Congratulations to Sheila Dixon, who won the Democratic mayoral primary Tuesday with the votes of about 11 percent of city adults ? and a full term in office if history proves correct. No Republican has won the mayor?s office since 1963.
She faces many pressing issues as a victor still 40 points short of mandate, but none of them is more important than luring business and jobs back to the city.
Her predecessor, Gov. Martin O?Malley, failed to create jobs, bequeathing her a shrinking job base and population along with a head start on being the murder capital of America.
You may remember an O?Malley campaign claim that his administration created thousands of jobs. Not exactly a lie, but far from the truth.
In his own words: “The claim of the ad is that we?ve created thousands of new jobs. That claim is true. The extrapolation of that is that we?ve created a lot more jobs than we?ve lost. That?s not true.”
According to the Maryland Department of Planning, Baltimore City lost 45,882 jobs from 2000 to 2005. The number of retail establishments fell by 257 and retail sales dropped 11 percent during thattime frame.
The data makes it no coincidence that 64,168 people moved out of the city to surrounding jurisdictions from 2000-2006.
Fewer people means fewer property tax dollars to hire police, teachers, offer vital city services and pay the massive pension and health care bills for city employees.
Dixon has promised to throw “every ounce” of herself into the job, but energy is no substitute for realistic priorities, fundamental integrity and ability to rise above machine politics to serve all citizens.
Her transition team as interim mayor recommended 245 items needing immediate attention. There was no way she could have addressed them in less than a year as interim mayor and no way she will fix them in four years.
But by focusing on opening the city for business she may accomplish many of the items on the list. First on her agenda must be halving property taxes to the same levels as surrounding jurisdictions. It is the key to luring young, well-educated professionals and the employers that want to hire them.
We do not need any more evidence of how high taxes “help” the city.
