Cash Cow Goes Out of Town
The city dumped the company performing computer services at City Hall and replaced it with Herndon, Va.-based Digicon Corp., The Baltimore Sun reports.
The firm that currently holds the contract, Annapolis-based TeleCommunications Systems Inc., has played a part in tarnishing the ethics image of current City Council President Sheila Dixon, who is slated to become Mayor when Martin O'Malley heads down to Annapolis. Dixon is under investigation for bypassing the proper reviews when handing the contract to the company, which is run by an associate and used a subcontractor that employs Dixon's sister.
But there's plenty of time to complain about Dixon's nepotism and other improprieties. This post is dedicated to criticizing the city's reliance on non-Baltimore firms to provide government services. There are hundreds of small businesses that could perform these functions and are located in Baltimore, concentrated downtown and on the 25th Street drag in Charles Village. Why should we direct our taxes out of the city? Baltimore has long recognized the value of considering factors like minority and women-ownership when awarding contracts; the city should also take into account a potential contractor's location. Not only will this keep money circulating within Baltimore, but it will foster development of businesses that realize the only way to cash in is to set up shop within the city lines.
from The League: Reassembled
The firm that currently holds the contract, Annapolis-based TeleCommunications Systems Inc., has played a part in tarnishing the ethics image of current City Council President Sheila Dixon, who is slated to become Mayor when Martin O'Malley heads down to Annapolis. Dixon is under investigation for bypassing the proper reviews when handing the contract to the company, which is run by an associate and used a subcontractor that employs Dixon's sister.
But there's plenty of time to complain about Dixon's nepotism and other improprieties. This post is dedicated to criticizing the city's reliance on non-Baltimore firms to provide government services. There are hundreds of small businesses that could perform these functions and are located in Baltimore, concentrated downtown and on the 25th Street drag in Charles Village. Why should we direct our taxes out of the city? Baltimore has long recognized the value of considering factors like minority and women-ownership when awarding contracts; the city should also take into account a potential contractor's location. Not only will this keep money circulating within Baltimore, but it will foster development of businesses that realize the only way to cash in is to set up shop within the city lines.
from The League: Reassembled
posted by The League: Reassembled at 10:43 AM
1 Comments:
You're right about that. It's a persistent problem around this and most other states. The federal government does its best - even in the era of MNC's - to keep its contracts limited to American corporations. States and cities should follow that model.
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