Baltimore City Responds After Dozens Of Businesses Threaten Not To Pay Taxes
This weekend, the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) closed down multiple city streets around the Inner Harbor, in a stretch called “Fells Point,” after dozens of local businesses threatened the new city government, run by Mayor Brandon Scott, to not pay taxes because they’re “fed up and frustrated” with the outburst of violence.
Last week, 37 restaurants and small businesses sent a letter to the mayor’s office titled “Letter to City Leaders From Fells Point Business Leaders.” They threatened to stop paying city taxes and other fees until “basic and essential municipal services are restored.” This comes as Madam State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby halted petty crimes during the pandemic and made such a measure permanent – the idea was to decrease violent crime, but that seems to have severely backfired.
What’s happened in the historic bar strict is absolute mayhem at night, transformed into a dangerous area where violent and rowdy crowds have ruined the once pleasant atmosphere along with multiple shootings.
So this weekend, BPD closed down streets around Fells Point, which includes parts of Aliceanna, Thames, and Bond streets.
Current look at Fells Point. pic.twitter.com/quABeTzhNn
— Eddie Kadhim (@EddieKadhimWMAR) June 11, 2021
In addition, Maryland State Police will conduct sobriety checkpoints in Fells Point.
Local news WJZ13’s Mike Hellgren tweets a couple of images of the increased police presence across Fells Point.
Fells Point tonight: Police car and command post on Thames Street. @wjz #FellsPoint pic.twitter.com/cRVRRuffgJ
— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) June 11, 2021
One of the 37 concerned business owners on the list is Bill Packo, who owns Barley’s Backyard and has been operating in Fells Point for three decades. He spoke with WJZ13 about the out of control violence and public drunkenness:
“It’s a shame. What they’re letting happen to Fells Point is what they let happen in the Inner Harbor, and now it has made its way here,” Packo said. “There’s alcohol being sold by individuals out there, drugs, and clearly we all know about the shootings that took place last weekend. But there needs to be some control out there. There is none whatsoever.”
BPD’s mobile police command was spotted outside another shop in the bar district. It looks very dystopic.
Meanwhile, Scott, who was newly elected, skipped out on the virtual community town hall meeting on Thursday at 7 p.m that was to address the issues in Fells Point.
Packo called out Scott for not attending the meeting:
“It’s an embarrassment to the city. It’s an embarrassment to the mayor no matter what the schedule was,” he said.
Again, as we’ve said before, the chaos in Fells Point comes as the city descends into what could be the most violent period ever. Mosby has halted police officers going after petty crimes that have inadvertently backfired. Another liberal-run town with good intentions in policies not exactly panning out as they thought.
Local news WMAR2’s Eddie Kadhim interviewed a man who summed up the city’s response in Fells Point:
One Man’s opinion on the city response in Fells Point from a man who comes fishing down here every weekend. pic.twitter.com/mhO9GMj3qw
— Eddie Kadhim (@EddieKadhimWMAR) June 12, 2021
Another man said the violent crime in low-income neighborhoods is just spilling over into the downtown area.
“Why should Fells Point get help when so many other areas are suffering”. A fair question that I am hearing a lot. I talked to Munir Bahar @thecorcommunity about the violence that plagues the WHOLE city and how it trickles down EVERYWHERE into what he called this “powder keg”. pic.twitter.com/SKDfSzSCnJ
— Eddie Kadhim (@EddieKadhimWMAR) June 10, 2021
Tyler Durden
Sat, 06/12/2021 – 15:00
via ZeroHedge News https://ift.tt/35i3FBr Tyler Durden