The following are my positions on issues that affect the residents of the 14th District and the City at large.
Development:
Give communities a near-veto or approval-needed status for development.
Overhaul and provide CC oversight of Baltimore Development Corporation.
I will not support using eminent domain to benefit a developer over private citizens or small businesses.
Stony Run Pumping Station:
If absolutely needed, place on JHU property away from communities and Wyman Park.
Be proactive: Eliminate the source of the overflow problem, even if it means going after illegal connections by wealthy and politically connected individuals, businesses and institutions. Baltimore taxpayers should not have to pay for the consequences of illegal hookups.
Schools:
City needs to take back control of the School board.
It should include members who are elected by the voters.
Use the powers and authority of CC to push media coverage/ announcements of PTA's, report cards, progress reports, Back to School Nights, events, etc.
Use the CC to create a climate of professionalism within the schools, especially including respecting teachers as professionals.
Labor:
Support Living Wage legislation
Oppose the privatization of city jobs
Tax Fairness:
Close corporate loopholes.
Stop subsidizing corporations at taxpayers' expense.
Eliminate PILOT's and TIF's unless it can be proven on a case by case basis that workers and communities are beneficiaries.
Charles Village Benefits District
Whatever one may say about why or how the CVBD was formed, it has failed in its mission and is a drain on the city coffers. Furthermore, its management has been accused by residents of fiscal and administrative mismanagement, secrecy, and inability to achieve the goals it is legally bound to. It should not be reauthorized.
Sanitation:
Reform the ordinances that go after absentee landlords on sanitation issues. Impose heavier fines. Increase monitoring and action against owners and renters who are repeated violators.
Use a pool of the money to go to hire people to do clean ups. Base it on neighborhood needs.
Crime:
Work to restore felons' right to vote once their sentences have been completed.
The War on Drugs has long been discredited.
Treat the drug problem as a health issue.
Increase funding for PAL-like centers
Environment:
More funding for parks.
Create a climate of appreciating our natural resources.
Moratorium on billboards is not enough. Time to remove them from residential neighborhoods completely and later from commercial streets.
Charter Amendment:
Reform the Board of Estimates so that the Mayor does not control the votes for allocating City funds.
Strengthen the powers of the City Council so that it would not be merely a rubber stamp for the mayor and the special interests.
Create a checks and balance approach vis a vis the Mayor and City Council.
Create a non-partisan commission that would score council members' performance and offer a salary range to be voted on by those who vote to re-elect a member.
Other:
Revive call for city-wide auto insurance reform.
Cap on what cash checking companies can charge. Extra tax to the business to go to assist people in getting out of the need to patronize such places.
Overhaul the impoundment of cars. The majority of people who are subjected to impounded cars often do not have the same resources as wealthy residents and cannot avoid the predicaments they're placed in with escalating and compounding charges.
Put a stop to reviving dead liquor licenses.
Full support of Open Meetings Act/Law and will publicize violations.
No short changing of City permit process. Remove the influence of development consultants and lobbyists from circumventing the role of communities.
Principle of 'councilmanic courtesy' has evolved into a principle of council members being ignorant of issues and blindly supporting projects. The Sunpapers's endorsement of President Dixon in the Primary 03 pointed this out as a major flaw in how the CC deals with issues.
The only property I own is my car and the house I live in. If I lose either of them, I'd be in the same boat as a majority of my constituents.
I will not be a rubber stamp for the mayor, developers, special interests or the President of the City Council.
I am not for sale!
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