Spring Break
Clarke reflects on a year of battles and successes
Issue date: 12/6/07
I also helped get residential permit parking passed. A neighborhood would petition for permit parking if the majority wants it. They buy a sticker every year. Everyone else without the sticker can park in the neighborhood but only for two hours at a time. That started from a problem at the Union Memorial Hospital where people were taking advantage of parking, so neighbors couldn't park.
NL: What did the City Council accomplish this year?
MPC: We passed a no-smoking ban, and then the state of Maryland followed our lead and passed a statewide ban. Restaurants and bars can't have any smoking after Feb. 1, 2008. That's the most significant legislation because that led to a statewide ban. I supported it.
NL: What were your goals this past year?
MPC: It was the first term in which we had single member districts. They're smaller than the old council districts, fewer people, about 46,000 people. They have one rep each. Districts used to have three.
One of the things I wanted to do was to help my district get adjusted to this change and get to know [other councilpersons] and get to know each other's issues so people could work together across neighborhood lines. I think the neighborhoods accomplished that. I worked with neighborhoods, the neighborhoods did it, but I've been supportive of those efforts.
Another goal I have and had is to provide more, better, schools and more safety nets and more activities for youth. Extracurricular, athletics, arts, mentoring, the kind of thing they need especially if they're in a single parent family or if their family has problems in providing extra incentives to achieve and be successful.
NL: What do you want to see change?
MPC: I'd like the city to be safer and I'd like to reduce crime. I worked very hard with the city government and my neighborhood to try to do that. It's the major issue along with education. Safety and education: These are major objectives of mine and every member of the city council.
NL: What did the City Council accomplish this year?
MPC: We passed a no-smoking ban, and then the state of Maryland followed our lead and passed a statewide ban. Restaurants and bars can't have any smoking after Feb. 1, 2008. That's the most significant legislation because that led to a statewide ban. I supported it.
NL: What were your goals this past year?
MPC: It was the first term in which we had single member districts. They're smaller than the old council districts, fewer people, about 46,000 people. They have one rep each. Districts used to have three.
One of the things I wanted to do was to help my district get adjusted to this change and get to know [other councilpersons] and get to know each other's issues so people could work together across neighborhood lines. I think the neighborhoods accomplished that. I worked with neighborhoods, the neighborhoods did it, but I've been supportive of those efforts.
Another goal I have and had is to provide more, better, schools and more safety nets and more activities for youth. Extracurricular, athletics, arts, mentoring, the kind of thing they need especially if they're in a single parent family or if their family has problems in providing extra incentives to achieve and be successful.
NL: What do you want to see change?
MPC: I'd like the city to be safer and I'd like to reduce crime. I worked very hard with the city government and my neighborhood to try to do that. It's the major issue along with education. Safety and education: These are major objectives of mine and every member of the city council.
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Burn
posted 12/14/07 @ 2:08 PM EST
wow. that's the softest interview I've ever seen. why didn't the interviewer ask if she liked puppies and rainbows too? I'm not expecting hardcore investigative journalism but at least give it a shot. (Continued…)
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