Annapolis Capital Punishment

Will we have a referendum or simply a city council vote to pass a charter amendment reforming our style of government? In either event, Mayor Moyer is quite upset and reacting strongly.

The issue of restructuring our government, perhaps to become a city manager form of government, has been seriously studied and discussed since before Ellen was mayor. Alderman Israel, and then Alderman Arnett, each drafted different charter amendments to take action. As previously reported, when Israel's amendment was proposed, Mayor Moyer issued an official press release that scorned and brutalized Alderman Israel, calling his proposal "an assault against representative government." Israel, a former assistant states attorney and perhaps the most deliberative and respected member of city council did not deserve such treatment--but irony of ironies--did Moyer's action not speak volumes about the need to control the nearly absolute power of the mayor of Annapolis?

She wrote, "Like Oliver Cromwell in the 1600's, Alderman Israel would transfer the essential powers of government from the Mayor and City Council and hand them over to a non-elected bureaucrat." Perhaps the mayor has become a scholar of English history by taking off a few weeks to visit all our sister cities in England, but she would do well to learn some of the lessons of history, such as what happened to Charles who took any questioning of his actions as a personal insult. See: amendment

Just a few days later, Moyer joined New York Mayor Bloomberg at a conference on gun violence. See guns. (That may seem like an aside for now..but it is relevant...stay tuned...a major story is developing here...we know what Bloomberg has just accomplished regarding his service...)

As this issue has moved through the legislative process, and Arnett and Israel are joining forces to hammer out a compromise bill, Moyer has gone of the defensive. First, she set up a whole slew of her "Let's Talk" programs each successive Friday at City Hall. Chris Guy writes in The Baltimore Sun that the mayor believes "the whole thing is a witch hunt by some who haven't cared much for her direct management style." She then goes on to say, "What we have is a salesmen team, talking this up when what we really need is meaningful conversation," Moyer said. "I think it's a referendum on me. Why else are they so hellbent on making a change."

Well, once again, the way she is handling this says more than any of her critics could ever say. Her fear has now become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Calling Israel and Arnett a "salesmen team" is almost as bad as calling me and my neighbors "rhetorical bomb throwers" for speaking out against crime at a council meeting. Arnett's reputation for being a deliberative and thoughtful council member is perhaps second only to that of Israel.

Moyer goes on saying, "I don't understand taking authority away from elected people," Moyer said. "And I don't see how you have a public dialogue in 30 to 60 days. It's not ample time to engage people. This smacks you in the face, as if we're a little city that doesn't know what it's doing. We have a very professional staff."

She certainly got part of that right. When CP testified before city council when Israel's amendment was first heard, the mayor angrily reserving the last word, told CP "We do have professional management." Uhh....I beg to differ Madam Mayor. I've been a resident, property and business owner, city employee and activist in our "little city" for over 25 years...and I think otherwise...as do most of my friends, colleagues, associates, neighbors and many readers.

Is she telling us that the normative legislative process is not sufficient for we the people to figure this out? Is she telling us that the deliberative process to create and change laws in our "little city" is not working? Despite the fact that she has been the chief executive officer and chair of the legislative body for seven years after having been an alderman and first lady before that, she feels that somehow this issue which has been discussed, studied and debated for so long has not been "ample time to engage people"???

Wow. The mayor does indeed take it personally and whether or not it is a personal referendum there will be more to come on this...stay tuned....

While there is no witch-hunt going on, there may very well be a......oh never mind, just have a Happy Halloween.

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