We Need A Baltimore Day

 

There's been a lot of talk about the Baltimore Renaissance. Great things happening in the city, businesses giving the city opportunity. The O's are coming back to prosperity and hopefully make a deep run in the playoffs this year, the Raven's although not making the Super Bowl produced a lot of purple fever. The planned Inner Harbor revitalization which I'm personally 50/50 on but that's neither here nor there.

The CIAA tournament just finished up in town and bought a multitude of College basketball fans and events here to experience the city and what it has to offer. CFG Bank Arena is bringing big name acts back to the city, the frenzy the day Usher announced his tour was crazy. There's still A LOT of  work that need's to be done on public safety but there is progress and it will take time to change mindsets, behaviors and systemic conditions that lead to that.

All of these things got me thinking. We need a day to celebrate Baltimore, it's culture and what it means to be a Baltimorean. It would be great if the day occurred in the summer months so some type of outdoor event could be held. If not though, we still need something to celebrate the Inner Harbor, our sports teams, crabs, natty boh's, snowballs and of course Baltimore club music. 

It's a way to help instill civic pride in natives and make them love Baltimore good and bad for what it is.  I previously wrote a blog about having a Baltimore sign, much like other cities do against the backdrop of the Inner Harbor. Creating the perfect opportunity for a photo op to show Baltimore in it's beautiful glory. Let's hope those in City Hall think of the great things a day to honor Baltimore could do for the city, and make it official. 

Imagine folks walking around saying "Happy Baltimore day tew you".

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Here We Go Again

 In a city that has struggled for decades to turn it around its image around, the mayor getting caught up in some shit is not unexpected but also is not something we need. Mayor Catherine Pugh battling a recent case of pneumonia has to take an indefinite leave of absence to focus on her “health” after it has come out she was working some big money deals under the table. As a member of the University of Maryland Medical System board of directors she received $500,000 for a series of books she wrote “Healthy Holly”.  She also received $100,000 from Kaiser Permanente for the purchase of her books, while Kaiser was vying for a city contract. We all know that is a serious conflict of interest.

  Just last week former Police commissioner Daryl De Sousa was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison for tax fraud. His original planned successor Joel Fitzgerald was nominated for the position earlier this year but withdrew for “family reasons” amid more thorough investigations into his background and resume claims. Now Police commissioner Michael Harrison bought in from New Orleans is providing some stability to the city police department as they work under a federal consent decree to reform the entire department.



   Michael Harrison seems to be doing a good job so far and I wish him much success as Baltimore’s commissioner to reverse the crime trend that has plagued the city for what seems forever. As he is getting a handle on the position and the city this news comes out about Mayor Pugh and once again the administration of Baltimore City local government has some type of scandal to deal with.



    Scandals are a part of politics it’s just a part of the game, but this is another example of how Baltimore cannot get out of its own way. Any progress made is often overshadowed by some shenanigans going on to briefly halt that progress. I don’t agree with everything Mayor Pugh has done in her administration, but I honestly believe she’s serious about turning Baltimore around for the better.

  I just want the best for Baltimore, it’s my hometown and has so much potential. Of course no place is perfect and has its own issues, but many of Baltimore’s problems are a result of Baltimore blocking Baltimore. Hopefully we can move past this scandal and continue to turn things around.

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Two "New Days" in Baltimore

This past week Baltimore aimed to proclaim a "New Day" in two ways. Baltimore's Mayor Catherine Pugh selected a new police commissioner Joel Fitzgerald, the fourth police commissioner in five years. Meanwhile in the sports world the Oriole's bought on a new general manager Mike Elias from the Houston Astros who played a great deal in their resurgence. Both men seem qualified in their respective positions and have a mountain of work ahead of them,

Joel Fitzgerald is coming from Fort. Worth, TX as the police chief there to take the position. He has already proclaimed he is coming to "help heal the city" and is very aware of the task in front of him. A disheartening stubborn murder rate, reported low morale among the men and women in blue. Trust issues between the police department and the community it serves, and a federal mandate to reform the department and some of it's practices. Hopefully he's the man to help change things.

Mike Elias who was an assistant GM in the Astros organization, is a man many are hoping will spearhead the effort to bring a World Series championship back to Baltimore. Coming off a horrible 115 lost season, he has to find a new manager and coaching staff, rebuild the farm system which has been in disarray for years. Take a look at the current roster which has a few valuable trade chips but not many, and expand the organizations footprint in Latin America which it is severely behind other clubs on. He has made the statement his goal is to build "an elite talent pipeline". The Orioles cant develop pitchers let alone many impact players for any position, hopefully he stays true to his word and is here to change that.

While both men have two completely different jobs that have different effects on peoples lives. They both have a steep hill to climb and both deserve a chance to turn things around. Along with being the man in charge there is something else they will need....help. These reforms won't be successful without a good support system around both gentlemen.

Baltimore did not get the crime rate it's known for overnight. It's an result of decades of neglect, systematic policies that hurt citizens as opposed to helping, carelessness, sense of hoplessness and a "not our problem" mentality. For Joel Fitzgerald and the police department to truly turn things around for the long haul, it's going to require a lot of help from the local government, state government, and community. A way to keep repeat offenders off the streets and mean it, reach out to troubled youth and steer them in the right direction before it's too late, bring more jobs to the city. Bring the school system up to date to engage kids who have more then enough distractions. Making sure the police department is well staffed and equipped for the job, and has the resources needed to get the job done.

The Orioles had a brief renaissance, but still did not address organization wide issues that plagued them for years and proved to be a culprit in their massive downfall. Elias has already began building his team by bringing analytics guru Sig Mejdal over as assistant GM with him from the Astros. One of the most important positions in my opinion is finding a qualified person who can finally develop some quality pitchers like the O's were known for back in the 60's and 70's. Taking nothing from Andy Macphail, Buck Showalter, or Dan Duquette but truly bringing back the Oriole Way throughout the entire organization. Bringing the organization into the 21st century is a career at this point. And Mike Elias will have to surround himself with the right people to make it happen in a time frame fans will accept.

Personally I hope both men are true agents of change. I also hope they are allowed to think outside the box and be innovative with how they approach change. Obviously what's going on in the police department and the Orioles isn't working, so new ideas need to be bought in. Let's give them a shot and hope the crime rate goes down to historic lows in a few years and stays that way, let's hope the Orioles finally bring that championship home. In both ways it'll heal the city. 

 a mountain of work ahead of them.
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