City Council Expense Accounts Probed

Today's Baltimore Sun has an article about the continuing invoices into the expense accounts of City Council members.

Questions of Ethics Continue to Swirl Around Council

The U.S. Attorney for Maryland continues to investigate our City Council. Each member is paid $5,000 annually to compensate them for expenses related to their council work. Council members are required to sign a form that affirms that they have spent the money on official business. It appears that if proper receipts or other proof of such expenditures is made than this income should be reported as taxable income. Most council members did not provide the required documentation and failed to report the income on their taxes. The money that they receive for their expense accounts is above the $80,000 that they are allotted to run their offices.

It is not clear what the outcome of this investigation will be. However, it is clear that this is tax payer money. It should be no surprise to our elected officials that this money should be used specifically for council expenses and not money that should come out of a campaign fund. In the private sector, you do not get reimbursed for an expense until you provide a receipt or some other proof that you spent the money on a true business expense. Serving the public is an honor that brings a considerable amount of responsibility. I will take this responsibilities very seriously and treat tax payer money the way it should be.

We must change the culture of politics in the city of Baltimore. At a time we are facing budget deficits and layoffs, we can not be cavalier with the duty of public office. It is time to send a clear message to our leaders you can do that by voting for me on November 2.

Get Your Gear!

Show your support for change in Baltimore City by donating today to my campaign. With a donation of $50 or more you will get one of my great looking shirts. Donating is easier than ever by using the paypal link right on the web site. I thank you in advance for your support.

Getting Things Done!

It has been a couple of weeks since I have updated this site. That's not to say that the campaign has ground to a halt. That has been hardly the case. You should vote for me not just because I am working hard to get your vote I will also have to work hard to keep it. My opponent has become complacent over the last 26 years and once told a reporter that since she is the "Dean" of the City Council that "G-d should appoint her to the council". Over the last two weeks I have fielded calls from my future constituents who have asked me to help get their street lights that have not been working for a month turned back on. I am happy to say that by working with the Mayor I was able to help get the street lights on Bartol Avenue back on within days of being contacted.

Many of you may have heard about legislation that has been introduced by Senator Lisa Gladden that would strongly reduce the power of Baltimore City Police to enter a liquor store or a bar to investigate a crime. I have been in contact with every member of the appropriate committees in both the House and Senate to voice my opposition. I have learned from Senator Gladden that neither one of these bills will make it out of committee.

I have written about Senate Bill 774, which would appropriate funds to help bring a greenway to the Western Run. I have been working hard to ensure passage of this bill. I strongly believe that Governor Ehrlich will sign this bill and we will be on the way to improving the quality of life for our children and seniors who are in desperate need of more green space.

Another important piece of legislation that has escaped public scrutiny is an effort by the Department of Health to move most senior citizens into managed care plans as a way of cutting health care costs. I am very concerned about the approach that the Secretary of Health has used to implement his so called "vision" for health care in Maryland. I have been working to ensure that any legislation that passes would provide for plenty of safeguards as well as subjecting any such plan to review by the legislature.

Meanwhile, as the last few weeks of the General Assembly wind down we are all waiting to see the final outcome of any slots legislation and its impact on our district.

"I Will Be Back"

To quote the great Governor of California. Please continue to visit this site for updated information.

She's in the Middle of this Mess!

Please use the link below for more information on Rikki's role in http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.mitchell10mar10,0,7542484.story?coll=bal-local-headlines

mortgating the financial future of our city. This story continues to unfold. The Mayor has announced the possibility of raising taxes to pay for the loan to the school system.

Our leadership is so clue less. It's like seeing a close friend with a problem, but is denial about the situation. You want to help, but until the friend realizes there's a problem there is nothing you can do about the situation.

Stay Tuned!

COUNCIL MORTGAGES FUTURE FOR POLITICAL GAIN!

MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL JOIN FORCES TO JEOPARDIZE CITY FINANCIAL STANDING!

In the end, it boiled down to the fact that the Mayor and City Council could not stand being relegated to the sidelines in Annapolis. Instead, on Monday night the same individuals who failed to hold the school board accountable for the financial crisis that it currently finds itself in decided to create more of a mess. The City has decided to dig into its "rainy day" fund to give a loan to the school system. They have done this despite the fact that there is the very real potential that the City bond rating may be in jeopardy. Tonight, Fitch has already put Baltimore on a "watch" list which may lead to the bond rating being lowered. City leaders do not believe that the bond rating is in trouble because the loan will be repaid in 90 days. I find that hard to believe. Where will the long term structural changes that are needed in the system occur? Who will lead them out of this mess? At a time when we needed leadership and cooperation from our leaders we have the political equivalent of a game of "chicken".

So, where was Rikki in all of this? Last week, I was told that she was working "behind the scenes" on the school issue. She was going to make things happen. She was going to solve the problem. My first reaction was that it was nice to see that she was putting aside her partisan politics to work with the Governor on a solution to the problem. We should have known that things would not work out. Having a one party system of government in this city continues to haunt us because there are absolutely no checks and balances. There is no opposition to the Mayor. While I certainly hope that this loan will help pull out a "miracle" and help turn around the school system I am not optimistic. In the meantime, even without slots, our city has now taken a huge gamble. Time will only tell if the Mayor's horse comes in.

Vouchers Part 2!

You may have a missed a small article in the Sun over the weekend about the Archdiocese closing two Catholic schools in the city. These two schools are closing because enrollment has dropped and now they are losing money. It is a shame that these two well run schools are closing because of under enrollment when we are city schools are over crowded and unmanageable due to the fiscal crisis. I am sure that there are many parents of our city school system who would love to have their children in a private catholic school, but just can not afford it. We are now faced with a chance to take bold steps towards giving parents a real choice in their children's education. I would urge our leaders to grant vouchers to those parents who want to attend these local catholic schools. This would be a win-win opportunity for our kids, parents, educators, and schools system. Let's take some bold leadership while we have a chance.