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True public servant or totally self-absorbed

By Doni Glover, www.bmorenews.com

(BALTIMORE – November 20, 2009) – Many of us knew when then-City Council President Sheila Dixon was campaigning to be elected as mayor of Baltimore that she had a cloud of suspicion hanging over her head. It was common knowledge that “they” were after her. At the very least, we knew prosecutors believed that they had something on her … AND it wasn’t going to be pretty. Eventually, she would be forced to confront her issues.

Nonetheless, she received the majority of the votes to become mayor. And since then, many see a difference in Baltimore. Crime is being checked, according to locals. The streets are being paved, including Monroe Street. A noticeable difference is clearly underway.

Yet still, people were watching her case unfold on television … intensely at times … all the while wondering if she, the chief exec of this municipality would, in fact, have to answer some otherwise intrusive questions about her decisions, her lifestyle, and everything in between.

To her credit, she has maintained better than the most aggressive of Titans. The city has been run with a precision that many Baltimoreans have not seen in a long time, according to many interviewed this week. Her emotional status appears determined to continue doing the best job possible, regardless of the pack of reporters in her face 24-7. Personally, I think the average person would have cracked a long time ago – including the strongest of men.

So, she indeed has the empathy of many who are otherwise disenfranchised. Many people believe that this whole Dixon case has been a witch hunt by an overzealous prosecutor who, after years of investigation, has only come up with some otherwise petty charges. For instance, when was the last time one can recall seeing a mayor’s home invaded with her personal business all in the streets along with a relentless character assassination such that everybody, including the dog, is wondering if she did take gift cards meant for needy people.

People are asking: How are you not going to know the gift cards in question were meant for the poor? Didn’t you solicit them? Didn’t you tell developers A, B and C that they were for people who might not otherwise have a Christmas?

As others have noted, this case boils down to a question of whether or not the mayor knew what she was doing.

This case is all about the mayor’s character. And the truth is, many people – whether they are influenced by the media or not – are puzzled as to why a person who is making good money and apparently living a good life would allegedly stoop so low. People interviewed this week said that if she did take the gift cards, then that is a cruddy thing to do.

Repeatedly, references have been made to a man just 45 minutes south of here who has been through his own hell: Mayor-for-Life Marion Barry. Has the mayor of Baltimore endeared herself to the people as has Barry? Can she re-emerge from the ashes and reclaim her dignity and her position as the city’s chief exec despite the barrage of criticisms and legal charges? Has she made new black millionaires – even in the midst of the worst economic conditions this country has ever seen?

Or has the media effectively painted a picture of a self-absorbed person who is caught up shopping ‘til she drops – even at the expense of the have nots of Baltimore City?   

As of the past several hours, another question has returned: Who will pay for Mayor Dixon’s legal expenses?

Time will tell, friends, if this mayor will be exonerated or not. And frankly, I’ll be glad when it’s all over so this city and its people can heal its wounds and get back to the grind.   

Finally, there are some serious lessons here for any aspiring politician: Keep good records; keep a distance from unrecorded transactions; be nice; be honest; and lastly, love the people one serves, always keep them first, lead by example and remember it is all about public service and never about self-service.

Tags: Baltimore, marion barry, mayor, sheila dixon