The 60th anniversary annual meeting of the Greater Baltimore Committee Monday night was more resolute than joyous, as business leaders promised to focus on rebuilding and restoring a city whose long-simmering boiled into looting and arson covered in national and international media.
As Gov. Larry Hogan considers whether to build the Purple Line, he must weigh economic growth against fiscal austerity; Purple Line supporters give a card board governor a tour; after years as a delegate, Eckardt reflects on first session as a state senator; in the Freddie Gray case: six Baltimore City officers seek dismissal of charges against them; U.S. Rep. Cummings backs Justice Department probe of Baltimore City police; Howard, Baltimore County police vans lack seat belts; over three years, 2,600 Baltimore City arrestees were refused admittance to detention center due to injuries, illness; and rise in black political power hasn’t touched average black people.
Larry Hogan Jr. is proving to be an unusual governor for Maryland, in many ways the polar opposite of his predecessors, Martin O’Malley and Bob Ehrlich.
Both Democrat O’Malley and Republican Ehrlich love publicity and making a PR splash. They craved the spotlight, issued a tidal wave of propaganda pitches and tried to dominate the daily news coverage. Republican Hogan wants none of the above.
MDTA rolls back tolls amounting to $54 million a year, sending cheers to Eastern Shore legislators; Howard teachers, residents ask Gov. Hogan to release school funding; Rural Counties Coalition grows by four, to have stronger voice in Annapolis; Carroll County to fill long-vacant legislative liaison position; poll finds wide disparity between blacks, white in views on fairness of criminal justice system; Justice Dept. agrees to launch full investigation into Baltimore Police use of force; U.S. Rep. Cummings to hold forum on banking and poor neighborhoods; and presidential hopeful Carson says the economy’s the problem while likely presidential hopeful O’Malley hires Obama aide as national political director.
The smart growth group 1000 Friends of Maryland, like other organizations focused on the environment, has given Gov. Larry Hogan mixed reviews for his first 100 days in office, tempering positives with sharp criticism.
Gov. Hogan lifts the state of emergency order on Baltimore City; mayor seeks Justice probe into police practices; Hogan announces that state workers can keep 2% salary hike; in school news, University of Maryland Systems raises tuitions; transportation secretary says Purple Line can be built cheaper; toll reductions expected to be OK’d this morning; ACLU questions use of surveillance planes during unrest; convention business stabilizing and CVS vows to rebuild; presidential candidate Carson heads to East, not West Baltimore; and U.S. Rep. Delaney touts transit payment plan in Hagerstown.
Public schools are set to receive record funding in the projected 2016 state budget, with Gov. Hogan increasing funding by $109 million. However, Maryland school districts and their unions say they will not be able to fill 3,283 jobs they had hoped to have if Hogan chooses not to fully fund the Geographic Cost of Education Index. It was projected to provide $68 million more. School advocates are calling these “positions at risk”
State’s top Dems announce study group on policing, public safety issues including police hiring and training; U.S. Atty Gen Lynch says Justice to offer aid to improve city police department; state Sen. Pugh rules out special session over Freddie Gray situation; Gov. Hogan shuffles his schedule to accommodate Baltimore rebuilding; U.S. Labor, Ed secretaries to visit Baltimore; state transport officials to meet over reducing tolls; P.G. ed chief calls for full funding of education budgets; State’s Attorney Mosby criticized, praised for police charges; state, locals step in to help Baltimore City businesses; new gaming chief named; and U.S. Rep. Edwards denounced flier aimed at U.S. Rep. Van Hollen.
Long before Freddie Gray’s death ignited unrest in Baltimore, high profile cases of police misconduct nationally failed to move Maryland lawmakers to pass meaningful reforms this year, according to LBSBaltimore.com, a grassroots think tank that advocates a rewrite of the state’s policing policies. “At the end of the day we saw special interests of police officers and law enforcement in Maryland overrule what the community needed here in Baltimore,” said Adam Jackson, head of the think tank located just yards from City Hall.
The April 30 edition of MarylandReporter.com included an article penned by Charlie Hayward which examines State finances from a balance sheet perspective. In his article, Mr. Haywood quite properly indicates weaknesses of Maryland’s balance sheet. Unfortunately, his article tends to both overstate their import and misattribute their origins to the Legislative Branch of government.
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