Due out today from the Mayor’s troop, a proposed map of redrawn city council districts that must be finalized by April 1st, effects that would last for at least the next 10 years. The proposed redrawn districts (you can see the illustration here) would drastically change the makeup of certain districts, and depending on your take of the proposal, it’s either to group neighborhoods of a similar makeup together so that districts are better represented, or mostly politically oriented to curry favor by the mayor from seated and future council members. The centerpiece of the redistricting process are districts 9, 10, and 11, which would undergo rather striking transformations which beg at least a certain level of examination. District 11, in particular, would swell in size (nearly double) to include … Read entire article »

Hey! Ever wonder how you, your average schlub, could run for a position on Baltimore’s illustrious City Council without all of the fuss and muss of having to actually live in the district you’d be representing? It’s easy! Rent a house/shell/carport in your district of choice Occasionally hang out there for a bit, rearranging things in an effort to make it look “lived in” Have some mail sent there, possibly a Kohl’s catalog or coupons Run for City Council! It’s as easy as falling into a manhole! This is, after all, what 5th district official Rikki Spector has been doing for the past 10+ years as a councilperson, a little tidbit I noticed from a Sun article yesterday in which the city’s Ethics Committee had to ask her to stop making requests to drop mold citations … Read entire article »

Email dispatch from City Hall, one I think we can all agree on. COME SUPPORT TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY On Monday, November 1, 2010, at 5 p.m., the City Council’s Judiciary and Legislative Investigations Committee will hold a hearing to explore the possibility of broadcasting proceedings from the Liquor Board, Board of Municipal Zoning Appeals and Board of Estimates, which represent three of the city’s most influential decision-making bodies. Most citizens are kept in the dark about decisions made by these powerful boards – which rule on everything from zoning changes to the awarding of multi-million dollar construction contracts – because they are not currently televised, and the meetings often take place during the day when people are at work. City Council President Bernard C. “Jack” Young introduced the Transparency and Accountability Bill (TAB) on … Read entire article »