Adam Meister's scribe spreads his innate enthusiasm for all things Baltimore--and, in particular, the political inner workings of his beloved hometown.

More Articles
Topics

Video From NAACP Meeting About Slots- What the Mayor And Governor Really Thought

Pigtown's Frustration Evident At Crime Summit

Shame On Elijah Cummings And The Maryland Congressional Delegation.

Report From The Live Entertainment Ordinance Hearing

Sheila Dixon And 2101 East Biddle Street

Stephanie Rawlings-Blake

Sharon Green Middleton

Examiner Feeds

These websites were picked by the Baltimore Politics Examiner as useful resources.

View: All Sources

Is Justice

Baltimore Crime Blog - 7 hrs ago

Two shootings, two dead in Harm City...

Baltimore Crime Blog - 7 hrs ago

July 2008 Home Inventory

Baltimore Housing Bubble - 8 hrs ago

Foreclosure Crisis & Rental Advice

Baltimore Housing Bubble - 8 hrs ago

Anne Arundel County Health Officer Goes To State

Maryland Politics Today - 17 hrs ago

Informative Local Blogs

Sites That Help Uncover The Truth

Baltimore Examiners

Latonya Parker
Baltimore Entertainment Examiner
Most Recent Post
Like butter baby

Arika Casebolt
Baltimore Beauty Examiner
Most Recent Post
Pumpkin Head

Heather Perlberg
Baltimore Art and Theater Examiner
Most Recent Post
20th annual Baltimore Open Studio Tour

Dylan Waugh
Maryland Terrapins Basketball Examiner
Most Recent Post
Dave Neal Interview, Part I

Gwyneth Carmichael
Baltimore Nightlife Examiner
Most Recent Post
Our October Road to the Beer Garden

New Arena in Baltimore Could Mean A 6.5% Sales Tax

23 comments

July 25, 6:15 PM

by Adam Meister, Baltimore Politics Examiner

So they are trying to force a new arena down our throats. Apparently the state (the tax payers) will pay for most of it. John Moag says that it could cost close to $400 million. Last year the citizens of Maryland were told that we had a budget shortfall and that our sales tax would go from 5% to 6% in order to generate $780 million. The current arena is profitable by the way. Would you rather the state magically come up with $400 million for a new arena or would you rather them not spend money they either have or do not have and drop the sales tax back to 5%?

If we had a budget shortfall last year then I do not see how we suddenly have an extra $400 million to overpay politically connected developers to build a new arena that we do not need. The state is setting a horrible example by spending money they do not have on things they do not need!

We are not getting another major league professional team! We will just end up like Kansas City with a brand new arena and a few more events a year. Do you really want to be the next Kansas City or do you want to be Seattle where they stand up to the corporate bully otherwise known as the NBA?

Right now our arena is profitable and it is a positive economic contributor to Baltimore. At the end of the day after you consider the following factors will Baltimore and Maryland end up in a better economic situation once the new arena is built?

To build a new arena the old one must be shut down for two years. No revenue will be generated, no taxes will be collected, no people will come to an event and spend at surrounding businesses, no parking garages will be filled...
The new arena will cost close to $400 million. Where will the money come from?
How quickly will the arena be able to generate a +$400 million impact for the state of Maryland?
Will we end up with a 6.5% sales tax to fund this new arena?
Once the new arena is fully operational will it be as profitable as the old one?
Once the new arena is fully operational will it really attract new events that the old one could not? How profitable will these events be and how much money will they bring in for the local economy?

For more info: Read Rick Maese

Topics: taxes , Government waste , NBA , new arena

Feed

Comments

Video From NAACP Meeting About Slots- What the Mayor And Governor Really Thought

1 comment

October 7, 3:35 PM

The following is a must see video from the NAACP meeting about slots: It starts out with some theatrics from Doc Cheatham, but intertwined with his sometimes hilarious words are hard disgraceful facts about Martin O'Malley and Sheila Dixon.... Read More
Topics: Martin O'Malley , Sheila Dixon , Jill Carter , NAACP , Doc Cheatham , Heber Brown , Peter Franchot

Feed

Comments

Pigtown's Frustration Evident At Crime Summit

2 comments

October 6, 9:16 AM

The people of Pigtown have been very frustrated with the revolving door criminal justice system of Baltimore for the past few years. I have posted summaries that dealt with crime summits they have held to address specific concerns. Below is an email... Read More
Topics: Patricia Jessamy , pigtown , Dan Cosgrove

Feed

Comments

Shame On Elijah Cummings And The Maryland Congressional Delegation.

13 comments

October 4, 1:33 PM

The irresponsible banker bailout bill was approved by congress and signed into law by the President this week. Roscoe Bartlett was the only member of the Maryland congressional delegation who voted against it. I am appalled that Elijah Cummings voted... Read More
Topics: Elijah Cummings , Roscoe Bartlett

Feed

Comments

Report From The Live Entertainment Ordinance Hearing

2 comments

October 3, 12:15 PM

Yesterday at City Hall there was a hearing to discuss the proposed live entertainment ordinance (read the official legislative file here). Below is an email I received that describes what happened at the hearing. In these times of economic uncertainty... Read More
Topics: Federal Hill , Stephanie Rawlings-Blake , Live Entertainment

Feed

Comments

Sheila Dixon And 2101 East Biddle Street

4 comments

October 2, 3:14 PM

Today the Sun came out with an informative piece about the Mayor Dixon investigation. It appears that the state is interested in investigating four development projects with which Ronald H. Lipscomb is involved. The Sun mentions a project at 2101 East... Read More
Topics: Sheila Dixon , Ronald Lipscomb

Feed

Comments

Dixon, Slots, And More.

2 comments

October 1, 8:52 PM

Rosh Hashanah is over so I am back to naming names and exposing the underbelly of local politics. WBAL TV finally gave us a Mayor Dixon investigation update on Tuesday. So far they are the only media outlet to give a recent update about this saga. One... Read More
Topics: Slots , Sheila Dixon , Square Off , Jill Carter , Doni Glover

Feed

Comments

Pigtown Fights The Revolving Door Criminal Justice System

3 comments

September 29, 5:38 PM

In the past I have posted about crime in Pigtown and what the proactive neighbors are doing down there to fight it. Well they are at it again! Some citizens of Pigtown are about to have another crime summit with the police and the State's Attorney's... Read More
Topics: Patricia Jessamy , pigtown , Dan Cosgrove

Feed

Comments

Police Involved Shooting In Reservoir Hill- Baltimore in Miniature

2 comments

September 28, 11:58 PM

On Thursday police were in Reservoir Hill on patrol when they encountered a drug suspect in the Madison-Park North housing project. Madison-Park North is known as a drug haven in the area and many nearby neighbors want police to be around there more... Read More
Topics: police , Baltimore Sun , Reservoir Hill

Feed

Comments

Proposed Live Entertainment Ordinance Causes Controversy

Add a Comment

September 27, 11:07 PM

The proposed live entertainment ordinance is causing a lot of controversy in the Baltimore entertainment community. I have already received two emails about it and there is a post about it in this City Paper blog. Below is part of an email I received:... Read More
Topics: 4AM Last Call , Stephanie Rawlings-Blake , Live Entertainment

Adam Meister

Examiner Feeds

Informative Local Blogs

Sites That Help Uncover The Truth

Baltimore Examiners

New Arena in Baltimore Could Mean A 6.5% Sales Tax

Comments

More from Baltimore Politics Examiner

Comments

Comments

Comments

Comments

Comments

Comments

Comments

Comments