While it is gratifying that the Baltimore City elections were certified, I am wondering, what does it matter ("Baltimore recertifies primary election results, starting timeline for final challenges," May 25)? Baltimore citizens are routinely ignored and excluded from decisions that directly affect our city.
City leadership was out of town in Las Vegas — including Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and Council President Bernard C. "Jack" Young — just as the verdict on the second Freddie Gray police defendant was handed down. But not to worry. We are assured that our leaders have their cell phones on.
This winter, the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners bought out CEO Gregory Thornton and sent him packing. It then secretly hired an outside law firm to act on the school board's behalf to recruit and hire a successor, Sonja Santelises. It was a process worthy of the National Security Agency. The board's chair, Marnell Cooper, said he didn't want the search to be a "distraction."
The Sun also reported the "secret" release of thousands of gallons of raw sewage into the Jones Falls, which empties directly into the Baltimore Harbor. It is 2016. We were told the harbor would be swimmable by 2020. Anyone who passes near the harbor sees the thick brown water and smells the stench knows that plan is not working.
Also this month, the Baltimore Development Corporation barred The Sun, Baltimore Brew and the Baltimore Business Journal so they might discuss the $535 million tax break for Port Covington in secret in violation of the Open Meetings Act. We are assured that it is all good.
Transparency is fundamental to faith in government. And Baltimore is grossly — perhaps even illegally — violating that most basic right of the citizen to be informed. Glad to know that the election results were verified. My question is: Does it matter?
Mary E. Toth, Baltimore