You will find a lot of serious content on this website. Some might call it overly dense. I make no apology for this, considering the dire situation our city is in right now. Every topic was developed in response to questions I was asked. I sincerely want to know what you are thinking -- about the positions I am taking or any matter of concern to you. Please e-mail or call me at 443-414-6539 with your comments or questions.

The office of City Council President is independently elected, so it should be filled by an independent minded person. I am that individual. I will not get in to "go along to get along." Moreover, I will take the lead by effectively cutting my own salary and benefits--putting a portion of my salary as City Council President in an escrow account to start paying down the city debt - and encouraging and even demanding that the rest of the City Council members do the same, if they want to consider themselves leaders and not rulers, living off the citiz ens of Baltimore. I have been involved with independent party politics since 1992, fighting with my colleagues against the powers that be (in Maryland mostly the Democrats) who insist that only one party one and set of ideas should live. Baltimore City needs someone with determination and grit to pull away from a largely failed 40 year monopoly-and the Republicans are not the answer.

Work with Annapolis to lower the property tax to reflect only the value of the land and never punish people for fixing their property. Reduce property taxes, piggy back taxes and sales taxes. No more snack taxes and container taxes that drive businesses and jobs into the County.

Make abandoned properties available to anyone willing to restore them, removing restrictions so that they can be multi-purpose: business, residential, or agricultural (creating community farms), making Baltimore a place where people want to come and stay.

Young people see elected officials and school leaders cheating on tests and taking advantage of others for their own benefit and feel free to do the same. Churches and other institutions need to work to reverse this trend and talk about loving your neighbor and respecting others. Until we accomplish that, and remove leaders who cheat and lie, we're not going to see much of a change in crime.

Baltimore needs an elected school board. The only meaningful system that will provide real reform is school choice for parents in every possible configuration. Top school administrators need to get off their financial high horse and take pay cuts - and when they talk about the children, they should be doing more than just talking about their own children.

Many candidates and office holders are calling for more new school construction. This is the 21st century. We don't need more school buildings. We should recognize that education can be transmitted through the internet, the media, community associations, etc. We need to be investing more in libraries rather than school buildings - reversing a trend that has been going on for many years now. Such as it is, most of the school buildings in Baltimore resemble penal institutions more than anything else. What child can possibly learn in such an environment? In terms of school repairs, whoever is contracted to do these repairs needs to be followed like a hawk - and look out for the sweetheart deals between the city rulers and these contractors. Shoddy work should not be expected - contrary to Councilman Curran's opinion expressed in a candidate forum in 2007.

On the Campaign Trail