Change, You Call This Change?

Current Baltimore Leadership A Result Of Low Standards & Expectations

By A.F. James MacArthur Ph.A.L., Managing Editor

Last week saw the culmination to a long drawn out ordeal. After years of being a controversial and polarizing figure, Sheila Dixon was put to pasture politically. Like an old horse no longer effective in its duties, but not so worthless that it should be butchered, Sheila Dixon was given a chance to slowly fade away.

No more presidential snubs, or Jay Leno jokes, no more international headlines bearing the dubious distinction of yet another failed, disgraced, criminally convicted, black democrat politician. Believe it or not, to most living outside Baltimore, this became all we were known for. Even my friends in Europe brought it up. They voluntarily shared their views regarding Sheila Dixon. How embarrassing.

Shamefully, this all could have been avoided if Baltimore truly wanted change. One of the most perplexing matters to me is how a large body of voters who so enthusiastically rallied for and elected Barack Obama to the presidency are the same people who continuously re elect tired, worn out, worthless incumbents.

Baltimore has no issue with electing the same people over and over again, even when they fail to produce the results so desired by all. Putting the same names and faces back in year after year just to be lied to and have promises broken has become acceptable in Charm City.

Last election gave Baltimore an opportunity for change, to truly make a difference, instead we saw establishment politicians remain in their status quo positions. Some were even promoted without showing why they deserved it.

The late Ken Harris was a true champion of the people. Passionate, intelligent and connected, not bought or bossed by the machine. He would have made a most excellent City Council President.

In the Mayor’s race, Del. Jill P. Carter burst on the scene as a principled, proven independent voice. A legislator that shows no blind loyalty to party lines or special interest groups or rich business developers. The chance for true change layed right at your fingertips Baltimore, but you fell for the same old song and dance that’s been used to pimp our people for decades. Now look what you got.

Let’s not even get into how after nearly eight years of the disastrous O’Malley Mayorship, you people turned around and promoted him to Governor. After leaving Baltimore an utter and complete mess in nearly every category that counts, you thought he did such a good job that rest of Maryland should have a chance to suffer with us.

Mayor designate Stephanie Rawlings-Blake openly admits her close ties and allegiance with Governor Martin O’Malley. The man who took this city to a place, even most Dixon supporters don’t ever want to see us go again. Besides viewing him as a mentor and personal hero, she even relies on some of his cast off staff members to run her office. Change? You call that change? YEAH RIGHT!!!

Ramped Up "Abandonded Vehicles" Enforcement Another Avenue For Abuse

By A.F. James MacArthur Ph.A.L., Managing Editor

Mayor Sheila Dixon announced a new stepped up effort to remove abandoned vehicles from the streets and private property. The city has lowered the time to get a vehicle towed from a public street to 5 days and from private property to 15 days. Dixon says since it is football season the city is calling the campaign, RAVN Remove Abandoned Vehicles Now (I'm not making this up).

Sorry, I don't buy it. You guys are a bunch of crooks and you know it! When I went on vacation for two weeks, my privately owned vehicle was parked in front of my house, it was cited and towed as an "abandoned vehicle." What a load of crap Mayor Dixon! Admit it, this program will allow you to raise much needed revenue like when I had to pay hundreds of dollars to retrieve my legally parked vehicle on more than one occaison. Another time it was even ticketed twice in one day as an "abaondoned vehicle." A quick check of the tags would have showed it was registered to the address it was located in front of. How on earth could this be abandoned?

I suppose the brand new, high end, factory spec paint job and the mirror like glossy clear coat really didn't help things. This is Baltimore, when the city wants to screw you, they will find a way to justify it no matter what.

Then there's the issue of the classic motorcycles I was restoring. You bastards hit me for that too. Coming onto my private property and taking the bikes. Nice one! I swear, how can people sleep with themselves knowing they are looting other people's private property in the name of government?

Abandonded vehicles may pose a real problem in this city, but the level of fraud, abuse and blatant criminal behavior within the Dept. Of Transportation via ticketing, towing and the impound lot is so common it's not even news. Even after the city has acknowledged a vehicle shouldn't have been towed, they still demand the towing, storage, impound and "administrative" fees. This new program will only broaden the ability for abuse.

You guys ought to be ashamed of yourselves, but I forgot, this is Baltimore. There is no shame! If there was, the status quo that passes for acceptable performance in government would draw mass outrage and demonstrating in the streets. But alas, the masses are all either too drunk, high or stoned,(legions of addicts reside in Baltimore) or ignorant ( note the high level of high school drop outs and adult illitaracy) to care or notice.

Keep calling me delusional, radical or what ever other epithets you can come up with. If Baltimore's incumbent elected officials don't think more and more of the people aren't getting wise to their ways, then their are the ones in a delusion of denial. I can only pray, hope and dream that one day the people of Baltimore will wake up, and will throw you bums out. The same ones that have been sitting in office for years and doing absolutely nothing to make a difference. Nothing but talk, talk, talk, while Baltimore city sinks lower and lower below the surface.

As you look for more ways to take money and property that's not yours, take note, some of us are on to you. Remember, the Spectator's watching!

Dixon Defenders, I Got The Proof, Sheila Don't Care

“If they shoot it out among themselves, that’s all fine and good. . .” – Mayor Sheila Dixon.

As the words came out, while Dixon stood next to Police Commissioner Frederick Bealefeld, I almost couldn’t believe what I heard. Then again, why should I be surprised? Wasn’t the Mayor just finally admitting how she’s really felt all along? A quick scan around the room revealed other looks just as shocked and astonished as the one I must have had. Should we replace B E L I E V E with “Baltimore, it is what it is?”

Over the years I’ve alternated between being an open defender and a harsh critic of Sheila Dixon. At times I’ve felt pride in her accomplishments. Often this has been quickly replaced with shame and embarrassment concerning her actions. First as City Council president, and now as Mayor. There are areas where Dixon deserves applause, but when it comes to leadership within the realm of public safety, Sheila Dixon’s administration is a colossal failure no better than the last. What’s a record decrease if we’re still leading the nation for crime and violence? Nothing to be proud of that’s what. How many American cities can brag about having routine violence on par with Baghdad or Mogodishu (look up the current rates, we're on par)?

Before you fire off your emails complaining about me piling on and not supporting the Mayor, you need to hear me out. I support anyone that expresses genuine concern, and takes concrete, realistic solution based action, in a holistic approach to turn around this filthy, dying, decaying city. It’s not all about downtown. We don’t need a continued, after the fact reaction to things as they happen. What happened on Ashland Street ultimately comes as no surprise to anyone with knowledge of the players involved including the Mayors Council on Criminal Justice. It’s time to stop putting band aids on the bleeding when you know the cut on the surface is just the outlet, not the source. The deep internal hemorrhaging will cause a slow death long before it catches the eye of the public.

We cannot ignore the less well to do neighborhoods and their many social and economic ills that have plagued them in favor of downtown development and preserving the Inner Harbor. The need to keep a tourist friendly safe zone is imperative, but if life for the locals is a living hell, the city’s reputation will continue to precede itself. Remember Madame Mayor, “a killing per day keeps the tourists away.” And they don’t care where it’s happening.

Mayor Sheila Dixon cares about Baltimore, but only so much. Now that five new indictments have been tossed at Ms. Dixon, I expect as a human being, her capacity for care and concern; other than on matters of self preservation and survival; are quite limited. No matter what she says, this is her current priority.

If it ain’t about money . . . Nothing greater expressed the notion of two Baltimore's than Dixon’s statement at Monday’s press conference, regarding the 19 overnight shootings that stretched from Sunday into Monday.

Pardon me, but who are “they” Mayor Dixon? Young black men? High school dropouts? People living below a certain income level in a town where all around the message is clear there is no hope and no bright prospects for the future. Not for them at least, who ever “they” may be. After all, you said you don’t even care if they kill themselves. That tells me in your eyes they’re worthless, and you just don’t care.

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Managing Editor A.F. James MacArthur Ph.A.L. has written commentary on politics and other matters since 1991. For most of the last two decades, MacArthur has employed a variety of pen names and has often served as a ghost writer due to conflict of interest issues.

Mayor Dixon "Frustrated" Over Shooting Of Five Year Old

Two weeks after the shooting of five year old Raven Wyatt, Mayor Sheila Dixon appeared on a local talk radio show, and questioned why the suspect, Lamont Davis, was not wearing the GPS monitor around his ankle that state juvenile officials require the teen to wear. After meeting with juvenile justice officials recently, the Mayor expressed she was not happy with the explanation; "There were some processes that needed to be tightened up, and to be honest, I was very frustrated."

Read More On WBAL

Crime Times - 11 Shootings Since Sunday

Crime decline touted by city continues to elude us. It's only Wednesday, and already there's been 11 shootings, with several fatalities in Baltimore City.

	07/14/2009		Shooting	12XX W. SARATOGA ST
A 52-year-old man was was shot in the right foot. View Details

		07/14/2009	03:30 AM	Shooting	5XX S REGESTER ST.
	SHOOTING: Reported @ 511 S. Register Adult female shot; police investigating. Update 7/14: [...] About 2:50 a.m. Tuesday, officers found a woman who was 48 yea View Details

		07/13/2009	08:00 PM	Shooting	3XX N CAREY ST
	A MAN WAS SHOT SHORTLY AFTER 8 P.M. MONDAY IN THE 300 BLOCK OF N. CAREY ST. IN THE POPPLETON NEIGHBORHOOD AND WAS TAKEN BY AMBULANCE TO MARYLAND SHOCK TRAUMA CE View Details

		07/13/2009	04:25 AM	Shooting	CEDARCROFT AND FALKIRK ROAD
	A man was found shot in the head. The mans body was found inside a vehicle. View Details

		07/13/2009	07:00 PM	Shooting	DUMBARTON AVE AND OLD YORK RD
	SHOOTING: Dumbarton Ave / Old York Rd-Adult male shot. Police investigating View Details

		07/13/2009	08:00 PM	Shooting	3XX N CAREY
	SHOOTING: 300 Blk N.Carey St-Adult male shot in the foot View Details

		07/13/2009	03:05 PM	Shooting	THE ALAMEDA AND 30TH ST.
	Adult Male Shot View Details

		07/12/2009		Shooting	40XX PENNINGTON
	SHOOTINGS DISTRICT DETECTIVES CONTINUE TO INVESTIGATE THE NONFATAL SHOOTINGS EARLY SUNDAY OF A MAN AND A WOMAN IN THE 4000 BLOCK OF PENNINGTON AVE. BOTH VICTIMS View Details

		07/12/2009	04:00 AM	Shooting	1XX N. CLINTON ST
	A man was shot in the chest and was listed in critical condition at Johns Hopkins Hospital. View Details

		07/12/2009	06:00 AM	Shooting	40XX PENNINGTON
	SHOOTING: 4000 PENNINGTON ADULT MALE AND FEMALE WERE SHOT. VICTIMS TAKEN TO HOSP. View Details

		07/12/2009	04:00 AM	Shooting	CLINTON AND FAIRMOUNT
	SHOOTING: Clinton and Fairmount, adult male shot. Police investigating View Details

Big Sister Is Watching -- Dixon & Rawlings-Blake Support Increased Surveillance

480 cameras now monitor Baltimore City.

“Centralizing all camera monitoring in one location is good for fighting crime and saving money,” -- Mayor Sheila Dixon

“With more than 480 cameras throughout the city, the BPD is using this technology to expand our reach and proactively fight crime.” -- Police Commissioner Frederick Bealefeld III

Baltimore Police Dept. Needs Complete Overhaul

By A.F. James MacArthur Ph.A.L., Managing Editor/Publisher

"Why is it that officers in Baltimore can't seem to find enough criminals to arrest, and instead resort to creating them? Do the cops not know where to look?" -- Regina Holmes, Editor In Chief, InvestigativeVoice.com

Allow me to attempt to answer this: YES, the cops know where to look, but most don't care to. It would be risky and require lots of hard work. When you actually go after "bad guys with guns," there's a chance of getting shot. When you go after a good guy with a gun, like me, you know that I will be compliant and cooperative. This allows you to rack up an easy statistic to allow you and your superiors the feeling that you are actually going out and protecting and serving. Never mind that my gun is legal and that as a citizen I have a right to keep and bear arms, and to defend and protect my life. Why would you care?

Meanwhile the only thing being served is a self important, self inflated ego, while the majority of serious crimes in the city go totally unsolved. The Baltimore Police Department has a less than .500 batting average in solving serious crimes. Anyone, from Commissioner Bealefeld, to anonymous apologists who think I'm wrong, I challenge you to pull out the statistics on case closure rate, and we'll review together, and you will lose!

It is much too easy to criminalize someone who is an easy target, but is actually innocent. To the typical lazy, unscrupulous, morally corrupt cop in Baltimore (not all are this way), and there are many. While I do not intend to pile on, there is a serious problem that is still not being addressed by the city.

Merely throwing money at something does not fix it. Particularly when we have yet to see one single city official come out and harshly denounce what was allowed to happen in the police department for so long. Too long!

Here's the deal; at this point, the stories have been published, obviously the creditability and veracity of the victimized officers have been sustained. Hence the multi-million dollar settlement.

Shame on the city for spending years fighting the truth rather than taking serious steps to remedy the situation. Instead it was left to fester and stink like a gangrenous wound on an appendage no longer useful. At that point, the only option left is amputation. Let's cut off the head, and the roots (other racist commanders) that prop it up, and start all over again.

City leaders ought to be embarrassed that they've allowed this condition to persist for so long. Though not the source of the problem, I hold Mayor Sheila Dixon 100% responsible for initiating the change that MUST TAKE PLACE.

No stranger to city government, having served nearly 20 years as a council member, City Council President, and now Mayor. Dixon was in office throughout the time period in question. Therefore, as far as I'm concerned, part of the problem.

Madame Mayor; it's now time to be part of the solution. Massive reform and a complete overhaul of the Baltimore Police Department MUST HAPPEN NOW! Anything less would show a lack of commitment to our community, insincerity in improving race relations, and only lip service when you say you want a safer city.

Like Commissioner Bealefeld has told me many times, it's time to stop talking and start taking action. The action needs to start at Baltimore Police Headquarters.

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To my regular readers who've been following my story, let's see what they do to me next? Is another false arrest imminent? More harasmment, perhaps being shot and having it deemed justifiable? Or perhaps a kangaroo court guilty verdict, it will be interesting to see. Trust me, the enemies of freedom are ever hard at work.