Annapolis Capital Punishment

TOMORROW NIGHT....The West Annapolis Civic Association, Wardour Improvement Association, Admiral Heights Improvement Association mayoral candidates forum, 7:00-9:00 pm Thursday, August 27th, West Annapolis Elementary School gymnasium.....Wayne Taylor is on the move. Some of his signs have been showing up around town and I spied the busy candidate putting up a large banner along Hilltop Lane and at other places on Tuesday. Personally, I'd like to see the candidate write more on his web-site or on literature, buts signs are good too. None yet for Renaut, Shropshire or Sears-Deppa, who along with Taylor, are last in fund-raising, and with the exception of Shropshire, have rather slim web-sites...Speaking of signs, I see more for Fox and even a few for Cordle now appearing. McFall and Cohen seem neck and neck as shown by signs in and around Admiral Heights. Pierre has lots of signs up around Parole, Forest Drive and sprinkled around parts of Eastport and other areas of the city. Have you been by Westgate Circle lately? If anyone can send in a photo, it will be appreciated. There is a huge sign up for Cohen at one house, next door to another with a huge sign for McFall next to another one with two smaller signs for Pierre....that picture would be worth a few words...Cohen has been sending out lots of literature and an email blast which I found both somewhat humorous and mildly disturbing:


It begins by saying " 'Silly Season' has begun" (my comments in red):

"Almost on cue, the political attacks have begun. Recently The Capital has covered some of my fellow mayoral candidates' attempts to shift this election's focus away from the issues that matter, and instead question the law enforcement, environment and labor endorsements of my candidacy. (This is not silly, nor is it a seasonal disorder and if they're political attacks, well...this is politics. The issue is whether they are legitimate or not and what may be behind the various connections, relationships and interlocks or what might be expected in return.This is not silly. Forget "issues that matter". The only real issue that matters is what's real and what's not. If endorsements are important enough to be sought, and promoted, they are important enough to be scrutinized)

Let me be clear: I am proud of the support I have received. I stand by my record and am gratified by these votes of confidence in my campaign to bring positive change to our city.(Yes, Cohen is receiving support and much of it is certainly well deserved and well-intentioned, but it is questionable whether he should be proud of all of it.)

Instead of engaging in the same unproductive finger pointing that voters are tired of, I will continue to campaign on the real issues: raising the bar for professionalism and civility in city government, reforming our permit process to jump start commercial reinvestment in our city, and reining in city spending, to name just a few." (This is not just unproductive finger-pointing and if that is all it were, why would Cohen send out an entire email blast about this "Silly Season"? But the real issues are what is real and what is not. I am not sanctioning or excusing the sport of skewering and character assassination, but just because one candidate raises questions about another's words, actions or campaigns does not make it an attack, nor does it necessarily make it "silly". Let's all continue to campaign on the "real" issues...)