Mayor to West-East Coalition: Drop Dead
Indicted Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon sent a message today to the West-East coalition. That message is that her mind is made up and that the city is “firmly in support of Alternative 4C that includes a surface route along Boston Street.”
The letter, sent on behalf of the Mayor by Danyell Diggs, Red Line Coordinator for the Baltimore City Department of Transportation, also said that, “We believe that this route achieves a reasonable balance between impacts to the community and improved mobility.”
The letter goes on to dismiss all concerns expressed by the West-East Coalition. “Given the size of this investment, we must also do what is best for the entire City of Baltimore.”
While the West-East Coalition supports mass transit, it has urged the Mayor, the Mass Transit Authority, and City Department of Transportation to consider a number of the other alternatives these agencies have proposed to link the West and East sides. It has also held out proposals from other mass transit advisory and activist groups. However, the letter makes it clear that despite overwhelming opposition by area constituents, a surface Red Line is the only alternative that the City will consider.
We are not sure that a Mayor who, according to the Baltimore Sun, recently had new charges added to the last January’s original 12 counts of felony theft, perjury, fraud and misconduct in office, which includes soliciting gifts from two prominent developers, is considering the best interests of all city residents in pushing forth this development project.
How can Shady Sheila expect us to support her in the next election with the stubborn mindset she has exhibited toward our neighborhood and our legitimate concerns? She passes all communication off to Danyell Diggs and won’t have the courtesy to address us directly. Write a letter to the mayor and you get a letter from Diggs that is reeking of condescension. There’s a suggestion of a grudge against us for being a successful, concerned neighborhood that will not drink the Kool Aid that City Hall patronizingly tells us is good for us. Assuming she wiggles out of her current legal problems, there are many people here who will never vote for Dixon again no matter who her opposition might be.
It’s easy to see how Sheila supports this – 4C is the plan that best suits the developers. She gives them a big project and gets a nice kickback – who cares who gets hurt in the process
Inky – there’s an easy answer to your rhetorical question – she can’t. I hope the democrats put forth another candidate, otherwise I’m voting republican…