Annapolis Capital Punishment

As CP has noted, Dave Cordle has not updated his web-site since February, despite verbal and written plans to do such. As readers know, in my latest rating of campaigns, I gave Cordle a C. However, in the last few days, he came a knocking at my door and he had a glossy hand-bill. If this had happened prior to the ratings or had he come by my door or had I known more about his campaign, he might have rated a B or A. And as he made clear at my home, he's not running a campaign to please me--nor should he, but as an ardent observer of all this electioneering, he might, just might want to hear what I have to say....but then again, maybe not. Anyhow, his literature is attractive but I thought it merited some observations.

1. Nowhere does it say he is a Republican. Okay. Many candidates seem to ignore their party affiliation. After all, if you try to hide your party, why bother being in one--especially if you are the ONLY candidate from that party on the ballot for that office?

2. Nowhere does it say that Dave is an alderman. Nowhere does it say that Dave is an investigator with the State's Attorney's Office. Why is that not centrally important? What kind of process determined not to include that?

3. Why blue and green colors? Is he trying to suggest that he is both blue and green?

4. He frames himself as the candidate of change. "Vote Change. Vote Cordle." Is it a bit odd for a Republican, especially for a conservative one and especially after the Obama campaign, to suggest he is the candidate of change? I don't know. It just does not seem....right. However, when you consider the sad state of our entrenched, tax and spend liberal kleptocracy, change is good ---and he is right on when he says "Mismanagement, favoritism and out of control spending has taken its toll on our city." Yes, we would all agree and yes, he has been an outspoken critic of the current administration in this regard so to that extent, his goals would certainly represent a change.

5. For the most part, his goals and vision as expressed are clear, straightforward and honest. However, when he gets to the part about "Responsible Management" he says he wants to "Promote walkable, bikeable communities and smarter development." I am not so sure. Other than his leading and substantive role in the adequate facilities bill which might have been related, I cannot recall Dave ever working for "walkable, bikeable communities." In fact, when he was a guest at our Sip N' Blog I felt he was quite uninterested in these issues when they were discussed.I just don't see him as having been a supporter--or even a player, but how come he left out mentioning our BUS SYSTEM if he mentioned bikes and walking???

6. He says he will "Hire a qualified workforce (City Manager)." All right. Now I take the gloves off. This is phoney. Does this mean he will hire a city manager or a (city manager)?Dave may call this a city manager but he really means a city administrator. He sponsored a bill as such that was specifically in opposition to the city manager because a real city manager is hired by and works at the pleasure of the council, not the mayor. Dave wants to retain that control as mayor. Uh uh. Won't fly.

7. He says he will "Protect the Chesapeake Bay and our maritime heritage." Okay, so the two go together, but one of them is vastly more important than is the other. What does he mean by "maritime heritage"? The Annapolis Maritime Museum? Show us your record on all of this as alderman. The Sailing Hall of Fame? Same thing. But protecting the Bay? Again, he should present his record. He has been alderman for a long time, even though he casually omits that from his brochure What is his record on environmental protection? As with bikes and walking, he does not stand out in my mind as a leader here.

I am asking for Dave to clarify his record. I don't expect it on a handbill of course, but he does have a web-site that has not been updated since February. That might be a good place to start. After all, it is August

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