Governor Ehrlich's reelection campaign released a new radio ad today.
Listen Here
The ad features Baltimore attorney William H. Murphy Jr - an African-American and Ehrlich ally - and launches the governor's attack on the Baltimore City Police Department.
"[O'Malley] sanctions and directs the arrests of thousands of Baltimore city people -predominantly black - without ever charging them with a crime,"
What the ad doesnt tell you is, Murphy earned more than $100,000 from the Maryland Stadium Authority in 2004 and last year for helping the state agency determine whether it should sue Major League Baseball. All no-bid work. (read- Ehrlich crony and hitman)
Baltimore Police Commissioner Leonard Hamm responds to the ad:
"We work too hard ... and we're not going to let them [officers] be used as a political football,"
Asked what his message would be to Ehrlich, Hamm said: "My message to everyone in Maryland is this. We have the greatest crime decrease in the state of Maryland, and we did it without state help."
Without state help...
Despite Bob Ehrlich's cuts in funding to the Baltimore City Police Department by 42% from $11.3 million in FY 2002 to $6.6 million in FY 2006 and his malicious cuts in drug treatment funding to Baltimore by $3 million - from $52.2 million in FY 2003 to $49.2 million in FY 2005, crime has decreased and progress has been made.
*Under O'Malley, violent crime in Baltimore has been reduced by 40%. [Federal Bureau of Investigation, "2004 Uniform Crime Report," Crime in the United States by Metropolitan Statistical Area; Baltimore City Police Department, "UCR Crime Total"]
*Under O'Malley, homicides in Baltimore have been reduced by 18%. O'Malley ended a decade-long string of 300+ homicides per year. [Baltimore City Police Department, "UCR Crime Total"]
*And just as a kicker - for 44 consecutive months, Bob Ehrlich's Maryland State Police - which is required by law to collect crime data and has the power to audit crime statistics at any time - has reviewed and accepted Baltimore's crime statistics without raising any concerns.
Bob Ehrlich - a record of attacking the progress of Baltimore City school children, parents, teachers, and now, police officers.
This thing is only going to get uglier folks, so please...
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