Dixon to donate salary increase to charity
Apparently two solid days of critical news coverage and brutal reaction from voters was enough for Mayor Sheila Dixon, who announced she will donate to charity the $3,700 cost of living increase she received through a quiet vote of the Board of Estimates last month.
"After much thought, I decided to donate my cost of living adjustment to a local charity that is helping the less fortunate in Baltimore, " the mayor said in a statement. She did not specify the charity. The mayor is uring other elected officials who received the increaseto do the same.
The decision is a full retreat for the typically steel-spined mayor in a day's time. On Tuesday, when asked if she would donate the raise to charity, Dixon said "no," citing "what I do, seven days a week, 24 hours [a day], trying to raise a family, a daughter in college."
Dixon's raise, to $151,700 yearly, drew outrage because it came at a time of budget cuts and an elimination of police and fire overtime. The Baltimore Sun broke the story on Wednesday; the Nov. 26 vote by the Board of Estimates included no discussion of the raises, and documents did not list the jobs that were getting "salary adjustments."
Today's decision seems like a no-brainer. But why did it take her two days to reach it? Is it too, little, too late? Has too much damage been done?
Comments
Too little, too late from the crook Sheila Dixon. Baltimoreans need to ship her off to Illinois, she'll fit right in there with her fellow corrupt politicans.
Posted by: Steve | December 11, 2008 3:00 PM
Hopefully for Mayor Dixon, Council President Rawlings-Blake and Comptroller Pratt the damage is already done. Enough has previously been said and written about Mayor Dixon's challenged ethical background. Mrs. Rawlings-Blake is a joke who trades on her father's reputation. Her shameless self-promotion is on full display on the City Council website, it's all about Stephanie, right. Ms. Pratt is a little more of a mystery, I'm not surprised though, given the poor judgment of the other two that she went along. The problem I have is not with the pay increases, but how they were enacted. Pay codes instead of their titles, and on the day before Thanksgiving. There can be no doubt that given the current financial climate, and I might add sorry state of this city, that they wanted this to be as hidden as possible. One can only assume they were fully aware, and wanted to hide what was going on.
We here in Baltimore have a very low talent pool regarding our elected officials. Quite a few of them cannot even speak proper English, let alone govern effectively, this includes the Mayor. One need only watch her press conferences for evidence. Their ethics, job performance and commitment to anything other than themselves should be constantly questioned. The late Ken Harris was a star, it's too bad he didn't defeat Ms Rawlings-Blake. Keiffer Mitchell would have been a far better Mayor. I'm sure he would've had the good sense and political savvy to not except a pay increase, it's in his bones. I can only hope that he runs again, or that Jim Kraft or Mary Pat Clarke do. Until that time, or the indictment of Mayor Dixon we just have to suffer with the officials that the ignorant, misinformed and uninterested electorate of this city put in office. If however, Mayor Dixon is indicted and removed I fear we go from the frying pan to the fire under a Mayor Rawlings-Blake.
Posted by: Joe C. | December 11, 2008 3:37 PM
Like Martin OMalley
Sheila Dixon is a fraud!
Self serving politicians that the sheep of Maryland keep reelecting
and THE SUN keeps coddling!
Wonder if this will get posted!
Posted by: jay | December 11, 2008 3:51 PM
People ...
You do realize that Sheila Dixon WILL get her raise even though she's 'graciously' given it over for donation.
Donations are tax deductable.
Posted by: Karen R. | December 12, 2008 7:49 AM