Rawlings-Blake speaks on the state of her “union” with the city {Thanks, Baltimore Sun}

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has been on the job just under three weeks and delivered her first State of the City address Monday. Unlike the president’s State of the Union, the mayor’s speech wasn’t watched by people all across the city. In fact, you might be hard pressed to find a Baltimore resident who knew the speech was even happening. Still, I think it’s fair to say the mayor is still in her honeymoon period, but not for much longer.

Something Old
Like a leader of any major city, Mayor Rawlings-Blake focused her attention on public safety, public education, continuity of city services and improved neighborhoods. The mayor reaffirmed that she and city leaders are committed to decreasing violence in the city. She noted January was one of the least violent months in 40 years. Mayor Rawlings-Blake, a mother of a young public school student, said that increasing test scores in city schools was of paramount importance, because this would show the quality of a public school education in Charm City was improving. Lastly, the mayor said she was committed on working to minimize the impact of the $120 million budget deficit she inherited when she took office. She said she couldn’t in good conscience promise that residents wouldn’t be impacted, because to make such a statement would be irresponsible.

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Will the lack of effective snow removal mean a lack of confidence in our new mayor? {Thanks, Baltimore Sun}

When problems arise, we look for our leaders to help solve them. The blizzard of 2010 was one such problem where Baltimoreans looked to new Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake to get the city up and running again.

If you watched any of the news coverage (which seemed to go on ad nauseam) during both parts of the big storm, you heard everyone say that this was an unprecedented weather event. One of the more light-hearted yet telling moments from the snow coverage was when a young child (no more than 7) said the amount of snow we’d seen and the lack of cleanup “just don’t make no sense.”

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What should be first on the new mayor’s agenda?

Incoming mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake {Thanks, Baltimore Sun}

In less than 24 hours, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake will be sworn in as the 49th mayor of Baltimore, and those in and around City Hall are hopeful her term gets off to a strong start.

The city will begin a new chapter in its history, and get a much needed fresh start. If Baltimore is to thrive, then its new leader must have the opportunity to start off on the right foot. The incoming mayor has to restore public confidence (clearly hurt by Sheila Dixon’s political scandal), help maintain sufficient levels of state funding for the city, contend with looming budget deficits, address ever-present concerns about public safety and find ways to improve city schools. She faces many of the same problems past mayors have faced, and yet it’s still a lot to juggle for one woman.

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What do you want to know about mayor-to-be Stephanie Rawlings-Blake? {thanks, THE BALTIMORE SUN}

If you could ask City Council President — and soon to be Baltimore mayor — Stephanie Rawlings-Blake anything, what would it be?

Loaded question, I know.

SRB will be in charge of our city soon enough and her future constituents have burning questions.

Leave your inquiries for (almost) Mayor Rawlings-Blake in the comments.

Mayor Sheila Dixon announces her resignation at a press conference Wednesday afternoon {thanks, AP}

There’s a saying derived from scripture that says, “The first will be last, and the last will be first.”

When Sheila Dixon assumed the office of mayor, succeeding now Gov. Martin O’Malley, many took note that Dixon was the first African-American female mayor of Baltimore. For Dixon, a lifelong Baltimorean, it was the fulfillment of her political ambitions. For some, it was a sign of someone, who presumably had two strikes against her (race and gender), that had been able to write her own success story.

Now, a day after Dixon announced her intention to resign as mayor on Feb. 4, journalists, bloggers and those in between are again discussing a historic fete achieved by Dixon — she will become the first mayor of the city to resign from office, not to assume another office, but in disgrace. Read the rest of this entry »

Mayor-to-be Stephanie Rawlings-Blake {Baltimore Sun photo}

Stephanie. May I call you Stephanie? No?

Mayor Rawlings-Blake it is then.

I know things are about to get hectic in the job department. But before you order new business cards. Before you change the names on the city recycle bins. Before you box up the custom-made, jewel-encrusted gift card holder somebody left behind in the desk drawer. I have a few tips.

Consider it friendly advice from one of your 650,000 new bosses.

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Mayor Sheila Dixon enters Court House East this morning {thanks, THE BALTIMORE SUN}

Mayor Sheila Dixon’s resignation from office takes effect Feb. 4, reports The Baltimore Sun.

Dixon reached an Alford plea agreement on a conviction of misappropriating gift cards, and in an upcoming perjury trail, WBAL-TV reported just before 3 p.m. Wednesday. As part of the deal, she will receive probation before judgment, allowing her to keep her $83,000/year pension. She will also donate $45,000 to charities, and remain on unsupervised probation for four years.

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{thanks, The Baltimore Sun}

Towson Catholic shut down. City trash pickup was cut to once a week. Water main breaks were a weekly occurrence. And a Hopkins student killed an intruder with a samurai sword.
Signs of the apocalypse? No, just a typical year in Baltimore and environs.
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Could an important window on the justice system be closing? {Thanks, AP}

After weeks of what seemed like play-by-play announcing during the trial of Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon, it now seems it’ll be harder for the public to learn what’s going on behind the scenes.

A new rule recently went into effect that says what’s said at bench conferences will no longer be made public. Bench conferences or sidebars are generally conversations between judges and lawyers which take place outside of the earshot of witnesses and jurors. Could the new rule mean the window on the justice system is closing?

In the past, the media and the public have been able to read transcripts, listen to recordings or view video of the proceedings, but in Baltimore city that will no longer be the case. While judges can see it as protecting the public from being easily confused by unimportant matters, what happens when there’s a major development that now can be deemed “off the record”? What happens to the public’s right to know? Also, can the justice system be just if there’s not a full opportunity by the public to check it?