Begging

Just when things seemed to be quieting down in the State House, Gov. William Donald Schaefer has reignited his feud with the legislature by demanding that lawmakers come begging to him before he releases funds for specific grants, loans or projects in their districts. Otherwise, the governor threatens to keep such items off the Board of Public Works agenda, in effect impounding the funds.To say that legislative leaders are boiling mad is putting it mildly. They point out, correctly, that all these projects had previously been approved by the General Assembly and simply need Board of Public Works assent to proceed.

A few days ago, yet another article appeared in The Baltimore Sun about Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco and his contract that will pay him more than $20 million per year for the next six years. That's a total of over $120 million. I don't know Joe Flacco. I am sure that if I knew him I would like him, and that if we were neighbors, we'd get along just fine. But that is not why I write. And I am not writing because I am jealous of Joe Flacco's good fortune, or because I don't think he is worth it based on his competitive value in football.

- Pushed to the edge of desperation, earthquake-ravaged Haitians dumped bodies into mass graves and begged for water and food Friday amid fear that time is running out to avoid chaos and to rescue anyone still alive in the wreckage. The U.S. military brought some relief, taking control of the airport, helping coordinate flights bringing in aid and evacuating foreigners and the injured. Medical teams, meanwhile, set up makeshift hospitals, workers started to clear the streets of corpses and water was being distributed in pockets of the city.

If there are nearly 20,000 cyber security jobs are available in the state of Maryland, why hasn't it been shouted from the roof tops ("Cyber help wanted," Feb. 27)? Most employment news we hear now is fairly dismal. With this many high-paying positions needing to be filled, the school system must take more notice. Baltimore's Digital Harbor High School, a marvelous place dedicated to technology and located right in Federal Hill, is one place to start. Recruiters from the National Security Agency, U.S. Cyber Command and other government and private agencies should stop by and encourage students to enroll in computer security programs and pursue degrees in the field.

WASHINGTON -- Cities across the nation got the Supreme Court's implied permission yesterday to ban all poor people, including the homeless, from begging for money in subway and bus stations.With no dissenting votes and with no explanation, the court turned aside an appeal by two homeless New York City men and a legal advocacy group seeking to challenge the constitutionality of a flat ban on panhandlers in New York's transit system.That ban was upheld in May by a federal appeals court in New York City.

If downtown business owners get their way, soon there will be a lot less panhandling at night on city streets. Today, members of the city's Planning Commission will hear proponents argue for legislation making it illegal to aggressively beg for money at night. The discussion will also center on programs and services needed to assist the city's growing homeless population. The Baltimore Safe Streets Coalition -- an organization of downtown business owners, retailers, health care advocates, property owners and individuals -- is strongly pushing for the two-pronged approach, which they say is necessary to make tourists and residents feel safer when they are downtown at night and to aid homeless people.

KARANGREJEK, Indonesia - Each day before dawn, the call to prayer drifts from the mosque past the banana groves and soybean fields of this hamlet, and that is the signal for 40-year-old Sarijum, mother of two, to prepare to leave for work. She rummages around her modest brick and bamboo house for something humble to wear - clothes so simple that people will take notice. Then she heads about 10 miles north with her children to Yogyakarta, the cultural capital of Java, where they'll spend the next nine hours, sometimes wandering through traffic along the city's main shopping street and sometimes at the entrance to one of the many mosques, asking for coins.

Elvis Costello emerged from the '70s punk explosion as the singer-songwriter of the crowd, and though his music has gone through changes, he hasn't slowed down since. His geeky persona, unique voice and diverse musical output have kept Costello in the spotlight and his fans begging for more. Elvis Costello and the Imposters play Rams Head Live, 20 Market Place, on Saturday. Tickets are $60 in advance, $65 on the day of the show. Call 410-244-1131 or go to ramsheadlive.com.

A burst of publicity surrounded the reopening of the Washington Monument as a public museum and tourist attraction.Now visitors can climb that agonizing flight of stairs and view the rooftops of the Mount Vernon neighborhood, a National Register of Historic Places district recognized for its preservation of fine old homes and churches.But for all the recent cleaning and refurbishment of the four squares around the Washington Monument, the Mount Vernon neighborhood at large is in sad shape.

MOSCOW - They flutter through the Kursky railway station like flocks of dirt-smudged pigeons, sniffing glue fumes out of plastic bags, begging for money from strangers and scattering as police approach waving nightsticks. These are Russia's lost children, part of an army of millions of homeless boys and girls who have fled unhappy homes or escaped from the harsh discipline in state orphanages. Mobs of them, some as young as 5, haunt the capital's subway stations, highway underpasses and railroad terminals.

Let me see if I understand this. Robber-baron Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, a Democrat, proposes new save-the-city trash removal fees which apparently are not currently covered by our already burdensome taxes ("Trash fee, job cuts urged," Feb. 12)? If so, were we getting city trash removal for free all these decades? Donald Holland, Baltimore Text NEWS to 70701 to get Baltimore Sun local news text alerts

Baltimore knows better than to pass new legislation to criminalize public begging ("Spector bill targets 'aggressive' begging," Jan. 29). A broad coalition of community leaders has reached consensus that housing and supportive services are the most effective responses to the troubling realities of poverty and homelessness. Baltimore has used the innovative "Housing First" approach to change the lives of hundreds of our most vulnerable neighbors - more than 85 percent of whom have remained housed and off the streets.

The letter written by Kristen Burger, president of the Sparks Glencoe Community Planning Council in the North County News (Oct. 11, "Councilman Huff's CZMP decisions only benefit 'chosen few'") begs for rebuttal. It contains untruthful and inaccurate claims. The council assumes that it has power to express its agenda on development and total environmental protection to all the citizens of the 3rd District and in particular, the Hereford Zone. They do not represent most of the people in the Sparks Glencoe area and very few in the North County.

When the Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays begin a three-game series Tuesday at Camden Yards, the two most effective relievers in the American League will be in uniform. It's fair to speculate that without Orioles closer Jim Johnson and Rays closer Fernando Rodney, their teams probably wouldn't be in playoff contention. Orioles manager Buck Showalter has said all season that Johnson's steadying presence in the back of the bullpen and in the clubhouse has been one of, if not the most important element, in the club's surprising success.

While working on Thursday's article on Lardarius Webb, I talked to the Ravens cornerback's coach at Nicholls State. Jeremy Atwell was the linebackers coach for the Colonels before getting promoted to defensive coordinator during Webb's senior year in 2008. Atwell, who is still the defensive coordinator there, said Webb's popularity has grown to the point where among Atwell's current players, Webb is more popular than New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees. “I think if they had to choose between Drew Brees and Lardarius Webb coming to visit, I think more people would want to see Lardarius,” Atwell said.

Given how quickly dogs learn by food reward, how long does it take them to recognize the sound of Tiki's Playhouse doggie ice-cream truck? Probably with one sample, since the possibilities include tantalizing banana, blueberry, molasses and peanut butter in various tasty combinations, plus fruit cups, soft biscuits, dental bones and nice cold water.  “They're actually pretty good!” says Kelvin Abrams, 42, owner of both the truck and Tiki's Playhouse Doggie Day Care in Glenelg, as he acknowledges giving the cool canine treats a try himself.

He was standing by the traffic light at President and Pratt streets, with a sign saying, "Will Work for Food," a line that once tore at all hearts but now brings confused emotions.Pondering my own, I rolled down my car window and handed over a few coins.The coins are an unspoken testament to brilliance. Once, when those wishing handouts on street corners passed beyond our sympathy and into a generalized sense of numbness or annoyance or threat, someone of great genius found this new way to tap into our collective guilt: Will Work for Food.

Banning begging is no way to help those in need With little fanfare, a bill to restrict begging has been introduced in the City Council. The bill proposes to make it a crime, from dusk until dawn, for an individual to speak to another individual with a request for "an immediate donation of money or any other thing of value." Would this provision, for example, prohibit a request for a smile or a prayer? Baltimore faces serious problems: declining public revenues, thousands of people with addictions, 100,000 residents without health insurance.

  Senate Minority Leader E. J. Pipkin is raising concerns that the Senate violated the state Constitution Tuesday night when it convened to consider the House's amendments to a bill expanding gambling in Maryland. The state Attorney General's Office says the senator's argument has no merit. Pipkin, an Upper Shore Republican, charged that the Senate violated a constitutional provision that says neither House shall adjourn for more than three days without the consent of the other chamber by a two-thirds.

The two men, wearing slacks and ties, are standing on an East Baltimore street corner in front of a vacant lot. Raymond Staubs, 29, squats down and flips on a guitar amp. In one hand is a Bible, in the other a microphone. "It's time to repent - commit to God!" Staubs shouts. "Keep the Ten Commandments - thou shall not kill! Holler it from the rooftops! Put away the guns, put away the dope. Hallelujah!" It's the middle of the afternoon, and Staubs' words are mere background noise as city police investigate another fatal shooting.