500 HARBORVIEW DRIVE, 3RD FL. , BALTIMORE, MD, 21230)	$500.00	08/04/2003	Business Entity
Dixon, Sheila Friends For	HARBORVIEW LIMITED PARTNERSHIP NO.3 (112 E. 25TH STREET , BALTIMORE, MD, 21218)	$250.00	05/22/2001	Ticket purchases by Business Entity Remarks: 2001 PRAYER BREAKFAST
Spector, Rikki Friends Of	Harborview (112 E. 25th St. , Baltimore, MD, 21218)	$500.00	12/05/2000	Business Entity
Dixon, Sheila Friends For	Richard Swirnow (500 Harbor View Dr 3rd Floor, Baltimore, MD, 21230-5415)	$250.00	04/05/2006	Individual
Spector, Rikki Friends Of	RICHARD SWIRNOW (114 E. 25TH STREET , BALTIMORE, MD, 21212)	$500.00	05/15/2003	Individual

Categories: Rikki Spector , Federal Hill

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The Urban Renewal - Key Highway - Amendment Update

POSTED June 10, 5:49 PM

I have been told that bill 08-0117 (The Urban Renewal - Key Highway - Amendment) passed and has moved on to third reader. Opposed to the bill were: Bill Cole, Mary Pat Clarke, Ed Reisinger, and Jim Kraft. Nick D'Adamo passed on the vote.

People in Federal Hill are not happy. Read the comments under my previous post and check out this email from FHNA President Paul Robinson:

"And in about 48 hours time (since the Urban Affairs vote last Thursday), Swirnow has all but completed construction of a massive guard house at the Warren Avenue “access” to the so-called “Public” promenade along the “waterfront”.

So, now that Council is on the verge of creating brand new development rights (above and beyond those stipulated in the original Key Highway URO) relaxing the lot coverage and height ratios on both Lot #3 and Lot #6, the Mayor and the Council President are going to send Doug McCoach into battle against Swirnow and force him to relinquish these rights on Lot #6 so that the Public Waterfront Park with “active open space” they promised us before last year’s Election actually becomes a reality?

Here’s what will happen. Swirnow will demand that the City sell the Fire Department Repair Facility land to him AT HIS PRICE! Or he will refuse to cooperate at all by accepting tighter development area controls on Lot #6. The City will threaten him by introducing another Amendment to the KHURO changing the boundaries to exclude Lot #6. Swirnow (THE most litigious developer inBaltimore history – ask Michaela Gallagher) and Frank Wise will threaten to sue for irreparable financial damages. Andy Frank will capitulate. The Mayor will come back and apologize.

Game Over…..

What puzzles me is that we suggested a compromise (that was a bitter bill for Federal Hill residents, anyway). Essentially the Amendment (which was rejected by the Mayor and the Council President as “offensive” in that it demonstrated “a lack of trust” in them to keep their commitment to us) required Swirnow to cooperate fully on Lot #6 (Hell - without the Amendment passed yesterday he could build NOTHING there anyway). If he failed to comply, the original KHURO development area controls on both Lot #3 and Lot #6 would be re-instated in full force and effect.

Had the Amendment been introduced and supported it would have boxed Swirnow, the Planning Department and the Administration into a corner. Swirnow would have had no choice but to cooperate. So, when presented the opportunity to either assure Swirnow’s cooperation or provide him with the leverage he needs to negotiate any future Key Highway development deals from a position of greatly increased strength, the powers that be choose the former.

Here’s the real deal. Swirnow staged a couple of fundraisers. The Mayor and Council President did not carry our precincts last fall. Mitchell and Sarbanes did. We couldn’t even deliver the local precinct for Ed.

Welcome to Baltimore politics. Pay-back is Hell!"

Below are some campaign contributions by developer Richard Swirnow and his company HarborView properties:

Candidates Account	Contributor Name(Address)	Amount	Date Received	Contribution Type
Democrats 2000 Slate	Harborview Limited Partnership No. 3 (112 East 25th Street , Baltimore, MD, 21218)	$1,000.00	05/24/2001	Ticket purchases by Business Entity
Dixon, Sheila Friends For	Harborview Limited Partnership No. 7 (500 Harborview Drive 3rd Floor, Baltimore, MD, 21230)	$250.00	04/23/2007	Business Entity
Dixon, Sheila Friends For	HARBORVIEW LIMITED PARTNERSHIP NO.3 (500 HARBORVIEW DRIVE, 3RD FL. , BALTIMORE, MD, 21230)	$500.00	08/04/2003	Business Entity
Dixon, Sheila Friends For	HARBORVIEW LIMITED PARTNERSHIP NO.3 (112 E. 25TH STREET , BALTIMORE, MD, 21218)	$250.00	05/22/2001	Ticket purchases by Business Entity Remarks: 2001 PRAYER BREAKFAST
Ehrlich, Bob For Maryland Committee	Harborview #3 Limited Partnership (c/o Richard Swirnow 500 Harbor View Dr, Baltimore, MD, 21230-5400)	$1,000.00	08/03/2005	Business Entity
Ehrlich, Bob For Maryland Committee	Harborview #7 Limited Partnership (c/o Richard Swirnow 500 Harbor View Dr, Baltimore, MD, 21230-5400)	$1,000.00	08/03/2005	Business Entity
Ehrlich, Bob For Maryland Committee	Harborview Limited Partnership No. 3 (c/o Richard Swirnow 500 Havorview Drive, 3rd Floor, Baltimore, MD, 21230-)	$1,000.00	05/28/2003	Business Entity
Hammen, Peter A. Friends Of	Harborview Properties No. 3 (500 Harborview Dr, 3rd Fl , Baltimore, MD, 21230)	$125.00	10/31/2005	Business Entity
Holton, Helen Citizens For	Harborview Limited Partnership #2 (500 Harborview Drive 3rd Floor, Baltimore, MD, 21230)	$250.00	05/12/2006	Ticket purchases by Business Entity
House Democratic Unity Committee, The Maryland	Harborview Limited Partnership No. 3 (112 East 25th St. , Baltimore, MD, 21218)	$1,000.00	10/02/2002	Business Entity
Jones, Verna L. Friends of	Harborview Limited Partnership #2 (500 Harborview Drive, 3rd Floor , Baltimore, MD, 21230)	$500.00	01/11/2005	Business Entity
Klein, Nicole Pastore Friends Of	Harborview Properties, l.p. (112 east 25st , baltimore, MD, 21218)	$250.00	07/01/2003	Ticket purchases by Business Entity
Kraft, Jim Friends Of	HARBORVIEW LIMITED PARTNERSHIP NO.3 (500 HARBORVIEW DRIVE, 3RD FLOOR , BALTIMORE, MD, 21230)	$250.00	11/08/2005	Business Entity
O'Malley, Martin Friends Of	Harborview Limited Partnership No. 3 (500 Harborview Dr. 3rd Fl., Baltimore, MD, 21230)	$1,000.00	06/20/2005	Business Entity
O'Malley, Martin Friends Of	Harborview Marina, LLC (112 E. 25th Street , Baltimore, MD, 21218)	$100.00	02/05/2003	Ticket purchases by Business Entity
Rawlings-Blake, Stephanie Friends Of	Harborview Limited Partnership No. 7 (500 Harborview Drive 3rd Floor, Baltimore, MD, 21230)	$250.00	05/11/2007	Business Entity
Rawlings-Blake, Stephanie Friends Of	Harborview Limited Partnership No. 3 (112 East 25th Street , Baltimore, MD, 21218)	$250.00	05/11/2007	Business Entity
Rawlings-Blake, Stephanie Friends Of	Harborview Limited Partnership No. 7 (500 Harborview Drive 3rd Floor, Baltimore, MD, 21230)	$250.00	08/09/2005	Business Entity
Rawlings-Blake, Stephanie Friends Of	Harborview Limited Partnership No. 3 (112 East 25th Street , Baltimore, MD, 21218)	$250.00	08/09/2005	Business Entity
Reisinger, Edward L. Friends Of	Harborview Limited Partnership No. 7 (500 Harborview Dr 3RD Floor, Baltimore, MD, 21230)	$250.00	04/11/2007	Business Entity Remarks: Host sponsor
Schaefer, William Donald Friends Of	Harborview Limited Partnership No. 3 (500 Harborview Drive 3rd. Floor, Baltimore, MD, 21230)	$250.00	09/15/2005	Ticket purchases by Business Entity
Schaefer, William Donald Friends Of	Harborview Limited Partnership No. 3 (500 Harborview Drive 3rd. Floor, Baltimore, MD, 21230)	$250.00	06/15/2004	Ticket purchases by Business Entity
Spector, Rikki Friends Of	Harborview (112 E. 25th St. , Baltimore, MD, 21218)	$500.00	12/05/2000	Business Entity
Young, Bernard C. Friends Of	HARBORVIEW LTM PARTNERSHIP #7 (112 EAST 25TH STREET , BALTIMORE, MD, 21218)	$250.00	03/21/2007	Business Entity
Young, Bernard C. Friends Of	HARBORVIEW LTM PARTNERSHIP #7 (112 EAST 25TH STREET , BALTIMORE, MD, 21218)	$500.00	01/19/2001	Business Entity
Dixon, Sheila Friends For	Richard Swirnow (500 Harbor View Dr 3rd Floor, Baltimore, MD, 21230-5415)	$250.00	04/05/2006	Individual
Spector, Rikki Friends Of	RICHARD SWIRNOW (114 E. 25TH STREET , BALTIMORE, MD, 21212)	$500.00	05/15/2003	Individual

Categories: City Council , Rikki Spector , developers , Federal Hill , Sheila Dixon , Richard Swirnow , HarborView

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City Council Is About to Sneak In A Federal Hill Development Amendment

POSTED June 9, 4:02 PM

The email below this post has been floating around message boards and email accounts for the last few hours. It appears that if the amendment in question passes that there will be even more development in Federal Hill brought to us by HarborView Properties.

On Thursday BILL 08-0117 passed its hearing thanks to a vote from HarborView resident and 5th District (and HarborView is NOT in the 5th district) city councilwoman Rikki Spector. You can read a little bit more about Ms. Spector here and here. The second article shows that Rikki gets to live in her condo at HarborView for free for the rest of her life.

Ms. Spector has been a member of the council since I was 6 months old in 1977. The following is what happens when citizens of Baltimore continually vote for the same people over and over again:

"Hey Gang!

The long and the short of my intrusion is to point out the City Council is about to sneak through an amendment that allows a local developer to circumvent the past efforts of FHNA (and other Peninsula organizations) in trying to curtail the unbridled growth along Key Highway. BILL 08-0117 passed its hearing on Thursday and is going to full Council vote tonight, Monday. It doesn't give us much time to mount an opposition, which of course explains the Council's urgent need for accelerated legislation.

My apologies if you have already received a request to sign the petition below. If you haven't acted as of yet, please take a few moments, read the message below from FHNA President Paul Robinson and enlighten yourself on how a member of the City Council be given a "the right to live in a one-bedroom condominium at Harborview, Unit 1109, until she dies, at no charge" and not recuse herself from voting in last Thursday's hearing that greatly benefited the owner of her condominium building.

If you agree with me that City Council back room politics need to stop, then please sign the petition and pass it along to as many friends and neighbors who you think would be opposed to the "business as usual" attitude taken on by our elected City officials.

The Online Petition of Opposition is now up and active. Please add your name (and encourage everyone you know to do so) right now. Only your address will be visible to City leaders.

And please try to attend tonight's City Council Meeting tonight at 5pm as a demonstration of your Opposition to construction of more skyscrapers on the HarborView Property."

Categories: Rikki Spector , Federal Hill

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Preakness, Slots, And Taxes

POSTED May 6, 7:00 PM

It is Preakness time again in Baltimore! Can you name another sporting event in this country where 120,000 people pile in to a non-downtown neighborhood for a sports spectacular? The event is uniquely Baltimore. From 1994 to 2001 I attended five Preaknessses. I can remember the local kids getting paid $5 to push around beer in shopping carts for people who were tired of dragging 3 cases of beer along Northern Parkway. Mount Washington residents charging $20 per car to park in their front yards is another memory that sticks out in my head. The infield is total anarchy and is known in some circles as the Mid-Atlantic Mardi Gras. Pimlico racetrack and many of the nearby residents make a lot of money on the third Saturday of May every year. Preakness is an event that becomes more popular every year and it is an event we can not afford to lose. If the Preakness left it would be like when the Colts left. It would be another embarrassing, disgraceful blow to the collective ego of Baltimore. Baltimore would be one step closer to becoming some faceless boring city like Richmond, El Paso, Cincinnati, or Cleveland.

It is in Baltimore's best interest to save Preakness but slots are not the answer. The horse racing industry and the owners of Pimlico say the state needs slots in order to help make horse racing successful. They threaten to move the Preakness if they do not get their way. A successful business is able to adapt to the current market and come up with creative solutions to survive. Slots are not creative. Once slots come you know the gambling industry leaders will immediately say that slots are not making enough money, that horse racing still will not survive, and that we need casino gambling ASAP.

I think slots are being used by some leaders to act in fiscally irresponsible ways. Mayor Dixon has said that slots would help generate revenue to lower Baltimore property taxes. Instead of finding ways to cut spending the Mayor would rather gamble on slots that may or may not produce new revenue for Baltimore.

People say that slots would improve the area around the track. Would you want slot machines in your neighborhood? If you would then I have no problem with you designating Pimlico or Pigtown the gambling center of Baltimore, but what gives you the right to force hardcore gambling and the lovely people who surround it in to another neighborhood?

I personally believe Pimlico needs to reinvent itself. I remember being 17 years old and going to the track for the first time and loving it. There are a lot of ways to get young people to Pimlico. It is totally self-contained and there is plenty of parking. They could create some sort of mega-bar there and have college kids bused in. The Virgin Festival is already a very successful event. There need to be more events at Pimlico, maybe have some sporting events on the infield or more concerts. Let artists use some space when there is no racing (there is no racing there at least 80% of the year). Rent out different parts of it during the winter. I am just coming up with these ideas as I type so I am sure if you got some creative people together (and I would love to help) you could come up with some amazing totally Baltimore ideas that would help generate loads of revenue that would enable Baltimore to keep the Preakness.

I want to stress that my main goal here is not to be anti-slots at all costs but to rather promote keeping the Preakness, having fiscally responsible leaders, and creating something new and original for Pimlico that will benefit Baltimore on a social and economic level. Now if you want to see a guy who puts anti-gambling high on his lists or priorities I suggest you check out Aaron Meisner (no relation to me). Aaron is a resident of Mount Washington and I believe he would be a great representative of the 5th district on City Council (I know an actual resident of the 5th district on City Council is quite a foreign concept to most). Here are links to anti-slot sites that Aaron is associated with.

Categories: taxes , Rikki Spector , Preakness , Pimlico , Slots , Aaron Meisner

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Constellation Energy Gives Money To These City Council Members

POSTED May 2, 2:36 PM

BG&E electricity rates are rising again. Constellation Energy is the parent company of BG&E and they like to donate money to the following council members' campaign accounts (since 2003). Please note that many of these donations were made after the price hikes of the last few years:

Curran, Bob Friends Of