Power Rankings
Baltimore City Power Rankings
Illustrations by Alex Fine
Published: February 20, 2013
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1 Martin O’MalleyGov marches on with his progressive agenda for the 2013 General Assembly: Following pushes to end the death penalty and increase gun regulations, he’s strongly backing a pet bill to subsidize a massive wind-energy project off the shore of Ocean City which went to the house floor this week. Hey, the 2016 Iowa Caucus is only 35 months away! |
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2 Dr. Ben CarsonThe hugely respected Johns Hopkins neurosurgeon stepped into the limelight with a pointed speech at the traditionally nonpartisan National Prayer Breakfast—attended by President Obama—criticizing Obamacare and supporting conservative proposals like health care savings accounts. He went on to a round of TV interviews, including on Fox News, where Hannity, et al., welcomed him like the Emperor fussing over young Vader as he compared the flat tax to a tithe. What’s Carson running for, President of Church Ladies? Hey Ben, Being president ain’t brain surgery. Maybe you should stick to the hecklers’ seats. |
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3 Stephanie Rawlings-BlakeA week after Il Mayore’s ambitious State of the City address, the fact checking begins and—surprise!—the numbers aren’t available. She claimed that her Vacants to Value program had resulted in 1,000 rehabs of vacants so far, though the program has only sold about 500, and not all of those are being rehabbed (see “Fact checking the Mayor’s State of the City address,” page 12). And why don’t we need audits again? |
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4 Department of CorrectionsFBI investigators looking into 2008 beatings at Roxbury Correctional Institute in Hagerstown say in court filings that the beatings of an inmate were part of an institutionalized extra-legal policy of punishing inmates who lashed out at correctional officers (“Rogues or Regulars?,” Mobtown Beat, page 11). With two defendants already charged, and six more potentially soon to be, the case is far from closed. |
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5 State PoliceA trainee was shot in the head during training exercises at Rosewood Center when a service pistol was mistaken for a paint gun. Days later, state troopers who arrested rapper 2 Chainz and charged him with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia took personal fan photos with him. So, yes, more training needed, but maybe leave the live ammo at the station this time.
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