Here I give a special post for an anonymous comment in response to "Let's Squawk Annapolis". The below list (CP's notes in red) came with this note:
[Here] is a list of people and/or organizations who gave money to Moyer last year at Homestead. It's clear why they give her money. Nearly all of them want something from the city.
Let's see, Steve Kling now has a city job,(CP notes--as acting city attorney..more may be coming on this...) the Annapolis Boat Shows are looking for a new lease, the unions are obviously paying for favors.
Nearly all of the people or organizations above showed up in front of the City Council over the next year, looking for taxpayer money. I guess they thought a grand to Moyer at Homestead is a good investment in looking for a bigger return down the road.
AFSCME Council 67
Boatyard Bar & Grill (Owner Dick Franyo gave $75,000 to National Sailing Hall of Fame)
Buddy's Crabs & Ribs
Leonard Frenkil (Balto. based developer, state and city projects-need to check this out further)
Hyatt & Weber, P.A. (Law firm-often representing developers before City Council)
Lauer Construction, Inc. (Annapolis-based custom home builder)
Loews Annapolis Hotel
James Muldoon (Yachtsman, gave $75,000 (possibly more?) to National Sailing Hall of Fame)
O’Callaghan Annapolis Hotel
Olde Towne Marina (Shipwright Street)
Park America (Contract-operator of city-owned garages)
Park Place Associates (How can you miss this place?)
Zina C. Pierre (Isn't she also running for mayor?)
Ruth’s Chris Steak House
Siena Corporation (Built the ghastly automated parking lobby at 7 State Circle)
United States Yacht Shows (Gave $10,000 to Sailing Hall of Fame)
Westin Annapolis Hotel
Event Patrons
Annapolis Police Officers, UFCW Local 400 (just ask the rank and file if they support this...)
Dr. Joseph Cater (Economist-clients include City of Annapolis Economic Development)
Comcast
Clarence & Adrienne Goldberg (Ellen's treasurer, Retired Accountant, Democratic activists)
Gary Jobson (Must be because of the Whitbread-Volvo, gave $10,000 toSailing Hall of Fame)
Steve Kling (He contributes--then gets a job...)
O'Leary's Seafood Restaurant
Midgett Parker (Partner in Linowes and Blocher law firm, mainly developers, real estate)
Sigma Family L.P. (Dmitri Sfakiyanudis-property developer--annexation issue....)
David & Carol Stahl (former city admin., former Daley staffer, donor to many Democratics)
Well, Dear Readers, what are we to make of all this? Business as usual? Lots of deep-pocket lawyers, developers, big restaurant owners....If we weakened the power of the mayor and instead brought in a professional, certified city manager sworn to uphold professional, ethical rules, do you think we might see such pork barrel contributions wither???
CP gives a tip of the hat to "anonymous".
Anyone who wants more information about the mayor's fund raising should call her consultant Kathy Nieberding at 410-212-1051 or knieberding@comcast.net.
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8 Comments:
Seems to me that it is an unknown rule in local politics that you need to pay to play. And yes she is a lame duck (not sure if the emphasis is on "lame" or "duck") but with a mayoral form of government, she still wields considerable power.
She can fundraise and use the money to support someone else--maybe someone that might like to put her on the payroll during their administration (ala Barack and Hillary). Maybe she and Janet Owens are pooling their fundraising resources to become the next President of the Senate and Speaker of the House--look out Mike and Mike!
But I kind of think that many people make a living out of kicking her for her ineptitude, so this is likely just a Hooray For Me, Look How Popular I Am party.
Did you get your ticket yet?
Finally something worth reading on this blog. Something you will never read in the Crapital.
Dear Anonymous:
The pay to play thing is evident through the political world--and you and I are NOT the only ones disgusted by it. I've written about this before. I doubt Mayor Moyer has any interest or a future in an elected office--although she obviously is throwing a Hooray for me party and replenishing her "war chest" as they cynically call it so she can remain a player--in something.
No, I did not get my ticket. I'm still waiting for donations so I can afford one. Please help--and we'd love to know who you are.
Dear MoyerMustGo:
Didn't your group say that three years ago? How come you did not send her away? Your anonymous campaign was no negative, it makes this blog like downright diplomatic. We spoke and you refused to identify yourself, so now you provide me this classic back-handed compliment. I am glad you finally found something worth reading. Too bad you had to go through every thousand posts to find that one tidbit. Perhaps it will only take a few hundred or so this time. What would you care to have me write--and why don't you write a guest column?
Paul,
But almost everything I read in CP is only anti-Moyer. This piece is anti-Moyer . . . even you must agree, this time. And, you have a right to be anti-Moyer. But, your support of the City Manager proposal is mostly anti-Moyer . . . certainly not pro-Annapolis and not pro-democratic rule. And, it is not the best way for change. Where is the accountability?
If we deserve accountability, lets elect Aldermen through citywide elections. The mayor is now the only citywide elected official. I vote for the mayor and my alderman. My alderman’s responsibility is his/my ward, first, not the city first. I want to vote for the city leadership. I want to vote for the mayor.
Rockville elects the mayor and all the council in a citywide election. If you want to emulate Rockville then we should all elect all of the aldermen. My guess is that the aldermen don’t like that part of your Rockville citation.
Newport, Rhode Island is your second example. Four of seven City Council members are elected at large. Accountability!
It seems to me that you’d rather sacrifice accountability and democracy to diss the mayor. We should honor the citywide election benefits, if not expand on them.
Paul
Dear Paul:
It seems that you have not read the many posts I have written or testimony I have given about this. It is easy and convenient to suggest that those of us who favor the city manager style are doing so just as a way to "diss the mayor." That is ridiculous. Why would we need another reason or another way to do that when so many other reasons and ways are available? Second of all, this goes into effect AFTER the Moyer era, so how is it about her?
The suggestion that it is about her is mainly coming from her.
As for your points about the election of council members, or the selection of a mayor from among them, I am not clear about your intent.
You ask where is accountability and I ask you where it is when aldermen have little power yet the mayor has it all. Again,the key issue, the central concern is not only professional managerial skill but whether it is proper to allow on person to be the CEO and the board chair? If a city manager is so horrible, how come it has come into effect in more and more cities--including the ones I mentioned that are similar to Annapolis?
Many municipalities in Pennsylvania are run with a City/Township Manager. The Board of Commissioners are elected by the people and then the Board elects a president. The Manager serves at the will of the Board and there is PLENTY of accountability.
John:
Thanks for writing. All forms of government are flawed as is every human institution since the Fall, starting with marriage, law, the state, etc., etc.....somehow we muddle through...Our goal here is to improve a system that gives too much power to one person who is only accountable every four years by redistributing power to the eight others we elect and coming closer to guaranteeing we have a professionally qualified person to serve as a chief administrative officer.
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