ACLU: Police seizure of protesters’ rec center sign “spectacularly improper”

“Good reporting. News to me. Baltimore Police Department appears bent on using Occupy as an excuse to justify overtime pay for Absolutely No Good Reason. This is the second known deliberate interference with free speech and confiscation of harmless political speech props in one week. Mayor SRB needs to make sure BPD command contacts Legal & bones up on the Constitution or we hardworking City taxpayers will find ourselves shelling out for yet another judgment thanks to this boneheaded bumpkin-like behavior.”
– Lou Curran, Esq.

“More idiotic stunts by the Occupy movement strictly intended to get them into the news. Tell me, how does jumping rope and juggling at the War Memorial Plaza help the rec centers? How does parading around the streets of Baltimore with a huge, unwieldy sign help the rec centers?”
– Balt Observer

“What Occupy Baltimore is doing is a good start, but I think a lot of people feel that there’s not much to them other than their physical presence. Camping out and creating large signs does create a visual image that the media can capture, and the repetitive visual image becomes annoying to many, hence the seizure of the sign. Spreading a message is very difficult to do, so I give Occupy Baltimore kudos for getting people’s attention. Without more substance though, nothing constructive and concrete is going to come from the efforts.”
– Baltimore Schools

“speaking about an issue IS how you get things done in this world. getting onto the news is part of bring awareness to issues . . . creating dialogue. it’s exactly how you get things done. the fact is, that the cops here were playing silly immature lunatic games with them. they did nothing wrong, they exercised their free speech and they believe in what they are doing.”
– esgee

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Head of rec bureau pronounces some youth centers “horrible”

“Now, this is journalism. . . We can now see the extent and context of the problems at hand. So, solutions can now be considered, ones both comprehensive and robust in nature.”
– Trent Spriggs (via facebook)

“But $100 million to build a youth jail is easy enough to find. Sen. Mikulski wants it to bring jobs! Incarceration, the growth industry of Baltimore. Just throw the kids away, they’re easier to manage that way.”
– fizzy

“Mr. Tyler and our Mayor have allusions of grandeur that no one else in BMore agrees with. BMore is not Las Vegas nor is it Montgomery County, so until they decide to deal with the realities of BMore and present viable solutions tailored to our needs this will remain a contentious issue.”
– Ktrueheart

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Inside City Hall: A banner day for new cars and computers

“I usually like the Brew, but I never understand the Brew’s articles about the BOE.  I have personally been attacked for selling t-shirts. Now they are attacking the city for buying police cars? Seriously? What should the police drive? Not to mention, the price per car is considerably lower than the sticker for the cars mentioned. . . Sometimes I just wish the Brew would do some homework before writing an ill-informed article.”
– Rob-Canton

“The City couldn’t afford to pay the $2 million they owe for the judgement in the lost Housing Authority case, so their vehicles will be auctioned. . . yet can find [$10.6] million to buy brand-spanking new rides?!”
– Harth

“Any way to tell how many of these new chariots will be ‘take home’ cars?”
– Mair

“No way to tell from yesterday’s material. In fact, the cars themselves were masked in the BOE agenda as ‘Item No. 1,’ ‘Item No. 2,’ etc. (19 in all, with several subcategories). Getting info on the makes and unit prices required a lengthy search in the Comptroller’s Office.”
– B Brew

“How about helping out the Carousel on the Inner Harbor – instead of all of the new goodies? ‘Happy HoLIDAYS’ enjoy your presents.”
– Richard Burnham (via facebook)

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Our on-line director: Designing on The Brew and Brew 2.0

“I’ve been here since Brew 1.0, which really DID “look like a blog” with bottom-end WordPress software that was even cruder than Google’s free Blogspot. But Fern’s mission all along was much more. She enlisted and ensnared me the same way she did you with her eloquent emails. In the early days, she indulged my bloggier tendencies, perhaps because the mega-project du jour was The Red Line with its attendant antics, prior to the supersized Convention Center, Grand Prix and Kids’ Prison. The shriveling of The Sun was also a favorite theme.

“But then you and Mark Reutter arrived and she has raised the bar MUCH higher, and even more importantly, The Brew has cultivated a culture of readers who spread the brilliance far and wide with their comments. Now it all needs to fit together. Your job is like mapping The Brew’s collective human brain. Ben, we’re counting on you!”
– Gerald Neily

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As Baltimore boots its carousel, other cities showcase theirs

“Couldn’t clear it up in the article, but the carousel is privately owned by this family correct? If this is true, there’s no obligation for the city has to subsidize this business, and if they thought to take it over, I’d be wary of another Senator Theater situation. Might be worth it to preserve the carousel as a whole, or fund someone who can move it an add it to a current project, but, I dunno, maybe for this particular location, its time has passed.”
– Gman

“When my children were growing up, the carousel was why we went to the Inner Harbor.  It is a travesty that we’d get rid of this rare piece of history!  Just read this wonderful article written by Fern.  What is the mayor and BDC thinking?  Count me in as an outraged citizen at this decision!”
-Jean Macqarrie

“I lived in Spokane for 4 years, and their carousel was always very popular and packed with people.  Similar to Baltimore, it was located in a downtown area next to a water source, which made it easy to partner with the local shopping and tourism centers.  I’m not sure why Baltimore has such a problem–it could be very well integrated into all the inner harbor redevelopment.”
– dmrankin

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An oasis in an urban food desert: Real Food Farm

“Can we retire the phrase “urban food desert” until such time as one is actually proven to exist? The two food truck locations mentioned are 2 miles and 1.5 miles, respectively, from a Giant supermarket and the Waverly Farmer’s market. They are accessible by car, on foot, or by mass transit. They are far closer than most suburbanites to a farmer’s market and a large supermarket . . . Pre-white-flight Baltimoreans got their produce from the big markets — Lexington, Broadway, Cross Street, North Avenue, etc. ( I think it would be wonderful to reintroduce this concept.) This was in the days before most people had two cars. They would take mass transit to the market and do their shopping, or walk . . . No one was refering to “urban food deserts” in 1950.”
– Barnadine the Pirate

“Geography is only one element of the common definition of a food desert – the other two being rates of poverty and car ownership. . . . availability does not equal accessibility – the food needs to be affordable, accessible, and culturally appropriate. . . .’Food deserts,’ like most buzz words (sustainability, Ryan Gosling, etc.) are often imperfect and need to be continually evaluated, examined, discussed. That doesn’t mean the issue doesn’t exist.”
– Tyler

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RG Steel confirms that L furnace has been restarted

“Everyone better read up on Cerebus Capital…they aren’t in the business of running or turning around companies, they are in the business of stripping companies, raiding pension funds, laying off employees and shutting down facilities. Ask the folks in Kimberely Wisconsin and what they did to their paper mill which had just came off a 66 million dollar profit year. . .and they wont sell them to anyone either, they leave them closed!!! This is a private equity fund group who ruins peoples lives!!!”
– Tlf5irish

“I am not Ira and the analysts i am just a steel worker . I would think they know better then anyone of us on which plant is best suited to make money etc. just that this pissing contest on which plant is better and which workers are better is getting old. if we spent as much energy and time on getting all of RG making money and running full blast as we do doing this pissing match maybe we all would be in better shape. it is what it is and we all have to deal with it and make the best of it.”
– Warpig

Making it official: O’Malley to announce that Sparrows Point has restarted

“Pompous ass Leo Gerard too. He’s the schmuck that has continually backed the wrong players at SP and the Wheeling facilities. After a little while don’t be surprised to see him at the head of the line carping and moaning about Cerberus when they throw in the towel too. Cerberus threw in the towel at Chrysler and unfortunately they’ll learn their lesson again. I doubt that $145 million will pay off all the creditors (and the pension fund) let alone provide a solid base of liquidity.”
– Richard Pacheco

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RG Steel got at least $100 million to reopen

“This is how these bottom feeders do business. They got all of the concessions they should have ever been allowed to last April, when this shit bag contract was ratified. “
– HotMetalGuru

“Why is nobody commenting on RG wanting concessions in the article?”
– Palkie2

“Concessions for SP only? That’s the mill that needs to be reorganized. Wheeling and Warren already has been reorganized.”
– Steelworker

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The horror! Ravens fan deals with Patriots cheerleader in the family

“Good for  her!  Smart girl and a Pats girl to boot! She’ll enjoy the Superbowl and I’ll enjoy laughing at Flacco while he hangs his head on the field. GO PATRIOTS!!”
– foxborofanforever

“My sister from Omaha is pulling for the Ravens because she remembers how the entire city and suburbs bubble with warmth and smiles when the Baltimore home town wins!  Hope Amanda is wearing a different outfit to day – it is supposed to be very cold in more ways than one..”
– nhltc

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Scene after Ravens tailgaters left

“It doesn’t look that bad. I mean, it doesn’t look that great, but it really doesn’t look that tragic.”
– Madame Eyester

“Madame Eyester & janjamm. . .forward your home addresses & I’ll put my trash in front of your homes. I didn’t go to the game, but don’t leave your trash for someone else.”
– Bigj

“We’ll root for the sports team, but trash the town.”
– Baltimoreplaces