Forty-seven years after riots were supposed to signal a new American agenda for cities, and for race relations, and for some semblance of economic fairness, the torch has been passed to a new generation of the furious.
Month: April 2015
Charter school bill excludes online education
An amended charter school bill will slam the door on Maryland’s chance to follow the 29 other states across America in embarking onto the newly charted plains of cyber-schooling, according to charter school advocates.
State Roundup, April 30, 2015
Protests over Freddie Gray’s death continue in Baltimore City and Baltimore County and spread to Boston, New York and Washington, D.C.; Del. Sid Saab calls for Mayor Rawlings-Blake’s resignation; Rawlings-Blake calls Gov. Hogan inexperienced; riots thrust Gov. Hogan into national spotlight; conventions cancel or postpone and businesses throughout city suffer either directly or indirectly from the unrest; President Obama says Baltimore hasn’t been helped in ways that would have prevented problems; Hillary Clinton calls for less incarceration, more police body cams; and O’Malley defends policing record as city mayor; Marylanders won’t see a hike in the state’s property tax, although a future hike may be necessary.
In Freddie Gray’s neighborhood, it’s a hard life for residents
Baltimore’s Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood — where Freddie Gray was raised, where he was arrested and fatally injured in police custody earlier this month and where protests erupted following his death — is a hard place to grow up.
Families in the West Baltimore neighborhood have one of the lowest median incomes in the city and almost a quarter of its residents were unemployed in 2013 — three times the national average that year. The lives of Sandtown residents are 15 years shorter on average than in Roland Park, Baltimore’s wealthiest community. Here’s an interactive graphic comparing the two neighborhoods.
Analysis: Hogan’s budget seeks to avoid deficits, but it must also restore the balance sheet
Maryland’s finances will require many years of budgetary discipline because the state’s balance sheet took a substantial hit due to the recession and its continuing after effects. And in this context, the legislature maintained a nearly rigid spending culture driven by a belief in a cause and effect relationship between marginal spending decisions and their effects on education or social service delivery.
State Roundup, April 29, 2015
As city residents clean up after Monday’s strife, Gov. Hogan brings in 1,000+ more National Guard troops, vows to bring peace to riot-torn Baltimore City. But how easy that was gets tested at curfew; meanwhile former Gov. O’Malley, touring the city, gets heckled for his zero tolerance policy as mayor; city State’s Attorney Mosby must decide whether to bring charges against police in Freddie Gray’s death; gangs join City Council asking for peace; other police agencies respond to find scenes of residents cleaning up; between the looting and the curfew, businesses are the biggest losers; and former Obama aide to seek Van Hollen’s congressional seat.
Hogan supports battered Baltimore with no thanks from mayor, but has many reasons to help
The first full day of the state of emergency in Baltimore found Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan aggressively occupying the city and walking its streets from the wee hours of the morning, and Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake pretty much pretending he doesn’t exist. Just blocks away, they didn’t appear together, and talked by phone and through aides.
Friction between Maryland’s governor and the mayor of its largest city has been common in the past administrations, even when both are Democrats.
State Roundup, April 28, 2015
Amid unrest, Gov. Hogan moves office to Baltimore City to take over situation from Mayor Rawlings-Blake; Hogan cancels Tuesday schedule of events — including McCormick announcement — to concentrate on riots; President Obama stays in touch on city situation; former Gov. O’Malley heads to Ireland for speaking engagement, then reverses course and heads home; in other news: U.S. Rep. Van Hollen urges Hogan to release $68 million for schools; charter school group turns against amended charter bill; Frederick Sheriff to release documents on Ethan Saylor; McCormick to stay — and grow — in Baltimore County; and crab population on the rise.
Unplanned crises test the mettle of chief executives
Emergencies happen for chief executives that wipe their calendars clean.
Tuesday, Gov. Larry Hogan had planned to sign scores of bills, including a package to make Maryland more business friendly. He was to talk to a class at Towson and announce retention of a major corporate headquarters. But none of that will take place.
State Roundup, April 27, 2015
State, national Black Caucus leaders to ask Justice Department to probe Baltimore City Police Dept. following riots in Baltimore City spurred by Freddie Gray death; while some say outside agitators caused riots, majority of arrests were city residents; Gov. Hogan plans to sign bill to allow doubled payouts to those injured by law enforcement; mother’s loss of daughter to suicide prompts bill on school counselors; Women’s Law Center concerned about Hogan’s judicial nominees; and state Democrats call for unity as contentious races near.
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