Just a quick note about Mayor Dixon: I think she's done an awesome job. Give me sort-free recyclying and less murders and I'm a happy Baltimorean. I didn't vote for her and thought she was going to be awful, but she has proven me wrong.
And I think it's absolutely ridiculous that people gave her crap about accepting a mandated cost-of-living raise. What the hell? A cost of living raise? Really? What a load of bullshit it is that people in this city are up in arms about that, but not about so many other issues that this city has. I couldn't believe it.
I give Dixon some credit for changing her mind, because it came across as genuine and, after all, she should listen to her constituents. But where do they get off, really?
24-Hour Assholery
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I do hope you are kidding. Dixon's reduction of the murder rate has been overturned as the number of cops on the street has been dropped due to budget cuts. This is a woman who taks "gifts" and gives favors. She should be in jail. And, now, in the middle of a serious economic crisis (while Philadelphia's mayor take sa 10% pay cut) this woman has the nerve to sneak in a pay raise on the day before Thanksgiving. Nobody is "hating" we are just embarassed.
Not kidding at all.
I disagree profusely. If you're talking about the raise in the rate in November, I of course hope it doesn't continue, but it's hopefully an outlier.
There was no sneaking in of the raise. It was a mandated vote in public. A cost-of-living raise is not something that is inappropriate.
Sorry you are embarassed by Dixon, but I think any objective review of her will show she's done a decent job. Her success this year has been much better than late-era O'Malley.
I've never seen an outrage in Baltimore like I saw here. For a cost of living raise!
I agree with you completely, Epiphany. It was a whole lot of hoo-ha over something that was perfectly legal. There was no sneaky business going on at all, people just didn't pay attention to what they voted for (as usual). At the end of the day, it was a few thousand dollars - quite frankly, turning it down or returning it to the City isn't going to overturn the state of the economy. People are just looking for something to get on her about. Is she my favorite mayor? Not by a longshot, but I agree that people aren't looking at this objectively. She's done a decent job all things considered. As for the allegations against her, it will all come out in the end. In the meantime, I wish the public would direct their attention to some real news. This is just silliness.
the police budget was cut, the number of cops on the street, dropped the number of murders rose even an English teacher can see a correlation like that.
While the rise in murders is occurring the mayor gives herself a raise even if she spins it as a cost of living raise it is a raise nonetheless. She actually used the fact that the police got raises this year as the wa that the "independent" body was able to give her that raise. If she wanted to be above board about it why didn't she attach her name to it?? what about my earlier contention that the mayor of Philadelphia set an example for his entire city by taking a pay cut instead. I am sure that the mayor will soon be cutting services and telling us all what a tough time it is.
Do you have evidence that the police budget was cut, or are you going by the Police union chief's words? A month does not make a trend. People say things that make themselves look better. Even an anonymous commenter can figure that out.
As for the Philadelphia mayor, that's great and all, and I don't know the circumstances of his decision or his personal wealth. But I don't really care - it's all symbolism, and I just don't care that much about this kind of symbolism, I guess. It doesn't bother me that Dixon takes a mandated cost-of-living raise, and it doesn't particularly impress me when a mayor decides to take a paycut. If I were given a cost of living raise, I certainly would not refuse it, though, even if the school budgets were bare, and I don't begrudge Dixon for taking a simple, mandated, cost-of-living raise. And I think it's really something pretty silly to get mad about, in fact. A cost-of-living raise! Really!
From your posts, I think it's pretty clear you've got your mind made up about this woman and are using this "evidence" as ammunition to address any point you want to about her. That's fine, just call it what it is. You hate Dixon. That's fine. I've hated politicians before, too. Just never for taking a cost-of-living raise.
I recall a line in The American President: politics is about perception. What's the perception when the mayor gets a raise when the country is in an economic downturn and civil servants of the mayor's city are facing pay freezes and layoffs?
I suppose that this is more hatin'
Mayor Dixon takes care of her own
Two 'special assistants' are in line for 5% raises
Laura Vozzella
February 4, 2009
Times are so tough in Baltimore that Sheila Dixon was shamed into giving at least part of her 2.5 percent pay raise to charity.
But apparently not so tough that the city can't spend a total of $120,000 a year on two "special assistants" to the mayor and consider giving each of them 5 percent raises.
One of them is a potential witness in the state prosecutor's case against Dixon.
Today the Board of Estimates will consider raises for Bobby Potts and Howard Dixon, two retired city police officers who essentially serve as the mayor's body men. They do not act as the mayor's drivers or security guards, duties performed by current cops. Howard Dixon (no, he's not related to the mayor) and Potts escort the mayor to meetings and public events, supervise maintenance of the mayoral SUV and advise her on public safety issues, according to the board's agenda.
Laura Vozzella Laura Vozzella E-mail | Recent columns
The raises would bring their salaries to $60,566 a year. The board would have to waive a salary cap normally imposed on retirees, something it has done for the men in the past.
In January 2008, state prosecutors subpoenaed Howard Dixon in their City Hall corruption probe.
Dixon spokesman Scott Peterson said the mayor would abstain from the vote. So you know it's all on the up-and-up.
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