The Examiner?s investigation of bogus parking tickets led to one parking officer being suspended without pay and to the city State?s Attorney Patricia Jessamy deciding to investigate multiple claims of agents writing illegitimate tickets. City Inspector General Hilton Green said he?s examining at least 68 incidents and Mayor Sheila Dixon has promised to “get to the bottom” of the problem and overhaul city parking enforcement.

» Former Police Commissioner Leonard Hamm lying to pension board

When former Commissioner Leonard Hamm wrote a letter to the Fire and Police Employees? Retirement System board saying Deputy Commissioner Marcus Brown had been “laid off” he abused his power and purposely intended to defraud Baltimore City taxpayers. A technicality allows those whose positions have been eliminated to draw a pension if they have served at least 15 years on the force, a qualification Brown met, making him eligible for a full $55,529 annual pension. The problem is he accepted a job as chief of police for the Maryland Transportation Authority three days prior to his supposed layoff. And the second issue is that Frederick Bealefeld filled his position. Normally, officers must work 20 years to receive full pension benefits.

» Baltimore City Council refusing to lower property taxes

OK. That?s not entirely accurate. They lopped a couple of pennies off the rate, but taxes still stand at least twice as high as those throughout the rest of the state. With nonprofits gobbling up property in the city and a huge local, state and federal government presence, it means a virtually stagnant city population must pay a bigger share of the burden for vital city services. About 26 percent of the property in the city is tax exempt ? the highest percentage in the state. Without lowering taxes, revitalizing this city is impossible. As presidential candidate Barack Obama loves to mention, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results.”

» State auditors aiding and abetting mortgage crisis

A Department of Legislative Services Audit released recently showed the office in charge of regulating mortgage companies and commercial banks couldn?t keep track of its own money and delayed or forgot to audit those responsible for so many loans now in foreclosure. Why do we pay for regulators when their incompetence makes them worthless?

» Columbia Association officers paying themselves like royalty

The quasi-governmental group oversees the 40-year old Columbia, founded by developer James Rouse to be a model of racial and economic diversity. Five of the seven top officers at the homeowner?s association earned more than $100,000 in fiscal 2007; President Maggie Brown earned $207,973 with her bonus. The average adult in Columbia makes about $41,000 a year, according to 2006 Mapinfo/AnySite Demographics. As a private nonprofit, the group is free to set its own salaries. But the lofty salaries and fees it extracts from homeowners belie its “community service mission” and its commitment to fostering diversity.

» The Ravens record

How could those with Super Bowl hopes end their season with a 5-11 record, the second-worst in franchise history? We can only afford one losing team in this city.

» The black firefighter who left a noose in a Baltimore City firehouse

The noose and its accompanying note mentioning investigations into cheating by black firefighters on exams spurred calls for a federal investigation and was immediately branded a hate crime by the NAACP. The local president of the NAACP, Marvin “Doc” Cheatham, and black firefighters group the Vulcan Blazers quickly labeled the noose a symbol of the racism in the department. It turns out a black firefighter placed the noose. Patience, anyone?

» BaltCo employee claiming “jungle bunny” refers to “Energizer bunny”

Graceann Shipe, 42, who is white, asked a white co-worker in March to turn down a “Journey” song on the radio. According to county records, she said did not want to listen to “their jungle-bunny music,” pointing toward the desks of two black co-workers. She is taking the county to court to overturn a decision by the county?s Personnel and Salary Review Advisory Board that suspended her for one day, transferred her to another department and docked her pay by $1-an-hour. She said the term “jungle bunny” referred to “the Energizer bunny, loud and obnoxious with noisy, banging cymbals,” according to board documents. C?mon. At 42 she should know better. And the fact that she asked to turn down a song from the band responsible for such out-of-control ballads including “Faithfully” and “Don?t stop Believing” ? makes it even crazier.

» Mayor Sheila Dixon?s extravagant extravaganza week of inaugural exuberance

It?s a late entry in the highly competitive 2007 Maryland Blunderfest. She blew $728,000 on the ceremony, a ball, a fete for city employees, a parade and events supposedly honoring the city?s elderly and families. Sure, she raised ? extorted? ? the money “privately” from businesses and a union that do business with the City, but you can bet taxpayers will end up paying for it all somehow. What? Contributors anted up just for one of Dixon?s trademark, admittedly beautiful smiles? It?s bad enough when rich, right-wing Republicans party large at the public trough. At least they?re not hypocrites. When liberal left-wing Democrats do it, deceit compounds profligacy. If Dixon can conjure that much money, why not apply it to the $2.9 billion unfunded retiree health care liability City residents will be stuck with for generations?