That said, this is alleged to be about more than a few gift cards that may or may not have been mishandled. On face value the charge seems so Mickey Mouse.
However... there's the rest of the story...
Some will suggest that the conviction is a result of her karma.
The conviction certainly raises more questions than answers at the moment and for those who think that this has been a soap opera of kindergarten proportions, you ain’t seen nothing yet.
Although I have met Mayor Dixon a couple of times, I do not know her. Many folks who do know her have praised her for her work ethic and love of the city. Many of her employees have spoken well of her.
However, there has been a cloud hanging over her for many years.
Whether that cloud is real or not, the perception persists.
What has yet to be determined to everyone’s satisfaction is whether or not there really is a fire somewhere associated with that cloud of smoke.
In spite of the accolades bestowed upon her by mutual friends, her reputation for having a cold and aloof – if not condescending manner towards those who do not share her position of power and prestige has not served her well.
Folks have quietly suggested that her manner is a manifestation of the arrogance of power and the lack of accountability that plagues one party ruling factions.
By many measures, the once proud city of Baltimore appears to continue in decline and that makes many sad.
Whether it is the perception of crime and corruption or the simple practical issue that you go to Baltimore in absolute fear of having some Kafkaesque experience with a parking ticket; the avoidance of traveling to Baltimore for business or art and cultural events continues.
While many had hopes for a phoenix-like turnaround with former Mayor O’Malley, our hopes have not been realized under the tenure of Mayor Dixon.
As for the mayor herself, she appears to be a person who has accomplished so much in spite of being such a fictional Dickensian character with Shakespearian character flaws.
Some of it would be humorous if it was not the stuff of fiction, but it is not…
Who cannot quietly chuckle at the time she gave members of the media the finger… Click here for a larger image:
http://twitpic.com/rtdv4And then there is the matter of Mayor Dixon and the persistence of shoes being a major prop in her own Kabuki morality play…
Apparently her affection for shoes – to actually wear – is relatively well documented in her current challenges.
The there is that other shoe incident from 1999…
“Although Dixon is often remembered—primarily by white voters—as the incendiary force behind "the shoe incident" in 1991 (when she taunted white council members about the effects of redistricting by waving her high heel and yelling, "Now the shoe is on the other foot.")…” The City Paper
http://www.citypaper.com/news/story.asp?id=2587~~~~
“The Mayor's team found a way to hide the old city council shoe video…” “Shelia Dixon Gives the Media the Finger” Tuesday, January 13, 2009 Adam Meister, Baltimore Examiner
http://wbal.com/apps/news/templates/smith_show.aspx?articleid=19569&zoneid=13~~~~~
“Though Dixon was already a well-known and well-established political figure at the time, the prospect of her becoming mayor had left many uneasy. Indeed, during the 2006 gubernatorial election there were whispers among city voters that a vote for the popular O'Malley as governor would amount to a vote for a Dixon administration at City Hall.”
[…]
“Dixon's nearly 20 years in public office have not been without controversy. When she was City Council president, The Baltimore Sun reported extensively on apparent conflicts of interest involving a firm that employed her sister, Janice. The paper also disclosed that Janice Dixon was on the public payroll as an employee in Sheila Dixon's office, a fact which the then-council president was required by law to report but did not.
“‘I stand by me being very straightforward and cooperative and that I didn't do anything wrong,’ Dixon said.
“The public's first real impression of Dixon probably came 16 years ago, when she was a young member of the City Council, and - at least for some Whites – she came across as a divisive firebrand. That came at a redistricting meeting when she famously waved a shoe at her White colleagues and said, ‘You've been running things for the last 20 years. Now, the shoe is on the other foot.’
“Dixon said the shoe-waving incident was ‘misinterpreted,’ but acknowledges she gets excited about things that are important to her. ‘Do I still get passionate about issues? I do,’ she said.” Dixon Impresses Early On, But Questions Remain By Jonathan N. Crawford Capital News Service Thursday, May 3, 2007
http://www.washingtoninformer.com/NATBaltimoreMayer2007May3.htmlIt ain’t over yet. There are more acts to follow in this morality play – and there is sure to be a sequel after the sequel...
Seems a shame for someone so bright and talented, who presents as spoiled brat who is now earning back years of bad karma.
Memo to Mayor Dixon: Always take care of people when you are going up, because ya never know when you are coming down.
It must be lonely to be Mayor Sheila Dixon these days….
To be continued…
By Stephen Janis