***BALTIMORE DISTRICT CHALLENGE***
Location: Franklin Street just West of downtown, Baltimore, MD
District: 9th
Known For: City Councilmen who SHOOT at people who helped them canvas neighborhoods… Seriously.
Councilman: “Pistol” Pete Welch
Rating: 3.7
Description: Believe it or not, this guy is not pan handling, his sign is just a large handwritten last will and testament he carries around so it’s easy to find after his inevitable violent, heroin-soaked death in the 9th district.
This district used to boast the finest housing stock in Baltimore and was the envy of every city on the east coast. H.L. Mencken kept his residence in Union Square throughout his career, riding the train back from New York every weekend to enjoy his garden and the fine living of Baltimore’s west side.
That was of course prior to the 30 years of “leadership” the west side has seen under the Welch family, 27 of which occurred under the watch of Pete’s mother Agnes Welch. While some leaders are criticized for managing decline, the Welch family full on embraced it, making an art form of turning unique historic neighborhoods into heroin dens and prostitute havens. Under Agnes the famous “road to nowhere” was built which took once vibrant city communities and eviscerated them in a fashion which ensured that there would be no investment for decades to come.
Unfortunately, in spite of their best efforts, the Welches couldn’t stop some of the recent revitalization in Union Square and SOWEBO. I mean there is just something about complete despair that draws hipsters in to start fixing shit up. Who knows, if voters read the ballot next time instead of voting for the person who gave them testers that morning, there is a chance that real change could come to the 9th in the next few years and I won’t be writing about how this guy with the sign is better qualified to be on the city council.