CITIZENS URGE MORE TRANSIT/LESS ROAD WIDENING IN REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN

The hundreds of letters to the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board show an enormous outpouring of public support to modify the plan by focusing more on transit and less on road planning. Comments by CP, along with Annapolis Alderman Stankivic and other Annapolitans are included. Mayor Moyer also suggested changes. Perhaps there is a glimmer of hope. It's a large 168 page pdf file, but you can check it out at:

http://www.baltometro.org/downloadables/Outlook2035/TO2035_PublicComments.pdf

For more general details about the process of the 2035 regional plan, click here:
http://www.baltometro.org/content/view/809/535/

Here is what the Baltimore Metropolitan Council says about the changes brought about by public response:

Based on significant public input on the need for additional transit and expanded transportation choices, the BRTB reduced the number of highway projects in the plan. These highway projects were deferred within the plan and those project funds were shifted into transit. Specifically, the members of the BRTB agreed to defer six highway projects to provide additional funding for MARC. Among the proposed improvements to MARC is an East Baltimore station, which will serve the Bayview campus and provide connectivity with a proposed Red Line extension to Bayview. >>> View our FAQ about the changes

FIFTY, ONE HUNDRED TWENTY--WHO IS COUNTING?

Recently the District 30 Democrats held a surrogate presidential candidate's forum in Annapolis. Only fifty people came--if you read The Capital (http://www.capitalonline.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/10_25-46/GOV). However, one-hundred twenty came if you believe The Sun (http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/annearundel/bal-md.marbella26oct26,0,19852.column) and the Democrats. CP did not attend, but always tries to count the audience just for that reason.

On the one hand, it's just a number, but on the other, it's off by a factor of nearly two and a half times. And, if you can't count a small crowd right, how can you report anything?

The District 30 Dems report that, "Not everyone who attended voted in the straw poll conducted after the meeting (one person one vote, by secret ballot), but those who did voted this way: Biden, 11; Clinton, 16; Edwards, 11; Obama, 4; Kucinich, 6; Richardson, 14. Plus Gore got 2 votes and 1 person split for Richardson/Kucinich."

STATE FISCAL BRIEFINGS, REPORTS AND ANALYSES

These references are provided in case you are as confused as I am about our state's current fiscal situation, sometimes known as a budget mess or a structural deficit. The below documents from the Department of Legislative Services may help make things clearer. Then again, maybe they won't:
http://mlis.state.md.us/Other/Fiscal_Briefings_and_Reports/Fiscal_Br_Rep_Ana_Index.htm
Perhaps we should just ignore this whole thing and it will go away, or let the "experts" sort it out. Yes--the same experts that will once again be flooding our fair town for a special session. CP recalls when Walter Mondale was running for President and he said domething like "The difference between me and the other guy is he'll say he won't raise taxes and then he will. I'll say I will raise taxes and then I will." Of course Mondale lost-right? But what happened to tax rates? Well, paying taxes is all part of having a government and if you want a civilized society, well, you gotta pay. We all just want to make sure that our tax dollars actually work for us. Here is how one legislative aide to a Senator described the Governor's proposal to CP:

Well, the governor has proposed a 1% sales tax increase, a 1% car titling tax increase, a modest slots proposal, a revamping of the income tax structure (one that would cut taxes for the majority of Marylanders, but wealthy folks would pay a great deal more), an expansion of taxable services under the sales tax, increasing the corporate tax rate by 1% and closing tax loopholes for businesses in Maryland. The specific bills have not been seen yet, but that's generally the gist of it.

In addition, there is talk of reintroducing the Green Fund legislation, as well as a "health care for all" proposal just released a few days ago by the Governor. So, read away...

Hmm.. CP is curious. Why do some people refer to his sales tax increase as a one percent increase, while others call it a twenty percent increase? If you go from five cents on a dollar to six cents on a dollar, it may be only one percent more (the per cent meaning per hundred or on the dollar) but if you are also in effect increasing the tax payment YOU AND I PAY from five cents to six cents on every dollar, the overall increase in the sales tax WE WILL BE PAYING-will be twenty percent--right?

Read away!
2007
Analysis: March 7, 2007 Supplemental Budget No. 1, Presentation to the House Committee on Appropriations
Analysis: March 8, 2007 Supplemental Budget No. 2, Presentation to the House Committee on Appropriations
Analysis: March 12, 2007 Supplemental Budget No. 1, Presentation to the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee
Analysis: March 12, 2007 Supplemental Budget No. 2, Presentation to the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee
Briefing: June 27, 2007 Maryland's Fiscal Structure and the Deficit Within
Briefing: June 27, 2007 Mandated Appropriations in the Maryland State Budget
Briefing: June 27, 2007 Balancing the Budget Without New Revenues
Briefing: June 27, 2007 Appendices
Report: July 2007 - Effect of the 2007 Legislative Program on the Financial Condition of the State
Briefing: September 26, 2007 Overview of Maryland's Revenue Structure, Presentation to the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee
Briefing: October 2, 2007 Overview of Maryland's Revenue Structure, Presentation to the House Ways and Means Committee

MEET THE NEW "ERIC" AT THE CAPITAL

In case you've been asleep or you've given up on The Capital, you may wish to take a look at its newest columnist, Eric Hartley. In the brief time he's been penning his own column, he's covered diverse topics, each time with insight and sensitivity that CP cannot recall ever coming from the other Eric. In two of his latest pieces, Hartley provides his take on the trial of the shooting at the mall, or what the owners prefer to dignify with the name, Westfield Shopping Town. Oh, heck, call it the mall. In "Mall shooting: New set, but same tired plot" he reminds us that there are indeed different ways to react to murder in our town. Readers are invited to visit his column at: http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/10_25-57/COL


Hartley also opines about gambling, for as we all know (unless you've been asleep again) the issue of slots is BAAACK!!! Slots means different things to different folks and he is not afraid to raise some points that might not sit well with his editors who have steadfastly opposed slots (CP has previously thanked The Capital for its consistent stand, see: DEAR CAPITAL EDITORS; THANK YOU FOR REMAINING FIRM... ) Hartley's piece may be found at http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/10_21-33/COL

AN INTELLIGENT ANALYSIS OF THE 2 AM BAR CLOSING ISSUE

At the recent City Council hearing on the bill proposing all bars in Annapolis be allowed to open until 2 am, civic activist and former Public Housing Director Dennis Conti provided this testimony:

Tonight I'd like to present the human side of what is behind some of the crime statistics associated with 2AM bar closings. The following are actual excerpts from the Daily Police Reports:Feb. 17, 1:01 AM, a bar on Main St. Police responded to a report of a fight. Due to the large crowd involved, all on duty Annapolis Officers responded (I repeat, ALL on duty Annapolis Officers responded), as well as some from the Anne Arundel County Police Department. The crowd was eventually dispersed. Two men present had suffered head injuries as a result of the fight. March 2, 1:37AM, a bar on Main St, A 23 year old Huntingtown resident reported that an altercation took place between two male customers while she was patronizing the bar. Another male subject grabbed and groped her. Officers located the suspect in the bar based on her description. March 18, 1:30AM, The residents of a home in the unit block of Duke of Gloucester Street were awakened by the sounds of a vehicle crash. When they went out, they saw that a car had left the roadway, traveled through their yard, over a bush and struck the side of their house. The driver said to the residents, "help me get out, I'm drunk and I can't get ( the car) out."These represent only 3 of 228 incidents that took place between midnight and 2 am in the downtown area in an 18 month period. The proposed legislation will cause an explosion of these types of episodes throughout the City, and a further diversion of our scarce police resources. Finally, it will move us one giant step toward becoming another Ocean City, which I don't think any of us want Annapolis to become.
Conti also produced a graph showing the distribution of calls-for-service for "disturbances" (i.e., disturbing the peace, drunkeness, destruction of propety, etc.) for the period Jan. 2006-July 2007 for ONLY the downtown area. This graph clearly illustrates a HUGE SPIKE beween the hours of midnight and 2 am.

ENVISIONING ANNAPOLIS...TAKE TWO (hint..it's the city-county thing again)

The Capital's Earl Kelly, who gets paid to attend and write about such things, unlike your loyal blog publisher (and therefore we'll suggest that you good reader go here http://www.capitalonline.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/10_24-25/TOP) did a good job of interpreting what happened at last night's well attended public forum on growth and sprawl in Annapolis.

Kelly interviewed audience member Elvia Thompson, who lives outside the city, in Oyster Harbor. Thompson said,"There is one thing that hasn't been said; Annapolis is surrounded by Anne Arundel County."

The article concluded with her saying,"To my mind, Parole is the new Roslyn," pointing to one of the most overdeveloped and congested areas of Northern Virginia. Ms. Thompson said the high-rise condos being developed at Parole will only encourage other developers to construct even taller buildings on surrounding tracts that are now occupied by shopping centers.
"The camel has put his nose under the tent," she said. "This (symposium) is an Annapolis conversation - where is the Anne Arundel County part?"

RIGHT ON!!! Ms. Thompson, with whom CP is acquainted, got it exactly right.
Referring to another recent article in The Capital, http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/10_22-20/TOP, this one being a lead story about potential for rail development in our area, County Executive Leopold and Mayor Moyer trade barbs, each one blaming the other for not talking to each other. CP has heard from the Mayor's people that she has tried, and he has heard from the Executive's people that he has tried. People, please! Will one of you take the high road and invite the other to meet? For gosh sakes, do it at the city/county line at the intersection of Route 2 and West St if you must, but please do it!

BAR WARS...and one Alderman's Unwillingness to communicate

City Council is considering legislation that will allow bars in Annapolis to stay open until 2 am. Those already restricted to operating until midnight only cry foul because they have to close 2 hours before other bars. Downtown residents are generally opposed to the 2 am closures and they see this as a quality of life issue. If statute forces those currently allowed to open until 2 a.m. to now close at midnight, you can see where this is going.
CP, being the good liberal that he is (sort of) has the problem of seeing two sides of every issue, or more (if I've had more than three beers). However, I come down on the side of the residents. We have enough unresolved issues of crime, noise and crowds and the additional hours of intoxicating nightlife lead to more urinating in public places, more rabble rousing in the streets, more drunk-driving etc. But again, CP must ask, can't we all get along? Can we not figure out a way to make a compromise? (see http://www.annapolispolitics.blogspot.com/ for another take). CP has witnessed such downtown debates since the late 1970's over issues such as trash collection, parking etc., etc. Such is life in the city.
Bars and saloons offer residents few if any benefits. CP has little interest in going downtown or in patronizing its businesses except the occasional foray to one of our many fine restaurants on a special occasion, or even to have a few beers, but being a family man (and needing to post to this blog!), it's never past the midnight hour. CP offers no new ideas on this one, except why can't we compromise somehow?
Certainly it is unfair to say midnight for some and 2 am for the rest. But it's also unfair to say 2 am for ALL the residents. Whose rights will be respected? How about allowing all bars to go to 2 am for another year, than to 1 am for the following year and then midnight for all? Surely, this will please some and others will want to demonize me for this suggestion.
We have rising crime and a police force stretched thin and perhaps to be stretched even further over time. We need to focus more on the rights of residents and homeowners as opposed to the kicks and thrills of bar hoppers and the profit motivations of a small number of businesses.
CP's own representative, Alderman Ross Arnett sent an email out to constituents on October 18 describing the bill:

O-23-07 Allowing Any Class of ABC License to Permit Operating Hours Until 2 a.m. – For the purpose of permitting the holder of any alcoholic beverage license to serve alcoholic beverages until 2 a.m. This legislation will make it easier to get a 2 am license, although the applicant will still need to meet zoning requirements.

CP has no idea where Arnett stands. A neighbor of CP sent a reply to Arnett:

Dear Ross,
I just wanted to put in our two cents about 2 am closings for bars (0-23-07 and R-30-07 FY 2008). [My husband] and I are both VERY opposed to this as many studies show that NOTHING good happens after midnight. People just get drunker and that is when the majority of crime and violence happens. Also, since this city is struggling to hire police officers (and we have many fewer than we should) why stretch the existing force with more trouble than we need after midnight? Doesn't really make sense does it? Thanks for listening.

CP never received the email from Arnett and wrote asking him to be sure to be included on all such emails and to reply with a confirmation. Arnett did not respond as asked, however CP did receive an email a few days later regarding 911 police calls (okay-so what number we do call you at Ross?). Furthermore, Arnett has not responded to the email from CP's friend sent on October 19 and today is the 23rd. CP spoke with another Eastport resident today who said Arnett has not responded to two emails and he received the following email from a local political activist:

I have heard from everyone that Ross is terrible at returning calls. Isn't he retired? What is he doing all day?

Good question, Ross. CP will be posting more on this issue soon. Meanwhile, you can vote in this week's survey about the bar issue (see upper left of this page).

CP READERS OVERWHELMINGLY BELIEVE CRIME IS GETTING WORSE

By a margin of more than 2.5 to 1, CP readers believe crime is getting worse, not better, in Annapolis.
When asked whether they agree or disagree with the statement, "CRIME is getting worse in Annapolis, 23 said "I agree" while only 9 said "I disagree". Seven readers said "I am not sure." CP does not know what to make of the nine "silly" votes that responded, "Wait a second, I'm being robbed" or "Wait a second, I'm robbing someone".

Keep in mind that this IS NOT a scientifically reliable poll. Admittedly, its uses are limited, but it does allow a self-selecting and stratified sample of nearly 40 CP readers to say that they believe crime is getting worse in Annapolis. MAyor Moyer, Alderpersons, Chief Johsnon--are you listening? Please send us your suggestions for future survey questions.

ALDERMAN CHRISTMAN RESIGNS, JENNINGS TO RUN ON GREEN PARTY TICKET IN WARD TWO SPECIAL ELECTION

Now that Mike Christman has officially resigned and a special election will be held in Ward Two, Green Party member and community activist, Karen Jennings has announced she is in the race. Jennings, 33, is an environmental consultant for Straughan Environmental Services, Inc. and lives in the Homewood-Germantown neighborhood of Ward Two with her husband Ted.
Jennings decided to run because, "Annapolis is seeing tremendous change and Ward Two deserves a strong, independent advocate towork with its residents to protect and improve our community. I want to be that advocate for Ward Two residents on the City Council."
Jennings has been an activist with the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, an organizer of the Chesapeake Pride Festival, and a participant in Mayor Moyer's book club about community development. Karen has also been an active member of the Green Party, serving as the Anne Arundel Green Party's Co-Chair, and most recently served as one of the two Maryland Green Party representatives to the Green Party's national committee.
Certainly having the growing and increasingly active Green Party in the race makes things all the more interesting. Because of city election code, Jennings automatically wins her nomination for the Green Party (unless in the highly unlikely event, another Green declares) and will go on to the general election against a Democrat (Debbie Rosen McKerrow ?) and a Republican.
Aaah, the joy of a brief and furious election campaign. Let everyone in Ward Two turn out to vote and please tell all your friends in that ward to vote, vote, vote!

THE NEW LOOK OF PAROLE...AND ANNAPOLIS...AND EVERYWHERE...You have my word--it will never be the same here.

The state bird must be the crane--the construction crane. Nowhere is this more evident than at the border of our state capital in Parole, the new edge city of Annapolis, or is that vice-verse? Whether you are approaching from the south up Route 2, or from the West on Generals Highway or from Route 50, it is absolutely and undoubtedly clear that the permanent change the towering development in Parole is bringing about before our very eyes is nothing short of...... begging your pardon (er, your parole?) but CP is at a loss for words.

It's that ominous.

(By the way, the word Parole, from the French, means speech, or the spoken word. The state motto is "Fatti Maschi, Parole Femina" or manly deeds, womanly words. Of course our local Parole is so named because there once stood a civil war camp for paroled prisoners. The word Parole, signified that prisoners gave their word they would not return to fight.)

Say, does anybody else think this will make our local traffic congestion UNBEARABLE???

LAST CHANCE TO CAST YOUR VOTE ABOUT CRIME IN ANNAPOLIS

The results so far can be seen to the upper left. If you have not cast your vote, please let us know what you think about local crime trends. Keep in mind that this IS NOT a scientifically reliable poll. Admittedly, its uses are limited, but it does allow a self-selecting and stratified sample of CP readers, 40 thus far, to show that they overwhelmingly believe crime is getting worse in Annapolis. Please send us your suggestions for future survey questions.