While many states across the nation are still nervously watching as the votes are tallied in races that turned out to be nail-biters, the people of Maryland and particularly the City of Baltimore, have no such worries. There was almost no need for anyone to bother turning on the television set to see what happened. Everything was decided shortly after the polls closed. In reality, those races were all decided over the summer. That’s because Democrats outnumber Republicans by more than two to one across the state. In Charm City, the margin is more like six to one. And so they did what they always do. Despite the massive challenges facing Baltimore and its terrible track record on everything from violent crime to official corruption, the voters dutifully sent the same cast of liberal, Democratic characters back to power yet again. Oh, a few of the names were different, but what they’re bringing to these offices hasn’t changed a bit. And that includes two high-profile politicos who were recently found to have “neglected” to pay tens of thousands of dollars in taxes and have had IRS liens placed on their property. (Baltimore Sun)

There were no big surprises in Baltimore’s general election races. The city’s contests are usually decided during the primary elections.

Baltimore City Council President Brandon Scott, a Democrat, coasted to victory in the city’s mayoral race against several challengers, including the unusually well-funded unaffiliated candidate, Bob Wallace. But the 36-year-old Park Heights native declared victory shortly after 10 p.m., with about 72% of the early and mail-in votes tabulated in his favor.

Del. Nick Mosby won the Baltimore City Council President contest, despite revelations last month that he and his wife, Democratic State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby, owed taxes to the federal government.

Some of those names should look familiar to regular readers. Marilyn Mosby is still the State’s Attorney for Baltimore. She’s part of that husband and wife duo who can’t seem to remember to pay their taxes. She’s also the person who has spent most of her time trying to prosecute police rather than murderous gang leaders, demonstrating an inability to even make a dent in the city’s skyrocketing murder rate.

Her husband Nick Mosby has now ascended to the position of City Council President, despite his shared tax issues and being cut from the same political cloth as his wife. Now that he’ll have a bigger hand in the city’s coffers I can’t wait to see what happens over the next two years.

Nick was only able to ascend to his new office because it’s being vacated by Brandon Scott, who will be taking over as Mayor. Scott ran on a pledge to get rid of all of the corruption at City Hall. (Two of the last five mayors left office after being arrested on corruption charges. One is still in prison. Another didn’t even bother running for a second term after standing by while the city burned to the ground.) As part of Scott’s plan to clean things up, he vowed to reduce the power of the Mayor’s office in handling city contracts and payments. But as soon as he won the primary, he walked that promise back, saying it might not be prudent to rush into such sweeping changes.

Still, Baltimore seemed to have dodged a bullet by electing Scott. In the primary, the voters came within a handful of percentage points of instead sending one of their old mayors, Shelia Dixon, back to office instead. For the record, she’s one of the two mayors I mentioned above who left City Hall in handcuffs. She was convicted of embezzlement and stealing gift cards intended for disabled children.

I’ve long since ceased having any sympathy for the people of Baltimore, Maryland, even realizing how awful I must sound for saying so. Gangs rule the streets. Abandoned buildings dominate the landscape. Their leaders regularly line their own pockets while their constituents live in filthy conditions with failing schools located on streets that are not safe to walk on. And nothing ever seems to change. Baltimore’s population has plummeted as those with the ability to do so flee. But those who remain own the mess that’s been created. They could choose to vote new blood into office and try to clean things up. But they don’t. They’ve made their bed yet again, and how they’ll have a couple more years to sleep in it.