Donald C. Fry is the President of the Greater Baltimore Committee. He is a resident of Harford County and he holds no elected political office in the region. When a controversial Baltimore City issue like the Red Line is brought up his opinion is always mentioned prominently by the media. Mr. Fry has not been elected by the citizens of Baltimore to represent them though. He is in charge of the GBC:
"The mission of the Greater Baltimore Committee is to improve the business climate of the Greater Baltimore region by organizing its corporate and civic leadership to develop solutions to the problems that affect the region’s competitiveness and viability."
That is a nice mission statement and it appears that such big talk by the GBC automatically makes it a voice that is louder and considered more important than the actual citizens of Baltimore. The GBC is part of the shadow government that guides Baltimore City behind the scenes. The path that the GBC and other organizations like it choose for Baltimore City is not always the best one for its citizens. The Red Line is a prime example of this. The Baltimore Sun blindly listed the people who support the Red Line Alternative 4C that the governor supports:
"But the governor's choice is the clear favorite of Baltimore business and political heavyweights. Among those joining O'Malley at the Red Line announcement were U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings, Baltimore City Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Greater Baltimore Committee President Donald C. Fry and representatives of Mayor Sheila Dixon and Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith."
Why is Donald Fry even mentioned in the same paragraph as our elected officials? Is he king of Baltimore?
For months the people over at the Transit Riders Action Council of Metropolitan Baltimore (TRAC) and I have been saying that Alternative 4C and any other red line plan that is mostly on the surface and is light rail is a total waste of money. TRAC has not come out with an official statement on the selection of the 4C plan but one of their leaders (Nate Payer) did post some well thought out statements over at this blog.
Do not be fooled by the so-called big names and big organizations who say that light rail is the best solution to the Red Line dilemma and that people who are against this plan are only NIMBY's. TRAC has proven on numerous occasions through well thought out logic that Heavy Rail is the only logical solution. All the plans presented by all the so-called big names and groups are nothing more than development schemes designed to enrich a few.
| Candidates Account | Contributor Name(Address) | Amount | Date Received | Contribution Type |
| Pugh, Catherine E. Committee to Elect | DONALD FRY (1716 EDWIN DR , BELAIR, MD, 21015) |
$250.00 | 01/12/2009 | Individual |
| Rawlings-Blake, Stephanie For Baltimore | Donald Fry (1716 Edwin Drive , Bel Air, MD, 21015-1500) |
$250.00 | 04/22/2008 | Individual |
| Rawlings-Blake, Stephanie For Baltimore | Donald Fry (1716 Edwin Drive , Bel Air, MD, 21015-1500) |
$500.00 | 10/15/2007 | Individual |
| Rawlings-Blake, Stephanie Friends Of | Donald Fry (1716 Edwin Drive , Bel Air, MD, 21015-1500) |
$100.00 | 04/21/2004 | Individual |
| Rosenberg, Sandy Citizens For | Donald Fry (1716 Edwin Drive , Belair, MD, 21015) |
$100.00 | 10/25/2004 | Ticket purchases by Individuals |
| Rosenberg, Sandy Citizens For | Donald Fry (1716 Edwin Drive , Belair, MD, 21015) |
$150.00 | 07/01/2003 | Individual |
| Sarbanes, Michael Friends Of | Donald Fry (1716 Edwin Drive , Bel Air, MD, 21015) |
$250.00 | 09/05/2007 | Individual |
| Smith, Jim Friends Of | Donald Fry (1716 Edwin Dr. , Bel Air, MD, 21015) |
$300.00 | 03/28/2008 | Individual |
| Ulman, Ken Friends Of | Donald Fry (1716 Edwin Drive , Bel Air, MD, 21015) |
$100.00 | 02/28/2007 | Individual |
| Young, Bernard C. Friends Of | DONALD FRY (1716 EDWIN DRIVE , BELAIR, MD, 21015) |
$150.00 | 11/04/2005 | Individual |
| Zirkin, Bobby Committee to Elect | Donald Fry (1716 Edwin Drive , Bel Air, MD, 21015) |
$100.00 | 01/08/2009 | Ticket purchases by Individuals |
| Zirkin, Bobby Committee to Elect | Donald Fry (1716 Edwin Dr , Bel Air, MD, 21015) |
$250.00 | 07/26/2006 | Ticket purchases by Individuals |
| Mitchell, Keiffer Jackson Jr. Friends Of | Donald Fry (111 S. Calvert St. , Baltimore, MD, 21202) |
$250.00 | 10/05/2005 | Individual |
| Mitchell, Keiffer Jackson Jr. Friends Of | Donald Fry ( 1716 Edwin Drive, Bel Air, MD, 21015) |
$125.00 | 03/29/2004 | Individual |
| O'Malley, Martin Friends Of | Donald Fry (1716 Edwin Dr. , Bel Air, MD, 21015-1500) |
$1,000.00 | 10/19/2007 | Individual |
| O'Malley, Martin Friends Of | Donald Fry (111 South Calvert Street Suite 1700, Baltimore, MD, 21202-6174) |
$40.00 | 02/25/2005 | Individual |
| O'Malley, Martin Friends Of | Donald Fry (1716 Edwin Drive , Bel Air, MD, 21015) |
$250.00 | 05/14/2003 | Ticket purchases by Individuals |
| Oaks, Nathaniel Committee To Re-Elect | Donald Fry (1716 Edwin Dr. , Belair, MD, 21015) |
$185.00 | 01/04/2007 | Ticket purchases by Individuals Remarks: Donation |
| McHale, Brian K. Friends Of | DONALD FRY (1716 EDWIN DRIVE , BEL AIR, MD, 21015) |
$125.00 | 01/05/2006 | Ticket purchases by Individuals |
| McHale, Brian K. Friends Of | DONALD FRY (1716 EDWIN DRIVE , BEL AIR, MD, 21015) |
$250.00 | 06/25/2004 | Ticket purchases by Individuals |
| Holton, Helen Citizens For | Donald Fry (1716 Edwin Dr , Bel Air, MD, 21015) |
$250.00 | 05/21/2007 | Individual |
| Jones, Verna L. Friends of | Donald Fry (1716 Edwin Dr. , Bel Air, MD, 21015) |
$100.00 | 01/11/2005 | Ticket purchases by Individuals |
| Kirk, Ruth M. Friends Of | Donald Fry (1716 Edwin Drive , Bel Air, MD, 21015-1500) |
$50.00 | 08/12/2004 | Ticket purchases by Individuals |
| Kraft, Jim Friends Of | Donald Fry (1716 Edwin Dr. , Bel Air, MD, 21015-1500) |
$100.00 | 04/05/2005 | Ticket purchases by Individuals |
| McFadden, Nathaniel J. for Senate | DONALD FRY (1716 EDWIN DRIVE , BEL AIR, MD, 21015) |
$250.00 | 01/11/2007 | Individual |
| McFadden, Nathaniel J. for Senate | DONALD FRY (1716 EDWIN DRIVE , BEL AIR, MD, 21015) |
$250.00 | 01/08/2007 | Individual |
| Dixon, Sheila Friends For | Donald Fry (1716 Edwin Drive , Bel Air, MD, 21015) |
$500.00 | 04/12/2007 | Individual |
| Dixon, Sheila Friends For | DONALD FRY (1716 EDWIN DRIVE , BEL AIR, MD, 21015-1500) |
$250.00 | 03/23/2004 | Ticket purchases by Individuals |
Comments
Why do the ministers, media and developers who live in the counties rule the city? It just is that way. This is Baltimore and the ones who say they want the best for the city are thugs. Those who care are the vast minority. we are in a tough position. Very few people see Baltimore City as it is.
I foresee a time in the very near future where Baltimore City and Baltimore County merge into one entity. It is the only way it can survive. Meanwhile, there are many more gift cards and electronic games purchases yet to happen.
"Why do the ministers, media and developers who live in the counties rule the city?" Because they milk the city and retreat to the burbs. Baltimore is a playground for these people. You can get in cheap with great tax incentives, then walk away when it flops. Baltimore citizens must unite and reclaim the city from the developers, city hall, and street criminals. It's the only way things will improve. City hall and developers just spin wheels and exchange money while the city crumbles.
Adam, great article - thank you. We all know that the "Hapless
Quartet" - O'Malley, Kay, Fry and Dixon (although she's only along for the ride) backed into this LPA from the beginning. The fix was in from day one. Reminds me of the old saying "figures don't lie but liars do figure"
We have a bad problem of cronyism in this city and state. We have a great recycling program in the city and state that work also. We recycle the same old dead thinking politicos back in office to make brainless decisions over our lives daily. We are the most taxed people in this state and have nothing to show for it. Our schools are closing, we don't vote, and we are BS'ed to everyday by a newspaper and media that is slanted to whomever is in power at the time. Uninformed people are ripe for destruction and control. We see it now already today, every four years they come back into your neighborhoods and lie to you about what they are doing which is absolutely nothing but lining their pockets and think about how to get reelected. Think about it people when did you elected official ever sponsored a bill in office that did not have some kind of tax, fee, or charge that would come back and bite you in your butts. Taxation without representation is alive and well in Maryland.
Mr. Fry sure knows how to evenly distribute the cash around. It's always good to be owed favors at various levels of government.
Don Fry is scum. Baltimore unfortunately is inhabited by a majority with no education; therefore, it is very hard to dislodge this interloper from the scene when he and his WASP allies who live in Homeland, Monkton, etc. really pull all the strings.
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