Latest Neighborhood Celebs

Local neighbors Liz and Ryan Hopkins had their Mt. Washington home featured in the Dream Home section of the Sun today. You can read the whole article HERE.

Special Session—Especially Bad for Maryland

A special session removes the safeguards that were put in place to assure us of open and transparent government. The state Constitution provides for a General Assembly meeting of ninety days each year. This allows complex issues to be fully explored through public hearings, discussion, deliberation, and careful consideration. When large and complex issues are forced into Special Session, the volume of discourse and therefore the level of public participation is significantly reduced. Our tax code has been in a state of disarray for many decades. Governors have been warning us of the structural deficit since Spiro Agnew. The idea that there is some sort of crisis at hand is largely manufactured to create an atmosphere more conducive to special interests than to quality legislation.

A special session concentrates power in the hands of a small group of lawmakers. Because any tax package will be created almost entirely by those lawmakers fortunate enough to be in positions of fiscal leadership within the General Assembly, those who sit on other committees, or who lack leadership posts, will be excluded from the formulation of the revenue package. For many Marylanders this means that they will have no representation at the table as this package is developed. The lobbyists will be there representing the special interests, but the elected voices of most Marylanders will be locked out of the process.

A special session lacks the campaign finance safeguards of the regular General Assembly. Before the regular session begins each lawmaker, including the Governor, is required to disclose any fundraising activities of the more recent period. This is done so that we have a transparent view of the people and entities making cash contributions to each lawmaker. This important safeguard protects the very integrity of the process. But there is no such requirement during a special session. In fact, lawmakers can feel free to solicit and receive campaign contributions even during a special session. Developing a $2 billion tax package without financial disclosure is an insult to every taxpayer.

The proposed timing of the special session creates additional uncertainty about our revenue picture. Because the Comptroller’s Office will not release the updated revenue estimates until mid to late-December, making forced decisions in November is particularly unwise. Given the current changes occurring in the economy, waiting a few extra weeks for the correct and updated information is the only proper course.

A special session reduces the power of the General Assembly while increasing the power of the Governor. In the regular session, a balance of power is maintained between the legislative and executive branches of government. The executive branch relies on the legislature to pass any tax measures. And since the legislature cannot add spending to the budget, it relies on the Governor to place any new items into the budget. This creates a negotiating environment where cooperation is imperative. In the proposed special session the issue at hand is revenues—not spending. When the Governor asks a legislator for his or her vote, all he has to offer in return is his assurances of help in the regular January session. This undermines the constitutionally created bargaining power of each lawmaker and ultimately serves to concentrate still more power in the hands of the Governor.

Magna Takes Full Control of Maryland Jockey Club

Magna Entertainment, which bought a partial interest in Laurel and Pimlico a few years back, has exercised their option to pay Joe and Karin DeFrancis $18.3 million for their remaining stake in the Maryland Jockey Club. While Joe DeFrancis will stay on the board, Karin's role doesn't seem to be clear. She had been running Pimlico (into the ground) for the past few years and had a reputation for being a total pain to deal with from a business perspective.

It's hard to know what all of this means. Could it be that Magna sees better odds for the passage of slots and finds the $18.3 million to be a bargain? Could be. A single slots license in Maryland is worth over half a billion dollars. While they would have to pay the DeFrancis family for a few years, that still leaves one very large windfall that they can use for lobbying for their next slots location. Rockville? Owings Mills?

Things are sure getting intersesting. Article HERE.

Wheel of Misfortune Spins

It's been a few years since I led the charge to inform Mt. Washington residents about the downside of a casino, racino, slots barn, or whatever you care to call it at Pimlico. Recently, a few people have asked me to explain the basics of the argument against gambling. It's free money, after all. Well, maybe not.

Tom Larkin, a psychologist at a SMART Recovery, makes some astute points and touches on many of the major arguments in his recent piece in today's Boston Herald, and I urge you to read the whole piece, but here is an exerpt that should get you thinking about the stakes involved as we go through another slots-related political drama.

"About 65 percent of gambling dollars come from about 10 percent of the public. A study by the National Institute on Mental Health concluded that 60 percent of addicted gamblers had a yearly income of under $25,000. Gambling victimizes the poor and emotionally needy.

In Atlantic City, except for an increase in pawn shops, the number of small businesses decreased after casinos opened. There were 311 taverns and restaurants before casinos opened and only 66 remained open 16 years later. Over time, there was no change in per capita income as increases in some industries were offset by reductions in others. A 1994 congressional hearing estimated the taxpayer cost of each pathological gambler to be from $10,000 to $52,000 a year. Iowa found that with each new casino, problem gamblers increased 200 percent within 50 miles.

Bankruptcy rates also increased. Similar increases were noted in Louisiana and Maryland. The American Insurance Institute estimates that 40 percent of white collar crime has its roots in gambling and accounts for about $1.3 billion in insurance fraud.

Gambling problems cause a direct increase in divorce, embezzlement, bankruptcy and child neglect and abuse. South Dakota saw an increase from 300 to 500 in reports of children in need of protective services and case filings of abuse and neglect rose by 15 percent the year after opening casinos."

Fall MWIA Newsletter

The fall issue of the MWIA newsletter was published online today. Hard copies will be mailed out as usual, but you can preview it HERE.

Trivia info: the newsletter is the single largest MWIA budget item.

Special Session: Bad Idea Part One

Governor O'Malley has started his charm offensive for his $2 billion revenue package with a "kitchen table" meeting with a family in Baltimore County. This is the way to build enthusiasm for his revenue package, and for the Special Session that he is advocating.

As you may know, the General Assembly meets for ninety days each year starting in January. Very rarely there arises an urgent crisis that demands that the Assembly be brought back to Annapolis in a Special Session. The presiding officers of each body draft the bill, along with their top lieutenants, and then all of the legislators are called together for a quick vote once all of the details have been hammered out. While this may be the only way of dealing with problems that crop up during the year, this is far from the ideal atmosphere for making good laws.

Right now, O'Malley has a tax package in mind that would raise $2 billion dollars. While it seems pretty clear that we need some new revenues to run the state ($1.5 billion), one has to wonder if a Special Session is the right way to do this. This session will address legislation of great complexity with many moving parts, many gored oxen, and many unforeseen consequences.

In our country we abhor the idea of Taxation Without Representation. Our forefathers ruined a lot of perfectly good tea over the issue. But what good is representation if it is uninformed and rushed into voting on slap-dash bills without proper consideration? Without proper opportunity to study and to hear testimony from those most impacted? By agreeing to make laws in such hothouse conditions, we are surrendering our representation--Always a bad idea.

Now this is worth a look...

I gave Helen Holton and Jack Young a hard time over their pants bill. But this is very interesting and very important. I am beginning to think that the War on Drugs is killing the city of Baltimore. Somebody needs to start asking these questions:


Informational Hearing - Is Legalization of Drugs the Answer for Baltimore
City?

07-0327R

FOR the purpose of requesting representatives of the Baltimore City Health
Department and the Baltimore City Police Department to brief the council about
the effects of the War on Drugs and discuss alternatives to our current drug
policies; to encourage an open dialogue on the effectiveness of the imprisoning
non-violent drug offenders; and examining the potential for treatment centers
where care is available on demand and where drugs can be provided legally by
medical professionals

Sponsors: Bernard C. 'Jack' Young and Helen L. Holton
RESOLUTION
JUDICIARY AND LEGISLATIVE INVESTIGATIONS COMMITTEE

Your City Council at Work

It seems that our City Council wants to spend some time debating why kids wear clothes that annoy parents. I'm searching for a word. What could that word be? Oh, here it is: DUH! Kids wear clothes that annoy parents in order to annoy parents. Crikey! You would think that some people were never teenagers. A friend points out that you can tell it's dumb if they can't find a committee that fits the bill. Since when did the Public Safety Committee take up pants?

An Invitation to Engage in Constructive Dialogue - Baltimore City Youth:
Why Are Some of Your Pants Hanging So Low?

FOR the purpose of inviting Baltimore City's youth to engage in dialogue with
members of the City Council, parents, grandparents, teachers, mentors, members of
the faith-based community, juvenile justice professionals, and other interested
parties to address the popular practice of wearing certain kinds of clothing, such as
baggy, low hanging pants, and other fashions that adults find socially and
esthetically objectionable; to explore the historical and social implication of such
practices that give rise to and reinforce negative stereotyping and form the basis for
society's objections; and to ascertain if legislation similar to that introduced in state
and local legislatures across the country is a desirable, meaningful, and effective
means of dealing with this and other issues that threaten to divide youth and adults
and impede young people from garnering the respect they desire and deserve.
07-0329R
Sponsors:
Helen L. Holton and Bernard C. 'Jack' Young
RESOLUTION
PUBLIC SAFETY SUBCOMMITTEE

21209.org Endorsements

Real quick, because I have a long day tomorrow and it's late. Here are my endorsements for the races that count:

1) Mayor: Sheila Dixon. Sure, she has a few problems. Sure, she may even be indicted. But I have been impressed with her work, with her appointments, and with her 1,000 watt energy. Keiffer is a good guy, but I just don't feel comfortable with his attitudes about the compromise between doing what's good for business and doing what's good for Baltimore. Sometimes there is more to policy than jobs, and Keiffer doesn't seem to get that.

2) City Council President: Michael Sarbanes. I have been working my tail off for this guy because I think he raises the bar on the City Council. By raising expectations, he is going to make Council members work for it. No more slacking--yes Rikki, I mean you.

3) 5th District City Council: NOBODY. Sadly, Rikki gets a free pass with no opposition, which is a damned shame. But that doesn't mean you have to vote for her. I could go on and on about why I'm so unimpressed with her, but I think I'll get some sleep instead.

See you at the polls!

A Note from the President

Just a reminder that the MWIA does NOT endorse candidates for any office and, while we encourage everyone to vote, does NOT favor anycandidate or slate of candidates.

I recently received a mailing from a group called "Mount Washingtonfor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake". Apparently some people in theneighborhood thought this was somehow associated with the ImprovementAssociation. It was NOT. Please consider the candidates carefully and make your own decision.

See you at the polls.Mac Nachlas
President, MWIA

Fake Mt. Washington

There was letter waiting for me when I got home today. It was from "Mount Washington for Stephanie Rawlings-Blake." I have spent a good part of the last week knocking on doors and talking to neighbors, and I haven't seen a lot of support for Stephanie here. So I was impressed that this letter was signed by twelve Mt. Washington residents. Or not, as it turns out.

Of the twelve, only six live here. The rest do not and are only pretending to be the voice of the neighborhood. And the fakers are:

Senator Lisa Gladden: She has told me that Mt. Washington doesn't even vote for her. Lisa, I voted for you!

Delegate Sandy Rosenberg: A fantastic legislator who represents us really well, but who lives in Coldspring New Town.

Councilwoman Rikki Spector: This is confusing. She is now pretending to live in Mt. Washington while pretending to live on Park Heights Avenue, but ACTUALLY (are you following this?) living at Harbor View. I'd hate to deliver her mail.

Stanley Fine: A Rikki Spector money guy. Lives down in Canton or Federal Hill or someplace like that. He left NW Baltimore years ago.

Eddie Dopkin: This restauranteur lives in Washingtonville. Close, but no tamale.

Peter Keith: Lawyer by day, Roland Park resident by night.

Mount Washington for SR-B, indeed. Give me a break.

Sarbanes' Mt. Washington Event a Big Success

Micheal Sarbanes walked from Cherry Hill to Mt. Washington yesterday to call attention to his run for City Council President. Over 80 neighbors showed up at the home of Chris and Caroline Tufts to meet him and hear his take on the challenges and opportunities we face. We ate, we chatted, and we resolved to help. WJZ video HERE.

The campaign has been going quite well, and Michael has been rising in the polls. But the race is still within the margin of error, and you could be doing your city a great service by getting involved. Contact me if you want to work a canvass, polling place on election day, or phone bank.

Letter to the Editor

The Sun published my LTE today. I have written a ton of them, but this is one of my all-time favorites:

"We need to prevent people from getting into loans that set them up for failure," says Thomas E. Perez, Maryland's secretary of labor, licensing and regulation ("Lending reforms explored in Md.," Aug. 30). Mr. Perez goes on to say that mortgage foreclosures "tear families apart" and "undermine communities."

That's all true, and it's wonderful to see our state government standing alongside the citizens to protect them against the ravages of exotic mortgages gone bad.

But it was only a few short weeks ago that Mr. Perez released his report on slot machine gambling, in which he glossed over the negatives about gambling while providing a myriad of attractive but unsubstantiated financial claims ("Report makes case for Md. slots," Aug. 15).
The irony of this is that while Mr. Perez wants to cast his boss, Gov. Martin O'Malley, as the protector of Maryland consumers on lending practices, he has also suggested that the state should act, in effect, as a predator in the losing game of legalized gambling.

Wherever it is introduced, slot machine gambling sucks money out of poorer communities. It causes massive spikes in bankruptcy rates as addiction takes its toll, and it ultimately destroys lives and families.

Mr. Perez and Mr. O'Malley need to make up their minds: Is our state government going to protect citizens from predatory practices or is it instead going to become the predator?

Aaron Meisner Baltimore
The writer is chairman of Stop Slots Maryland.

Great Profile of Sarbanes in Sun

The Sun ran their profile of Michael Sarbanes today. I think that if you read this and compare it with the profile they ran of the other candidate yesterday you will have everything you need to make a decision. Sarbanes has so much substance, and he really defines the term "public service."

My sources tell me that the Sun will endorse him tomorrow.