Thursday, September 25, 2008

A lot of examiner Love for Ken Harris

You have to give respect to the Baltimore Examiner. Despite the unwieldy website - which I'm finally learning to navigate - they did a good job of covering the reactions to the death of former city councilman Kenneth Harris, Sr.

Gregory Kane summarizes his view of Harris' legacy and how we as citizens can remember him best. True to a good Gregory Kane writing, his view is peppered with his cynicism towards the city, with quotes such as:

When Baltimore voters rejected him, I saw it as a rejection of accountability. I figured Baltimoreans — who acted like true, bona fide Balti-morons in this instance — really didn’t want the answers to those questions Harris put to Brown, or want to know about those sloppy budgets the school board put out or budget deficits of $58 million. Balti-morons would get exactly the municipal government we deserved.


Michael Olesker is saddened but disgusted with us for the death, arguing that most citizens have become numb to the murders in baltimore until people like Ken Harris get killed. What Olesker doesn't know is that our government has assured us that only bad people die in Baltimore.

Luke Broadwater reflects on his final interview with Harris, who, perhaps in a case of irony, was discussing another victim of crime
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Stephen Janis has collected some quotes from Harris, which shows him to be a squeaky wheel in a grease-free city government
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The BPD has pledged all of its resources to solve the death of Harris. That sounds like a good idea, since the other people killed didn't deserve the same treatment. I know, more bad people killed, yes...

Frank Conway and the Family wants to help pay to lower gun crimes. Political? Yes. But hey, I don't see Sheila Dixon offering any fur coats, do you?

Plenty of activities in the Local Blotter too. After all, the law abiding citizens won't scare and concern themselves.

8 comments:

buzoncrime said...

I wonder what the 4 questions were that Councilman Harris asked of Deputy Commissioner Brown?

And what was the response that was "personal"?

John Galt said...

In the Northern blotter, lots of theft, armed robberies, and the church across the street from the 33rd Street Giant was broken into and ransacked.

John Galt said...

In the Messenger, everyone seems to want public safety to be the burden of the owner of a shopping center.

When the club owner is asked about private security guards, he replies 'Inadequate finances.'

I guess the idea is that the owner of the strip center has no financial constraints.

So, my question is:

If the City is not going to be responsible for the crime,....

...why would it be entitled to collect taxes??

Why not make the shopping center exempt from City taxes and let it instead impose a BID surcharge from the tenants ??


Sounds like a plan.

John Galt said...

In fact, maybe anyone should be able to deduct from their City tax bill moneys they expend to make up for inadequate policing.

ppatin said...

Man shot after reaching for city officer's gun

When I saw that headline my first thought was "Darwin strikes again" but then I read that the idiot's injuries weren't life threatening.

John Galt said...

Whatta great place to get robbed.

90 days in the life in Charles Village/Waverly.

But that's certainly NOT what LiveBaltimore will tell you about the area.

Sean said...

There appears to have been a shooting at Guilford and Lafayette this morning. One of my co-workers heard 8 pops or so, ambulances arrived, the helicopter circled for quite some time, and the area is still blocked off by police tape.

Sean said...

Interesting items reported stolen in the blotter: a loaf of bread and a dictionary.