This week’s Summer Reading focuses on Baltimore, Maryland. I was initially going to call this Summer Reading, “A Tale of Two Cities” because this beautiful city has been besieged by violence and incompetent leaders.  The waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in Baltimore are out of control. There is a glimmer of hope, Isabel Cumming, the Inspector General (IG). Cumming is a no-nonsense watchdog that is trying to transform the office into an investigative powerhouse.  Her office has released numerous reports over the past four years.  And, just recently, the City Council approved a measure that would make IG Advisory Board more independent ensuring that IG Cumming and future IGs have the tools to do their job. There is reason for optimism in Baltimore, it’s just going to take some hard work and honesty.  And, if the charter amendment that strengthens the IG Advisory Board passes in November, Baltimore may actually become a positive role model for other cities to follow.
 
Summer Reading – Charm City (Baltimore)
 
As August Recess unfolds, pictures abound of lawmakers curled up on beach chairs or exploring new locales. It’s exceedingly rare, though, for members of Congress to pay a visit to “Charm City” (aka Baltimore) during their summer break.  That’s too bad because from the Inner Harbor to Fells Point to Oriole Park, the city has more than its fair share of local food and fun locales. Sadly, though, Baltimore has fallen on hard times and is too often held captive to corrupt and inept leadership. While the American system of federalism wisely prevents federal lawmakers from intervening too closely in city affairs, Baltimore’s sorry situation should serve as a wake-up call on out-of-control subsidies flowing to an unaccountable city government. It’s going to take more than Hairspray to untangle some of Charm City’s thorniest issues.  Every few years or so brings another high-profile case of a public official abusing their position in Baltimore. In 2019, former city mayor Catherine Pugh had her day of reckoning when officials unearthed an illegal scheme where the mayor would reward purchasers of her Healthy Holly books with political favors. As Cassie points out, “the irony of the Catherine Pugh Healthy Holly saga is that her biggest selling point to many voters was that she was cast as the experienced and honest alternative to Dixon. In fact, it’s plausible her illegal fundraising scheme altered the outcome of an election that Sheila Dixon appeared poised to win.” In the twisted world of Baltimore city politics, it’s like “Groundhog Day” meets “All the President’s Men.”
 
And if all this hoopla wasn’t enough for Charm City residents, Baltimore is dealing with the trials and tribulations of city State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby. In January 2022, Mosby was indicted on federal charges of perjury and the filing of false loan applications related to the purchase of two Florida vacation properties. Even before her activities (fully) attracted federal attention, Mosby earned the reputation of living lavishly on the taxpayers' dime. In 2021, IG Cumming wrote a report detailing pricey unapproved travel by the prosecutor.  The investigation found that, “between 2018 and 2019, SA Mosby traveled out-of-town in her official capacity to attend 24 events and was physically absent from Baltimore City for 85 days. Those trips took SA Mosby around the United States, and on three different occasions, around the world… The OIG found discrepancies between the travel reported on SA Mosby’s State financial disclosure forms, the travel list she provided to the OIG, and the OIG’s independent verification of costs.” Mosby pushed back on these and other watchdog reports and even tried to get the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to silence her media critics. These efforts were unsuccessful, and Mosby now faces an uphill battle to get her federal charges dismissed. Fortunately, though, Mosby will not continue her problematic tenure as city State’s Attorney. On July 22, Mosby lost the Democratic primary for state’s attorney to defense attorney Ivan Bates. Mosby’s downfall was a culmination of a persistent watchdog and a tenacious federal investigative effort. But, in Baltimore, no good watchdog work (deed) goes unpunished. Despite IG Cumming’s successful crusade for accountability and identification of more than $7 million in wasteful city spending for fiscal year 2021, Baltimore officials have been actively trying to rein her in through the IG Advisory Board.  As Baltimore Brew contributor Fern Shen explains, “[u]nder its current structure, the seven-member IG Advisory Board is dominated by members who either are – or represent – elected officials that may be subject to investigations. The board now consists of one designee of the mayor, two designees of the City Council president, one designee of the comptroller, and the deans of the University of Maryland and University of Baltimore schools of law.” In other words, the inmates are running the asylum. But, this may all change soon.  Baltimore City Councilwoman Odette Ramos proposed a charter amendment that would drastically change the makeup of the Advisory Board so that citizens, not political cronies, would have seats on the Board. In July, the City Council approved (and Mayor Brandon Scott signed) Ramos’ charter amendment legislation. Baltimore City voters will decide whether to green-light the proposal in November.
 
As these battles for accountability shape up, federal lawmakers find themselves in a bind. On the one hand, Congress is confined to tackling national issues and not taking sides in city-level policy fights. At the same time, though, Washington, D.C. has sent a significant sum of money to Baltimore (especially over the past couple of years). Baltimore received more than $600 million worth of federal aid from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), but has thus far only spent a small portion of those dollars. It’s certainly not encouraging that less than 10 percent of committed dollars went toward fighting COVID-19 and addressing healthcare issues.  Baltimore’s lack of priorities, coupled with the city’s consistent corruption, should make Congress think twice before sending the city more dollars without adequate safeguards. Lawmakers can avoid micromanaging dollars while conditioning aid on basic conditions such as having an independent IG and specifying broad and allowable spending categories. Maybe then, Baltimore voters and policymakers will have a better understanding of the stakes involved in spending large sums of taxpayer dollars.
 
Ultimately, Baltimore has a lot to offer its residents and the country. The best way to honor the city’s incredible legacy and achievements is to make sure that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and public officials are held to account. Additionally, outstanding public servants such as IG Cumming should be given their due and adequate resources to keep the city corruption-free. Spraying on a healthy helping of transparency and accountability will finally straighten the city out.

BLOGS:

Monday: City seeks bond approval to add to residents’ inflation pressures 

Tuesday: Public Health Messaging is Guiding Consumers Toward Smoking   

Wednesday: TPA Calls for USPS Overhaul After Agency Reports $459M Net Loss

Wednesday:  Antitrust Bill Will Stall Security Improvements

Thursday: State Lawmakers Be Wary, Flavor Tobacco Bans Result in Loss of Revenue, Increased Costs for Enforcement

Friday: Summer Reading: Baltimore Edition


MEDIA:
 
August 5, 2022: WBFF Fox45 (Baltimore, Md.) quoted TPA in their story, “14 Baltimore City Schools will return to classrooms without air conditioning.”
 
August 6, 2022: Patrick Hedger joined NTD News to discuss the Inflation Reduction Act.
 
August 7, 2022:  The Courier (Des Moines, Ia.) ran TPA’s op-ed, “City seeks bond approval to add to residents’ inflation pressures.”
 
August 8, 2022: WBFF Fox45 (Baltimore, Md.) interviewed me about air conditioning in city schools.
 
August 8, 2022: Patrick Hedger joined ‘The Austin Petersen Show’ on KWOS News Radio to discuss the Inflation Reduction Act and the IRS.
 
August 8, 2022: Patrick Hedger joined ‘Real America with Dan Ball’ on OANN to discuss July’s job report and the Inflation Reduction Act.
 
August 8, 2022:  I appeared on 55KRC Radio (Cincinnati, Ohio) to talk about inflation and the Postal Service. 
 
August 9, 2022:  I appeared on the ‘John Fredericks Show’ to talk about the Inflation Reduction Act and the IRS.
 
August 9, 2022:  WBFF Fox45 (Baltimore, Md.) quoted TPA in their story, “Mayor Scott's Office quietly rolls out armed security guards for squeegee, motorist safety.”
 
August 9, 2022: I appeared on ‘The Jeff Angelo Show’ on WHO Radio 1040 AM (Des Moines, Iowa) to talk about the Inflation Reduction Act and the IRS.
 
August 9, 2022:  Townhall.com ran TPA’s op-ed, “The Unhealthy Obsession with Health.”
 
August 9, 2022:  Inside Sources ran TPA’s op-ed, “The FDA Has a Science Problem — Literally.”
 
August 9, 2022: RealClear Markets ran TPA’s op-ed, “Republicans Provide New 'Net Neutrality' Playbook With Anti-Tech Antics.”
 
August 9, 2022: Broadband Breakfast ran TPA’s op-ed, “Democrats Needlessly Push Another Round of Net Neutrality Legislation.”
 
August 10, 2022: RealClear Policy ran TPA’s op-ed, “Overbuilding Broadband Networks Will Only Exacerbate Worker Shortage.”

August 10, 2022: Dan Savickas joined ‘The Barrett Brief’ (New Orleans, La.) to discuss the Inflation Reduction Act and the IRS.
 
August 11, 2022: WBFF Fox45 (Baltimore, Md.) interviewed me about the Postal Service’s recent financial losses.
 
August 11, 2022:  I appeared on WBOB 600 AM (Jacksonville, Fla.) to talk about inflation and gas prices.
 
August 11, 2022: The Nashua Telegraph (Nashua, NH) ran TPA’s op-ed, “The FDA has a science problem – literally.”
 
August 11, 2022: Patrick Hedger joined ‘The Tennessee Star Report’ with Michael Patrick Leahy to discuss the Inflation Reduction Act and the IRS.
 
August 11, 2022: WBFF Fox45 (Baltimore, Md.) quoted me in a story titled, “Multiple BCPS employees took six-month hiatus from work, audit report says.”
 
August 11, 2022: TPA was quoted in a story from Inside Sources, “Will $369 Billion in New Climate Spending Lower Your Heating Costs This Winter?”
 
August 12, 2022: RealClear Energy ran TPA’s op-ed, “Where Biden’s Disastrous Policies Rue the Day: U.S. Virgin Islands.”