Oh Nine On Line for May 2, 3 and 4

A scene from last Thursday's Sip N' Blog which attracted over 20 guests and featured mayoral candidate Zina Pierre. Left to right, aldermanic candidate Greg Stiverson, Pierre, host and CP publisher Paul Foer, mayoral candidate Chris Fox, aldermanic candidate Scott Bowling, aldermanic candidate Ian Pfeiffer and mayoral candidate Gil Renaut.

May 7 Sip N' Blog will feature Chris Fox and will be held at the Boatyard market on Fourth Street in Eastport. May 14 details will be announced soon.


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Oh Nine On Line-Campaign Seriousness Second Rating

As it is May 1, two weeks since the first campaign activity rating, I again grade the candidates as to the level of campaign seriousness exhibited. A means candidate is ready to be mayor, B means candidate really wants to be mayor, C means candidate wants to be mayor but we'd like to see more conviction and D means if you want a decisive person in office, you'll probably have to find someone with a higher rating than this person. In order to get an "A", the candidate must have filed with the city clerk, made a public announcement, have an active campaign and active web-site. It will eventually become harder to attain or maintain A's and B's with this "system" as the campaign progresses . I will more seriously consider overall activity, public presence, and how they are communicating with CP and other media. These grades reflect my candid observations of the campaigns, and in no way reflect any type of endorsement of any candidate or their positions on issues. I have left the original text of the April 15th post and merely added on new comments and the new grade which I shall continue to do every couple of weeks:

Democrats

Josh Cohen, announced, actively campaigning, active web-site Rating on April 15^th B He has not yet filed but he is out in the public eye, was a guest at Sip N' Blog, did not gather many votes on CP's online poll, and he is about to open an office. Once he files, he will likely move to an A if he remains active. Rating Today remains at B.

Sam Shropshire, announced, actively campaigning, active web-site Rating on April 15^th B (has not filed) . He still has not filed, but he is making the rounds and remains in the public eye. I have to downgrade him for not responding to repeated inquiries as to whether he supported putting the city manager petition on the city's website. Rating Today down to B minus.

Trudy McFall, announced, actively campaigning, papers filed, active web-site Rating on April 15^th A. I would like to see more activity on web-site, but she did get the most votes on CP's online poll and remains active on issues and testifies at city council. Rating Today A.

Zina Pierre, announced, active campaign and web-site Rating on April 15^th C Has not yet filed but her announcement was well organized and attended and she got a close second place finish on CP's online poll. Plenty of campaign material but still not much writing of substance or positions on issues. Still not well known outside of core support group but is showing momentum. Was guest at Sip N Blog. Rating Today Upgraded to B. (NEWS-UPDATE The candidate informs me that she has filed with the city clerk, but I have not yet confirmed this. This would upgrade her to an A if she remains active.)

Wayne Taylor, announced, actively campaigning, inactive web-site Rating on April 15^th C His web-site is still a big nothing, he has held some public meetings and knocked on doors. Where's his literature? Upgrade to C plus this time because he's making the rounds with public meetings.

Gil Renaut, I believe he has announced perhaps not with a public presence or kickoff party, but he has not filed, and his web-site is hardly active, so I'm gonna have to go with Rating of C on April 15^th. Renaut got a respectable third on our online poll, he is seen at Sip N' Blog and was a guest but his web-site is still barely adequate and I don't see any literature. I'll upgrade him to a C plus/B minus.

Independent

Chris Fox, detailed but not recently active web-site, collecting signatures to be on ballot Rating on April 15^th B minus Fox has been at Sip N' Blogs, at other events and people are beginning to talk about his candidacy with some seriousness but he hardly got any votes on our online poll. If it were not for his frankness and seriousness as demonstrated to me and through his web-site, I would not know how else to grade him, but I am waiting until we see some more sustained and public activity. He did attend Scott Bowling's kickoff and he plans an official announcement in a week so this grade may improve quickly. Upgrade to B

Republicans:

Dave Cordle, announced, actively campaigning, papers filed, active web-site Rating on April 15 A minus (has not knocked on my door yet) UPDATE: How come no activity on web-site for two months? Did attend Scott Bowling's kickoff. Where is the public outreach? The man is a busy alderman and has a full-time job, but how about some news or web activity? Rating Today downgraded to B.

Mike Pantelides, removed

Frank Flyntz, announced at a party that a few people knew about but was never placed n his own web-site, Rating on April 15^th C (inactive web-site, inactive campaign, not filed) UPDATE again because he did not adequately announce his announcement, we cannot find a phone number or email for him and he only got three votes on the online poll. I have not seen any sign of campaign activity nor is he known to have a treasurer, which is a must for raising money. Downgraded to C minus

I am still giving out extra credit for having knocked on my door which Trudy McFall has done and which Wayne Taylor did through a supporter.

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Oh Nine On Line for April 30

Democrats, Republicans, Greens, Independents--take note....Independent Chris Fox will announce his candidacy for Mayor of Annapolis on Saturday, May 9, 2009, 11:00 am at City Dock.

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Big Weekend in Store

Big weekend in store! Go to these events by bike or on foot or by bus!

Wine and Arts Festival
www.uncorkthefun.com
A "Trash to Treasures" yard sale will be held from 8 a.m. to noon May 2 at the Truxtun Park pool parking lot, Pump House Road. Table rentals cost $15 and advance registration is required. For registration and information, call 410-263-7958 or visit www.annapolis.gov/recreation.

Annapolis Music Festival: The Roots of Jazz
St. Anne's School of Annapolis will host jazz musicians from around the world at the community-wide Annapolis Music Festival. The festival is free and open to the public.
410-263-8650 Ext. 120 or visit www.St.AnnesSchool.org St. Anne's School of Annapolis. 3112 Arundel on the Bay Road , Annapolis 21403 . www.saintannes.org

First Sunday Arts Festival
The first block of West Street from Church Circle to Calvert Street. This festival combines crafts vendors, artists, live music, street performers and sidewalk dining-uniquely Annapolis, uniquely fun. This event is FREE and open to the public. Entertainment schedule: Jordan Tice Duo noon to 1:30; Studio 180 aerial dancers 12 noon to 5pm ; and the Val Nebbia Group 3:00 to 4:45. Information: 410-741-3267

Maryland Maritime Heritage Festival
www.mdmaritimefestival.org/

...and an anonymous commenter reminded me that of the Farmers Market downtown on Sunday, May 3rd from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.


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April--Another Record Month For Capital Punishment

April was another record and traffic more than doubled from April last year with nearly 10,000 site views...we came within a hundred views... Thanks to our readers, supporters and advertisers for continuing to make Capital Punishment the number one most popular, consistent and effective blog in and about Annapolis...of the people, for the people and by the people of Annapolis.

It looks as if we'll have to put on a 100,000 visit party this summer. Any sponsors with a pool willing to step forward?

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In Today's Capital: The Ninth Ward Asks Why Public Information Can't Go On The City's Web Site?

Be sure to read The Ninth Ward in today's edition of The Capital, in print or on-line at The Ninth Ward. As usual, the mayor's stubbornness has done more to hurt her and her causes more than anything else. If you wish to learn more about the petition for putting the city manager issue to referendum, visit www.abccitymanager.org .

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All The World Is A Twitter

I finally went to see what this Twitter thing is all about and got on board....but I'm not convinced. Then local blogger Jeff Haines posted a piece about how to use it, so I invite you to visit and learn more at jeffhaines.com

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Oh Nine On Line for April 29

A reminder again that our featured guest at Sip N' Blog at Ahh, Coffee! for this Thursday, April 30th will be mayoral candidate Zina Pierre. ...We have confirmed that our Sip N' Blog special guest for May 7 will be Independent candidate for mayor Chris Fox. Please note that this will be held at the Boatyard Market on Fourth Street in Eastport...the MRE.  Fox needs signatures to get on the ballot as an independent and I think we should all do everything we can to get him on the ballot. This is not an endorsement of Fox, but an endorsement of open and fair elections....On Sunday, May 3 at 12 noon, the Josh Cohen for Mayor Campaign will host a grand opening of its new headquarters at 14 Annapolis Street, West Annapolis. Coffee and bagels will be served. Ribbon-cutting will be at 12:15 p.m. Door to door canvassing to follow for those interested at 1:00 p.m. RSVP to Kathy Nieberding at 410.212.1051 or campaign@cohenformayor.com . Wow--an office! Ribbon cutting? This is the first time I can recall a mayoral candidate opening an actual office. I guess he plans to be very busy.  Send your campaign news and notes to paul@foerfront.com.


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How To Make Our Problems Disappear: An Easy Solution

I don't get any cable or broadcast t.v. so I watch movies and on occasion a "must-see" comes along. Such is Slum Dog Millionaire which I heard reported so many times on NPR that I almost wrote to complain. But then I saw it. Go see this movie. You may know that it was filmed in Mumbai, site of the recent horrible and partly anti-Jewish terrorist attack. See this movie. Suddenly all your concerns about housing, crime, pollution, civil rights, health care, over-development, poverty and everything else will magically......disappear....or you could say you might become blind to them...and if you know the movie, you'll know just what I mean. Here is a quick and trick question. Which American President is on the $100 bill?

Who wants to be a Slum Dog Millionaire?

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Oh Nine On Line for April 28

At last night's city council meeting, Oh Nine On Line spotted mayoral candidates Zina Pierre and Trudy McFall, a regular at city council and who commented about next year's budget. Scott Bowling was there as was Mike Pantelides, who says he is considering a run for alderman in the Seventh Ward. C'mon Mike--make up your mind--we need more copy, more text, more to write about....And of course, Dave Cordle and Sam Shropshire, and the rest of the crew are here on Gilligan's.......ooops.....and a delegation from Turkmenistan to learn about democratic government, although they got up and left pretty early. Perhaps they had seen enough.

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More Catastrophe...

P.S. I should add to that catastrophe scenario in the previous post (below)....swine flue...uhh, maybe. But seriously, after tonight's city council meeting, I am really concerned about where will we hold elections, or will we change the date? The school board is making it virtually impossible for us to hold our elections in the schools. Hey wait--don't we also pay taxes for the schools? So imagine if we have a messy budget crisis which appears likely to me, we raise the mayor and city employee's salaries, revenues decline, our bond rating slips, our water system pops open and then we elect a mayor who then has to hire a city manager but what if the mayor's salary gets raised as discussed--where will the differential come from for the new city manager--if we have an election and if the petition gets on the ballot, and oh I don't know... Then the Market House. Eminent domain? What if we go through with some kind of settlement, from where will that money come? What about the huge projected deficit for the new recreation center? But there is one really bad thing that could happen--what if the mayor just goes bonkers and has a meltdown? There are no guarantees that we will have a well run government and city. I know Mayor Moyer insists we are professionally managed and that our finances are good, but do you believe that? She is focusing on building her legacy. Hmmm...


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City Budget: Good, Bad or Disastrous?

I am hearing static about some real underlying and potentially disastrous, perhaps catastrophic problems in our budget--as in big--very big deficits. At this point, I am trying to gather more information but I caution readers and activists to play close attention. There quite possibly could be a "perfect storm" to hit us within a year or so including an election, a possible referendum on a city manager, and let us hope that our aging, crumbling sewer and water infrastructure (repeatedly referred to here and brought up by some lawmakers as well) does not "pop a vein" in the midst of this. I for one like having clean water pumped in and dirty water flow away from my home.



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Town Hall Meeting on Biking

Alderman and mayoral candidate Sam Shropshire recently sent this out:

Dear Friend,

This Thursday we will hold a Town Hall Meeting in City Council Chambers. We'll be looking at ways of making Annapolis a more bike friendly city. Our guest speaker will be Jane Shey.

A native of Algona, Iowa, Jane moved to Annapolis in 1988. She has worked in Washington, DC, for twenty years on agriculture and international trade issues for a Member of Congress. She recently completed a Masters in European Studies at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium. She is currently enrolled in that school's PhD. program with a focus on environmental policy and splits her time between Annapolis and Europe.

Jane is an avid bicyclist and proponent of bike friendly cities. Her PowerPoint presentation on the subject is informative and challenging. You won't want to miss this incredible presentation!

A bike-friendly city will reduce the number of cars circulating through our city, improve our air quality, increase property values, and enhance our overall quality of life. Plan to join us in City Council Chambers this Thursday at 7:00 pm.

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Oh Nine On Line for April 27

Zina Pierre has announced her candidacy for mayor. I'll be writing more about it soon. She will be our special guest at this Thursday's Sip N' Blog, 8-9 am At Ahh, Coffee!....Big night in Eastport on May 21 when Sam Shropshire has an event to talk about local business issues at Squisitos and that's also the night Ward Six's Greg Stiverson will be holding his fund-raiser nearby at the fire station. Hey candidates--it's perfect door-knocking weather. Just beware of leaf-blowers, weed-whackers and other infernal "Turfinator" activity--they are already out in full force on my street...wear steel toed shoes so when doors get slammed, you'll be one-step ahead...be sure to vote in our new poll on priorities for the next mayor...Wayne Taylor will be meeting with citizens on April 28 and again on April 30 at 7 p.m. at the Mt Olive Life Center 2 Hicks Avenue #400. That's all for now folks!


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Shropshire Supporter on The Bag-Ban: Does Ardent Equate to Being Verdant?

CP received the following letter came from Kelly Davis:

I’m responding to an article you posted April 24 to your blog about Alderman Shropshire’s legislation to ban plastic checkout bags. You say, “Besides that, the ban failed here because of Sam's inability to consider alternatives that might have been more effective and might have been passed by his colleagues.” I’m an environmental scientist and have been assisting Alderman Shropshire with the legislation since June 2007. I continue to work closely with Alderman Shropshire in reference to this and other important environmental issues.

In November 2007, exactly one week before the final vote on the bag ban legislation (O-27-07) there was a meeting sponsored by Alderman Shropshire, David Prosten of the Anne Arundel County Sierra Club and me. It was attended by four other aldermen and alderwomen. In that meeting we offered a compromise legislation that would have put a fee of 15 cents per plastic and paper checkout bag distributed by Annapolis retailers. We asked the alderman present who would support this compromise. We tallied the votes—there were five! But by the following Monday morning the money and work of lobbyist Bruce Bereano and the American Chemistry Council had taken its toll. The compromise was rejected and Alderman Shropshire’s legislation failed.

Had the compromise legislation passed that evening, Annapolis would have led the nation as the first city to encourage the use of reusable shopping bags.

Alderman Shropshire’s efforts, however, have not been in vain. The mayor’s weaker substitute legislation did include a required 40 percent reduction in the distribution of plastic checkout bags by major retailers by the end of June 2009. And Alderman Shropshire’s efforts received great press coverage around the world and throughout the US. Since then more than 70 US cities and counties have considered or passed legislation, and among those passing the legislation have been Los Angeles, Seattle and Maui County, Hawaii.

In addition, Alderman Shropshire has been working with the DC City Council and the Baltimore City Council to encourage legislation in those cities, as well as speaking in favor of the legislation recently considered by the Virginia and Maryland state governments. (Seventeen states are now considering some form of bag ban legislation.)

And Sam has encouraged the national legislation that Congressman Jim Moran introduced that will charge a five cent fee nationwide for the use of commercial checkout bags. (The funds raised will be applied to cleaning up American waterways and other environmental causes.)

Alderman Shropshire deserves great credit for his courage and leadership. His success in Annapolis may not have been with passage of the first municipal legislation; however, he has inspired thousands throughout the US and the world.

In regards to your question as to where Annapolis wastes goes—Alderman Shropshire has taken leaders from our city on a tour of the Elkridge Recycling Center—where Annapolis trash is recycled. It’s a very interesting tour. If anyone reading your blog would like to go on this tour, please contact Alderman Shropshire at friends@friendsofsam.com.

Sincerely,

Kelly Davis 

And CP responds:   Dear Ms. Davis. Thank you very much for your note. I am a lifelong environmental activist and  wrote a lengthy research article on the paper versus plastic issue while I was a journalism graduate student. I also have almost exclusively used reusable canvas bags for grocery shopping for a decade. I  met with Alderman Shropshire and attended one of his meetings on this issue. I personally urged him to rethink and refashion his bill from an edict into one of a win-win situation with community and public-private cooperation by having local non-profits sell canvas bags, perhaps with social-marketing themes at the grocery stores. He kept returning to the theme of "This will be a shot heard around the world" and appeared more interested in publicity and impact elsewhere. I suggested that other environmental issues were a more important priority locally. Sam would not budge although it was clear that council support was weak. If he
had been more practical and willing to compromise early on to achieve real results here, he might have been more successful. While his efforts here may very well have led to efforts elsewhere, we must remember two things. It is an alderman's job to pass legislation here and there have been bans and similar laws in place long before Alderman Shrophsire introduced his legislation.

He tried to do a similar thing with the misguided Bisphenyl-A bill to which I testified in opposition and he insulted and impugned the motives of lobbyist Bruce Bereano. I don't like deep-pockets Bereano or his deep-pockets clients either and I am glad Shropshire puts polluters on the offensive but berating a citizen who is testifying is a no-no. This business of him being a knight in shining green armor is a bit much. This is why I wrote he "never met an environmental regulation he did not like" and "what worries me is that he may be more interested 'in giving inspiration to our county, our state and the nation' than in achieving real results here and now." Shropshire is an ardent environmental activist, but being ardent does not necessarily equate to being verdant. 

Shropshire is deeply concerned about our environmental health and I applaud him for his willingness to think and talk and act about these tough issues. I believe I was fair in my lengthy and detailed response to his environmental policy statement.


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What Should Be The Next Mayor's Top Priority?

 Please respond to our latest poll which is found at the upper left column. Thank you.


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