Kweisi Mfume, Former US Congressman and former Pres. & CEO of the NAACP
(BALTIMORE – February 15, 2010) – Now that two blizzards and Love Day are behind us, a brand new week and a brand new era peeps its head up and out of the snow. What does the leadership at City Hall face now? It faces an angry or at least confused citizenry that, in many cases, is trying to find its way to the car … and then to an exit street.
To the City’s credit, many people have worked long and hard to help shovel Baltimore out of the Blizzard of the Century. At the same time, many citizens share a frustration beyond recompense. Many people I’ve talked to feel a certain insensitivity coming out of City Hall.
I’m curious to know how all this will play out – especially given that this is a statewide election year where there are still rumblings of a Wayne Curry (D) and Robert Ehrlich (R) challenge against incumbent Gov. Martin O’Malley. I’m particularly wondering how the new Baltimore City Council President, Bernard “Jack” Young, and the new Mayor, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, will get along.
After all, Mayor Rawlings-Blake seemed to have more of an affinity for City Councilman Bill Cole’s elevation to council president. In any event, this is sure to be something to watch, that is, between snow drops. Certainly, the time between now and next year’s citywide election will be full of reasons for people to vote one way or the other.
Speaking of next year’s citywide election, names to watch include Cole, Michael Sarbanes, and hometown favorite Kweisi Mfume.
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Doni Morton Glover, the founder and publisher of www.bmorenews.com, has been a journalist for the past 15 years. He is a writer, photographer, and a political analyst for WBAL TV 11. Additionally, he is a local radio personality and host of “Empower Hour” on Radio One’s WOLB 1010 AM. The show is now in its 10th year and is the longest-running customized program on the station.
I am very excited to know that the future of City Hall does not include a full tenure for SRB. She has proven since Mayor Sheila Dixon resigned that this job is too big for her.
In addition, every challenge that she has faced, SRB has failed, miserably. Each administration usually will face some sort of extraordinary challenge that will test their ability to get the job done. We had a blizzard and the administration of SRB proved that they couldn’t get the job done. It took her several days after the blizzard for additional help to be hired for plowing the streets. The city still has roads with 3 lanes but only 1 is passable. Weeks later some streets still has not seen a plow. Many streets have massive pot holes that are so large that an SUV can fit in. Mayor SRB has failed to address this or show leadership in this area.
However, people were very angry and frustrated before SRB realized that this was a real test of her leadership ability. Mayor SRB has done very little if anything to ensure the citizens of Baltimore, not if, but when another emergency occurs she is preparded to provide the type of leadership needed to overcome that obstacle.
Fortunately, for Baltimore the test came early for SRB and we will not be subjected to 4 years of this incompetence!