A few months back, I gave Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings Blake credit for sticking to her word and moving forward with a badly needed financial plan for the city. Too bad we can’t say the same about her pledge for transparency.
She made the promise of an open and accountable government when she took over as Mayor in early 2010. Ever since, she’s increasingly chosen to keep the public in the dark.
Take, for example, the Grand Prix debacle. You’d think Rawlings Blake would demand a more transparent process this time around, considering how badly the first deal—cut mainly in secret—-turned out. Nope. As the Baltimore Sun reports, City Hall is refusing to let the light shine on the process to find a new operator for the race. A spokesman says the City Solicitor okayed the process…not a surprise considering he’s the Mayor’s appointee.
Monday, I repeatedly asked Rawlings Blake whether she’d step in to halt the highly embarrassing auction of the Housing Authority’s vehicles. It’s a move that adds insult to injury since it’s the result of the City’s refusal to pay court-ordered judgments involving lead paint poisoning. Rawlings Blake’s response? No comment. Might as well just tell the public it has no right to know how its money and assets are being handled.
The Mayor’s staff has become expert at managing her and, as a result, can easily keep a very tight lid on how she’s conducting the public’s business. Don’t want her to have to comment on the Grand Prix? Keep her off a public schedule. Don’t like the questions about the unpaid judgments? Cut them off and get the Mayor away from the podium.
Big work lies ahead. Another budget deficit must be solved. Taxes and fees are already too high. The city needs to grow, not continue to shrink. Remember your pledge, Mayor. Open, transparent, accountable government. The public deserves no less.
