Former Baltimore City Councilman Kenneth Harris, who lost the race for City Council president last year, has re-emerged as a political commentator for Fox 45 news and the “C4 Show” on WBAL. Harris took a few minutes to give The Examiner his opinion on city politics.
How would you rate the Dixon administration thus far?
I give them a B. Crime is down. I have to give them credit for showing improvement in terms of crime. They?ve also done a decent job controlling spending considering the financial challenges in today?s economy.
Any missteps by the Dixon administration that stand out?
The whole parking problem is something that needs to be addressed. The mayor should overhaul the system to let the public know that things have been fixed. The public needs to have confidence that the parking system in the city is fair.
Who is the person to watch on the City Council?
Jack Young. He threatened to hold up the budget if they didn?t move a homeless shelter out of his district. He?s also questioning the lack of diversity in the city police command staff. He seems to be the conscience of the people. He has a future beyond the council.
The mayor recently said she would not meet with the black police officers union, the Vanguard. What do you make of her statement?
It surprised me. I think government should be transparent and it should be open to everyone. She should keep an open door. It?s better to hear people out than to let the problems linger, and in this case, it was a bad call.
