I know I live in a comfy Baltimore County enclave - solidly middle class, good schools - you know, suburbia. But I have occasion to go into the city often enough, and used to work there. I know Baltimore. And what happened today stinks.
Not the riots. No, those were bad enough, and they have been talked about ad infinitum elsewhere.
What happened was a coup de citie. Newly-elected Republican Governor Larry Hogan essentially took over the city of Baltimore in one of most vile ways I can think.
Yes, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake is probably in way over her head with this situation. She tried to finesse the protests, and let the rioters spend their energy on a day's worth of destruction. And then she had a day of quiet to regroup and prepare for what was certainly going to be a heavy response after the funeral of Freddie Gray. But instead of beefing up the police response, instead of getting help, she addressed the situation on her own.
Why? I could only speculate, but it was probably out of a desire to leave Hogan out of the situation and handle it within the limits of the city. And I am sure she wanted to avoid the appearance of 'another Ferguson'. Well, if that was indeed her intent it back-fired pretty badly. Baltimore has been simmering as 'the next Ferguson' for a long, long time. This city administration made some very poor plans, responses, and judgment calls. And what is the result?
Not just riots.
Larry Hogan has swooped in with his National Guard troops, and outside law enforcement help, and has essentially taken over the city. The mayor is feckless and submissive to his demands. The Annapolis administration is physically taking over the city administration. And Hogan has positioned himself as the Savior of Baltimore.
In short, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake may just have turned this very solidly Blue state in a Red state.
With a Republican Governor, of massive bloviating Christie-like proportions now firmly in control of the largest metropolitan area in the state, and at a time when the riots were almost certain to calm down by themselves, we here in the Old Line State are facing an electorate that did not turn out for former Lieutenant Gov. Anthony Brown and which now will feel beholden to current Governor Larry Hogan.
It gets worse.
The Baltimore Sun quotes,
"We're going to bring whatever resources are necessary, whatever assets are necessary, whatever manpower is necessary to let the citizens of Baltimore know that their neighborhoods are going to be safe," Hogan told reporters at a noon press conference.
"We're not going to have another repeat of what happened last night," he said. "It's not going to happen tonight."
In other words, "Your city government is useless and I am taking over."
It gets worse.
Mayor Rawlings-Blake appeared lost, defeated, humbled, and submissive to the will of Governor Hogan in a morning interview in which she protected the Governor from tough questioning about where all his help was BEFORE the protests morphed into riots.
The media sniffed out that Hogan was willing to let Baltimore burn in order to destroy both the city and its government and effect a takeover, but the city's mayor would not allow the interview to continue. She has caved, and badly. There is no fight left in the city's administration. Annapolis wins, and Baltimore loses.
The thing you have to understand at this point in my narrative, is that Annapolis is constantly fighting with Baltimore and the demands that a decaying, mostly minority city puts on a rich, well-heeled, mostly conservative, government-contract-fed 'downstate'. Annapolis would just LOVE to crush the city under its heel and make Baltimore dance to its tune and pay for the privilege.
And, it gets worse.
I quote our Baltimore Sun again:
Hogan said New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a political ally of the new Republican governor, would sent 150 troopers plus additional resources to Baltimore.
The governor planned to tour the destruction from Monday's riots by helicopter Tuesday afternoon and survey the forces already on the ground in the city.
The conquering hero Governor surveys his 'forces'. Think about that image for a few seconds.
And with help from none other than Chris Christie. 150 troopers and additional resources - IN ADDITION to our own Maryland National Guard, with all their troops and resources. Do we really NEED New Jersey's help? No. This help is all about optics - about who helps whom, and who is in control.
A Hogan spokesman said the executive order declaring a state of emergency was written and awaiting Hogan's signature since Saturday morning.
So this unverifiable assertion states, but consider Hogan's own statement that, "the outbreak of rioting Monday after the funeral of Freddie Gray – the 25-year-old man whose death of injuries received in police custody sparked the unrest – “shocked a lot of people.”"
And finally, the coup de grace that is truly a coup de citie: "Hogan said he is running the state government out of Baltimore until further notice. "
Yes, Maryland, my Maryland. Once so solidly Blue. Don't expect it to be anything but Red for a long time to come. And don't expect the State to help fix Baltimore in any way other than send 'forces' for a long time to come. Baltimore is an occupied city.