Annapolis Capital Punishment

The following letter is being circulate to attract private donors to support the Cohen Inauguration. It was sent out by Kathy Nieberding, who was Cohen's campaign manager (and formerly Moyer's as well) who asks us to give to the Annapolis Community Foundation. The board chair is a Stephen Kling, though this may not be the same Steve Kling as the city attorney of the same name. Let us hope it is not. (amended from previous version...)

The board vice chair is none other than Kathy Nieberding. The treasurer is none other than Clarence Goldberg, a retired accountant, highly-partisan Democratic activist and treasurer and supporter of many Democratic activist. Goldberg prepares and signs the required financial filings for many candidates and donated to recently elected Ward 6 Alderman Kenny Kirby, himself the subject of many posts here.

Past chairman is Alan Hyatt, a top-notch and top-paid local attorney who is often in involved in litigation affecting or concerning city government and development.

The Honorable Ellen Moyer, Mayor of Annapolis is also listed as a board member, but with no official title as such. See: www.annapoliscommunityfoundation.org/board.html

Remember the money-losing Annapolis Alive which was run by Chuck Weikel, now a member of the city's Democratic Central Committee? Well, donations to support that outfit were handled through...you guessed it...the ACF!

For more background, see here: www.hometownannapolis.com/news/top/2009/03/08-43/Annapolis-Alive-vendors-left-holding-the-bag.html?ne=1

Executive Director Jennifer Navabu of Admiral Heights served on the board of the local Optimist Club with attorney Ron Jarashow, an active supporter of Cohen and chair of the recent Comp. Plan committee. He is also up for a judgeship. Also on that board were Tim Menutti, president of the Teacher's Association of AA County and himself the subject of recent posts here because of his group's highly questionable and inappropriate support of candidate Kenny Kirby.

The mayor's pet project, Rock For Youth, has also benefited from the ACF. It is run by her appointee, Tony Spencer, who helped get her elected and worked in Cohen's campaign as well.  Money was also given to the City of Annapolis Small and Minority Business Symposium!   That must have meant it went to be used in a project run by city employees as well, perhaps Ruby Singleton Blakeny, who is also on the board of the ACF! Minor Carter is also on the board. he has worked as a lobbyist for the city under Ellen Moyer's direction, as has Kathy Nieberding. Linnell Bowen, a friend of Mayor Moyer and head of Maryland Hall, probably was not unhappy that Maryland Hall programs got money from ACF as well.

But here is what is most troubling, aside from all the interlocks, is this one fact. The man about to be sworn in as mayor is going through a non-profit organization headed up by the city attorney and his campaign manager to support his political inauguration. Did he not raise more than enough money recently to get elected?

Much of the web-site is still "under construction" but I was wondering. Do you think they'd give me money for writing this blog? Nahh....

(for disclosure purposes, I serve as a volunteer on the mayor-elect's transition team)

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