Why Baltimore is not Detroit
Friday, September 27, 2013 by Blair Lee http://www.gazette.net/article/20130927/OPINION/130929269/-1/why-baltimore-is-not-detroit&template=gazette
There was considerable rejoicing in Baltimore city this week
when George Mason University released a study saying that, compared to Detroit,
Pittsburgh, Chicago, Providence and San Bernardino, Baltimore is on “reasonably
solid financial footing” and is demonstrating “financial resiliency.”
Of course those other five cities are all basket cases (two
are in bankruptcy), so being best of the lot isn’t so hot.
The Baltimore Sun highlighted the parts of the report
crediting Baltimore’s success to sound city management provided by a
strong-mayor system which lets the city’s Board of Estimates (controlled by the
mayor) write the city budget and run the city’s finances without interference
from the City Council, which can only lower the spending levels, not increase
them.
But if you actually read the George Mason report it tells a
much different story. What’s really keeping Baltimore afloat isn’t its mayor or
its charter, it’s the billions of dollars the state of Maryland pours into the
city every year… http://www.gazette.net/article/20130927/OPINION/130929269/-1/why-baltimore-is-not-detroit&template=gazette
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