Sheila Pratt Dixon has named new leadership for BACVA and the Convention Center.  She has essentially merged the boards, and renamed the new board the Baltimore Convention and Tourism Board.

And, in a move that is completely indescribable and totally amazing, she has named Baltimore banker Ed Hale, Chairman of 1st Mariner Bank, to head the new board.

The murder right might be down in Baltimore City, but the stupidity is definitely going up.

The Red Line is a walking, talking "charlie fox".  The long hoped-for, long-awaited, long-dreamed-for transportation line to link the west side and easte side of the cities is too expensive, according to this article in the Calvert Street Communist Party Newsletter.

Now that I am back in the "commuting class", and I have to drive through a big swath of Baltimore City on a daily basis, I am going to start a new feature here called "Stupid Pedestrian Spots"

This week:  Lexington Market @ Paca Street.

The Calvert Street Commie Times has a great article today on Wells Fargo firing back at the City of Baltimore over the lawsuit that accuses Wells Fargo of illegal loans and foreclosures, thereby denying the city "millions" in revenue.

Wells Fargo fires back,  however, that only 313 foreclosures have occurred during the period.  They also highlight the 19,000 tax lien sales by the city that have the same effect as foreclosure.

Should be a fun battle to watch.

I am no huge fan of the Baltimore Sun-- AKA the Calvert Street Communist Party Newsletter -- but I do like Greg Kane.  He is one of the best columnists of any Tribune paper.

And today's column is right on:  give me concealed carry, or give me police protection 24-7.

Not as poetic as "give me liberty or give me death", but the point is still valid.

Public schools have more problems than just funding, or hiring qualified teachers, or feeding malnourished children.

They have 13 year olds attempting to rape staff members.

I guess we shouldn't be surprised, given the number of attacks against school officials this year -- 120-- and the number of charges filed -- 7.  There is no real discipline for these little shitbirds or their worthless, feckless, parents. 

Personally, I hope this little 13-year pile of walking turd gets charged as an adult.  Let him spend a little time in Hagerstown or ECI -- say, 8 years -- and find out how tough he isn't.

He needs to learn the lesson:  if you want to act like a man, you've to to take it like a man.

By now, I am sure you have heard about the Federal Reserve bailout of Bear Stearns (in collaboration with the assistance of JP Morgan) that occurred this morning.

But do you know why this all started?  It's simple.  Ed Hale's 1st Mariner Bank made and egregious number of BAD loans out of its fianance unit, which it had sold to investment houses on Wall Street.  The majority of these loans were sold to Bear Stearns.  And that vast majority of these ALT-A loans originated out of 1st Mariner's Northern Viriginia offices, an operation (since closed) that is now under investigation by the FBI for conspiracy to commit fraud, fraud, and theft.  The number of bad loans generated in the Northern Viriginia operation might top 70%.

It should be noted that the fraud was being committed without the knowledge of 1st Mariner Bank Executive Leadership.

Ed Hale, chairman of 1st Mariner Bancorp, owner of the Baltimore Blast, and builder of the 1st Mariner Tower as head of Canton Crossing, LLC, is getting sued left and right over construction of the tower, according to this article in the Baltimore Business Journal.

The Calvert Street Communist Party Newsletter has a "preview story" on the new budget for Baltimore City Schools, and from what I read, I have to say that I am impressed.  It seems like there is finally an adult running the show down on North Ave.