Get Out Of Jail Free? Nope Not This Time!

Last night, The Capital had a piece about a convicted killer that is now back in jail. I am venturing to say that this is where he belonged in the first place and had it not been for lenient judges, he would have been there in the first place.

The dude strangled his girlfriend in a drunken stupor and was sentenced to 36 months of jail (18 in prison and 18 in his living room) by Judge Paul Harris (who is usually tougher).

But after his release from prison, Christopher O'Brien began his 18 month stint at home. Which apparently allows you to leave for certain reasons with permission. Seems like a pretty cushy deal to me.

Where we fall down is that he has been repeatedly leaving the house without permission and when he does have permission he is late. He had been warned by county prison officials about this, but he declined to obey.

I am sorry, if I was cut a break on killing my girlfriend, I woudl follow the rules!

He did not and now he is back in jail (where he should be) and waiting on a ruling from Judge Paul Harris.

Judge, this time there should be no leniency. He was given a break and he essentially laughed it off. Sentence him for the full 8 years which is called for!

Your Turn!

Report Released

Well, according to The Capital, the Crime Report was released and in their eyes, it is a yawner. I agree to a point. However, this one comment really jumped out at me:

The city has a murder rate that's three times the national average, and "It is now approaching big-city homicide rates," said Leonard Matarese, a representative from the ICMA, during a partial presentation of the data Monday.

Wow, talk about a powerful comment.

But one still has to wonder what was so upsetting to the lame duck Mayor to create all the brouhaha over the report's release. I bet there may be more to come on this issue!

If you want to read the preliminary report, you can read it here.

A Call For Resignation

It seems that another local blog is calling for the Mayor's resignation. To be honest, at this point it might not be a bad idea. She is a lame duck and seemingly apathetic towards the worst issue we are facing.

What do you think? Should she resign?

Can We Get The Feds To Bail Us Out?

While I think that almost three years is a little harsh for stealing some food, it does appear that the Federal Judges take their jobs a bit more seriously than those on the local level. $3500 worth of steaks stolen from the USNA netter a man 27 months in federal prison.

But again, you see the vast difference between our liberal judges. A crack head maims his girlfriend and leaves her in a wheelchair for life gets 7 years from a local judge. Someone who steals some meat for a barbecue from his employer gets almost three years.

It is just frustrating when there are some supposed "guidelines" and very few Judges have the stones to adhere to them. Sexual predators given house arrest for a few months. Really. where does it end?

Mayor Moyer: PLEASE RESIGN NOW!!!

Geeze......it just keeps getting worse. Your mishandling of the ICMA crime report is just too much. My camel's back just broke. Help! How much longer can this go on? How much worse can it get? And you continue to think that you are somehow a feel good manager/leader employing positive communication and collaborating for results. Please, make it stop!!!! AHHHHHH....primal scream!!!!!! And you think everyone is just out to get you. No! We're out to get you to take action on crime.

No, Mayor Moyer, you're just a mean-spirited, angry, paranoid incompetent as mayor. You are not a bad person. Rough around the edges perhaps. Quick to anger. Not always warm and fuzzy. We can handle that. But please, we have a municipal government to run, a corporate body, and it just keeps getting worse.

Crime is serious. Citizens and the few assertive alderman who have taken a stand have had to fight and fight and fight to get anywhere on fighting crime and you just keep making it harder for us to make progress. Please--resign! We know you care and we know you work hard. We know you are trying, albeit in your own unusual way, but the time has come for you to step down.

Of course, what we do next is the big question. I'm not sure I have an answer. With you as mayor it's like a ship with Captain Bligh or Captain Queeg. If you stepped down, it might be like a ship without a captain or a mate.....and no rudder....pounding toward a lee shore...once again, another strong case for a city manager from of government. Who will step up to the plate?

Delegate Ron George on the Environmental Scorecard

CP just got a note from District 30 Delgate Ron george regarding the MD League of Conservation Voters Environmental Scorecard. A Republican, Ron has come to be known as a "Green Elephant" because of his pro-environmental views and votes:

Dear Paul,

These scorecards are eronneous to say the least.They pay attention to certain votes, mislead on others, and ignore still others.

I called Environmental Maryland and also noted to the League of Conservation that they left off the fact that I voted for The Living Shrelines Bill, a very important piece of legislation not on their report card. They also mislead people into thinking I voted against the Phosphorous Ban. That bill was voted on in 2007 and I voted for the ban. The bill about the Phosphorous Ban this year was not about whether to have the ban (I helped pass that last year) but whether to start the ban a few months later. It seems the bill last year aggressively sought too early a start date found to be unworkable. A later start date helped us get everything in line to make the ban we passed in '07 work. To imply I did not vote for banning phosphorous is bogus. This start-date bill should not have been on the report card.. They also left off the fact that I co-sponsored a solor energy bill that passed. The "scorecard" does not reflect the fact that I was THE lead sponsor of the Waterways Bill that they include on the scorecard. Similar legislature was unable to pass the previous 5 years. My effort was recognized as the reason it passed. I lobbied for it and united people. I did vote against bad bills that were not effective that were part of the Governors total package of bills. I will not vote for bills that create slush funds under the disguise of helping the environment. I am serious about cleaning up the environment.

I have supported The Clean Air Act, The Clean Cars Bill, The Chesapeake Bay Trust Fund, The Critical Areas Bill, The Living Shoreline Protection Act, Sponsored The Wetlands and Waterways Fund Management Bill, and co-sponsored multiple bills that promote Solar Energy, Alternative Fuels, and Rail and Monorail. That is not a failing grade!!!!

Calling this a Report Card makes it seem that our progress is a low grade when actually passing several additional bills per year is great movement in the right direction. I will not support bills that use the environment and education as a springboard to pass something ineffective. That is the reason so much is spent and little is done. I want effective honest legislation and my record shows I support it when it is.

Please do not fall for the careless disinformation that this "Report Card" projects.

Sincerely,
Delegate Ron George, District 30

To which I replied:

Ron:
Thanks for your note. I tend to agree with yor assemssment. They are constricted in their viewpoints. I'll be pleased to print your letter. This is why I was clear to say I was only reprinting it and id not endorse it. On the other hand, so called "pro business groups do exactly the same thing withe their "scorecards"--misleading with erroneous information and attacking striong environmental advocated for being anit business. Will you call them out on that as well? Meantime, can I count on your support for reinstating the 210 Bus to Baltimore and for exempting vegetable oil from highway fuel taxes?

Thanks Paul

Ellen O Moyer--Mute On Crime!

Here is the news of the latest developing scandal of the Moyer Administration. The Mayor wants open and free communication, but not about crime. Want to know how many trees were planted along Back Creek? No problem. Want to know how many insects have been killed in City Hall under her regime? Not a problem (zero).

Want to know how many people were robbed, murdered, mugged or burgled? Not on your life. The Mayor, it seems, will do anything to prevent the crime report being released without her tweaks and changes. How convenient that the scheduled "unveiling" was pre-empted by THE MAYOR. Then the presenter was late (was he perhaps told the incorrect time?) and the release was again pre-empted by THE MAYOR. Now people are justifiably upset and seeking that open communication she says she has been practicing for 40 years and they are told "talk to the hand"! Well, actually, talk to the police. As my teenagers woudl say....WTF? How are we to make our communities safer when our leader will not even tell us what the pros have found?

Does she think whatever is in this report will never be released? My father used to tel lme honesty was the best policy--apparently our Mayor did not run on that platform when she was campaigning.

On second thought, could this be just a simple case of "keeping up wiht the Joneses"? After all, Mayor Sheila Dixon had her home raided this morning!

Curfew?

The issue of a curfew has come up again and I think it might be a good start. Granted, crime can happen anywhere, at any time, to any person. But if we can keep our kids off the streets late at night, we will be taking strides to keep the kids safe, or taking kids that may be budding criminals and preventing them from plying their trade late at night.

For anyone under 18, there is really no reason to be out beyond midnight. They can't drink and most other places of business are closed. Maybe the curfew is a good move until we have a handle on crime.

Some of the issues that have been brought up against the curfew include:

• what to do about kids that are working
• what about emergencies

Well, if they are working, maybe they need a paper from their boss? And be honest, any place that is open that late at night most likely has a uniform (think food service) and it would be obvious that they were working. Emergencies? Well, if they have a sick kid in the car and are headed down Jennifer Road---I say give them the benefit of a doubt.

What concerns me is how do you identify a minor? I have frequented a few bars in my time, but some of the kids they are serving can't be older than 12 or 13! I jest, but kids today just look a lot more mature. A 15 year old could very well look like a 21 year old or older. Stopping people to check IDs and call parents is not productive however might be a good task (and more useful) for the seat belt police. But if an officer sees someone walking, hanging out, or with a group, I say let him question them and tell them to move along. Hanging out at your house wiht some friends on the front porch? Sure as long as an adult is nearby.

Kind of boils down to just having a presence. Look at some old police reports and figure out where the kids live and begin the presence in thoise neighborhoods.

What do you think? Curfew...good idea or bad...and why?

Ramble on like me!

He-said She-said

Someone in the Annapolis City Government is a liar when it comes to crime. Not sure if it is the Mayor or a Councilperson but one thing for sure is someone is lying.

It all surrounds this mysterious $60,000 crime report that has not been released to the public. There are accusations of suppression of "evidence", stonewalling, and more.

There is no use getting your panties in a wad about this; because the truth will come out--eventually. You would think our public servants might know that drill---they are living in a fishbowl and nothing that they do is secret. The only certainty is that the company that produced the report is not likely to lie on behalf of someone in Annapolis for a piddly $60,000 contract.

If you are interested in the Cliff Notes version of the he-said she-said saga:

• She said he is paranoid
• She said he is creating a tempest in a teapot
• She said he is overstepped their bounds
• He said she deliberately subverted public meeting laws
• He said he has been denied access to the bulk of the crime report
• He said she is squelching the report
• He said she withheld the report
• She said she withheld pages
• He said she purposely restricted a meeting to 4 members of council to avoid a public meeting
• She said she is "not aware of any of that"
• He* said the plan is to release it to everyone at the same time
• He* upon pressure said a summary would be released on Monday night
• He said she said "I don't want that slide in the final report"
• He says her comments have biased the data
• She says "bologna"
• He says they (Public Safety Committee) scheduled a work meeting to review the report
• He says she scheduled a full council work session during the time slot
• She said he is "paranoid"
• He said he would move his meeting earlier

* Follow along, this is a different "he" because when the allegations of subverting meetings came up, apparently "she" could no longer speak and assigned a "he" to speak for "she". Sort of a she-he maybe.

It's politics as usual in Annapolis and eventually the truth will come out. I keep telling my kids that when their stories conflict, the truth WILL come out. They don't get it so why should I expect he and she to get it. Maybe I will send my kids to the meeting--wait, is it public or not?

For other opinions on this issue, check out Annapolis Capital Punishment and FOIA Tales

Happy Father's Day

To all the Fathers....

Happy Father's Day!