QUOTE: “That morning, our nation embarked upon a tireless journey that we still continue today. True heroes came forward in the form of first responders, law enforcement personnel and volunteers to aid these victims, often at the risk — and in many cases the sacrifice — of their own lives.”
– Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-7th, writing, in a statement, about the sacrifices made on Sept. 11, 2001.
BRIGHT BULB: Pratt Street to get a lift. Nothing could be better for Baltimore’s tourism industry than the $100 million face-lift Mayor Sheila Dixon announced Wednesday. It’s a dream for the city — increased foot traffic, bike and bus lanes and overall sprucing sounds great — and it’s not just for tourists. Every Baltimorean can reap the benefits of this renewal.
Honor our Olympians
Parade and ceremonies to cheer Maryland’s Olympians Oct. 4.
The details: We get a chance to say thanks to super champ Michael Phelps, medalist Katie Hoff, Paralympics swimmer Jessica Long and all of the athletes with Maryland connections who gave their all. A parade in Towson will kick off festivities at 3 p.m. Then music, fireworks and a “star-spangled” salute at Fort McHenry will begin at 7 p.m. For a link to all the details, go to Brightest/Worst under the Opinion tab at baltimoreexaminer.com.
We get a kick out of kicking
The Blast soccer team took one in the shins a while back, but pulled out a save this week when owner Ed Hale unveiled the new National Indoor Soccer League.
The details: When the Major Indoor Soccer League folded it had nothing to do with our Blast — it was all about the shareholders. Now, Hale said he’s bringing “fiscal sanity” to the league, and that he has hopes for future expansion. Thanks, Hale for taking care of our soccer needs. For a link to Blast, go to Brightest/Worst under the Opinion tab at baltimoreexaminer.com.
Franchot calls for spending review
State Comptroller Peter Franchot wrote a letter to Gov. Martin O’Malley demanding a top-to-bottom state spending review.
The details: With Maryland facing a third year of extreme debt, we’d all be interested to see the results of a spending review. O’Malley says he’s all about open government, so we can’t wait to hear his response. Visit us on the Web for a link to Franchot’s letter.
Crabbing limits save crustaceans
New crabbing limits took effect Monday that shorten the crabbing season by two months and limit the number of females that can be harvested.
So maybe we Marylanders won’t get to eat so many crabs for a while. But if we don’t build the population back up, none of us will be sitting by the Bayside picking crabs and drinking beer in a few years — and who wants that? If we sacrifice now, maybe we’ll be able to teach our grandchildren to pick Maryland blue crabs the way our parents and grandparents taught us to do it. Yum.
Board approves specialized schools
The Baltimore City school board approved nine transformation schools Tuesday.
The details: Three of these schools are for at-risk students and six are college preparatory schools. As with every school-related decision, there are a lot of people unhappy about the choice, but let’s face it, every student deserves to be educated, and regular school just doesn’t work for everyone. It’s not really free education for all if our students aren’t being challenged or helped to the best of our ability.
OUTRAGE: Pervert preferential
- WHO: State delegate Robert Alan McKee.
- WHAT: McKee, 59, a Hagerstown Republican, pleaded guilty last week to possessing child pornography, including images of sexual abuse of prepubescent boys. Under terms of a plea agreement with federal prosecutors, he will serve 37 to 41 months in prison out of a possible maximum sentence of 10 years and a $250,000 fine.
- WHY THEY ARE DOING IT: Good question. McKee admitted committing his crimes while he was a delegate — since 1995 — and did not resign until after news broke that police searched his home. That’s when he also resigned as executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Washington County. So far, he faces no state charges.
- WHY IT’S A BAD IDEA: The plea deal — along with McKee avoiding arrest and custody other than home detention — smacks of preferential treatment for someone who should be held to a higher standard. Plenty of accused perverts who don’t happen to be lawmakers get the full force of police, with prejudice, when caught and maximum sentences when convicted. The fact that McKee was passing legislation while committing felonies makes his crimes worse. And though there is no proven correlation between pornography and sex crimes, his admitted sexual attraction to children and position leading an agency that is supposed help vulnerable children means further investigation should be mandatory. “Pending what develops in the near future, a decision will be made whether to file charges or not,” Washington County State’s Attorney Charles Strong said. That’s easy, investigate. Authorities must not let this plea deal look like cover-up.
- WHERE TO VENT: Call Strong, 240-313-2000
Governor raising debt allowance
Gov. Martin O’Malley raised the amount of debt Maryland can take on, allowing him to spend $325 millions on school construction.
The details: School construction sounds good, right? Not if it means another year of huge debt. Cuts have to come somewhere. We can’t keep adding to our debt — especially during a time of economic downturn. To add to that, he made this decision against the advice of Maryland’s treasurer and its comptroller.
State chopper excuses don’t fly
Lawmakers weren’t satisfied by the way police officials answered their questions about the helicopter unit.
The details: The management and maintenance problems with the state police helicopter unit were examined by legislative auditors in Annapolis. The audit team was skeptical about whether or not the problems could really be fixed the way the police said they could. They need to get their act together and get this fixed so that Maryland has enough helicopters to respond to emergencies.
Residents resist plans for school
Plans for a new elementary school in Towson (which would alleviate scary overcrowding problems) were met with some community disapproval.
The details: They’re disapproving of decreasing the number of students crammed into already overfilled schools? One of their many objections is that they will be able to see the three-story building from their homes. And another is that the school will be too near to existing private homes. Too bad. That land has been owned by the school system for years, and they have a right to build on it. Next time, don’t build a home near public property if you don’t want your view of the forest spoiled. Getting our children out of trailer classrooms is more important.
Cars disappearing from impound lots
Cars are being withheld from auction and sometimes lost from the city impound lot altogether, according to a tow truck driver who works at the lot.
The details: Inspector General Hilton Green is looking into the alleged improprieties, and we’ll be interested to see the results of a probe into the disappearing vehicles, as we’re sure the owners (who are supposed to get some money from the sale) will be as well. We’re hoping everything is on the up and up, but the evidence doesn’t look good so far.
City water ploy soaks residents
A Baltimore City-owned apartment complex is charging residents for up to four years of overdue water bills.
The details: Apparently, the management company at Townes at the Terraces told residents they needed to sign a paper or be evicted — and that paper allowed the company to slam residents with thousands of dollars of water bills. The worst part? Many of the complex’s residents are supporting their families off of one paycheck, like one resident who supports her four children with $20,000 a year. It’s not OK for the city to abuse residents just because they think those residents won’t fight back. Someone slipped up here, but it sure doesn’t sound like it was the residents.
