Senator Robey – Honorable Mention

Senator Jim Robey got an honorable mention on the “O’Malley Watch” blog.

Apparantly when it comes to citizen input on the massive tax increases making their way through the special session of the General Assembly our:

“…opinions are worthless.”

Par for the course if you ask me.

The full excerpt here:

You can tell that the e-mails and phone calls are having some effect.  According to reports on the Ed Norris Radio Show, the Senator representing Columbia, James Robey (he might live there now too) has staffers that are telling callers and e-mailers that their opinions are worthless. Well, Robey did vote for every tax increase, but let it put a smile on your face to know that you’re hard work is at least pissing them off.  Keep it up.  James Robey: (410) 841-3572 (office number)

Law and Order

This is a great article about citizen involvement.  Don’t try this at home!!!I have known Judge Tom Ward for a long time in that he and his wife are very active:

…in Baltimore’s Irish-American community and helped found the Irish Shrine and Railroad Workers Memorial on Lemon Street.

We were also neighbors when I lived in Bolton Hill.  My experience in Bolton Hill was great.  I liked the neighborhood a lot and really liked my Church (Corpus Christi) where I was married. 

The downside was that Bolton Hill is surrounded by some tough neighborhoods.  The residents of those neighborhoods and Bolton Hill are often preyed upon by criminal elements from some of those neighborhoods.  One is always on the alert when walking at night.  For example, when I arrived home one night after an evening out with my girl friend (turned wife) through the alley to my back door we noticed that the brick and concrete wall across the alley behind my neighbor’s house had collapsed.  As it was relayed to us it turned out that another neighbor was having a dinner party that evening.  When the hostess went in to her kitchen to check on the meal in the oven she came face to face with an invited guest (aka burglar) in her kitchen (very brave of the burglar).  Well, she raised the alarm.  The burglar took off with the entire dinner party in pursuit.  The burglar catapulted over the wall in question which promptly collapsed under his weight.  He got away. 

That is just one of many stories I could tell about crime and life in the city.  Judge Ward is well aware of these problems as he has lived with them for many years.  Given his character this act of bravery comes as no surprise to me. He and his wife, Joyce,  are dedicated to their community and neighbors.   I can not think that Judge Ward would have (even could have) behaved any other way.  To boot he is a Democrat!  Go figure (for you rabid partisans – that is tongue in cheek).

He was messing with the wrong guy.

When 80-year-old Thomas Ward, a former city councilman and retired Baltimore Circuit Court judge, heard someone hollering “Police! Police!” while he took a walk the other day near his home in Bolton Hill, he didn’t flinch.

The Baltimore Sun Article in it’s entirety.