Maryland is notorious for its propensity for corruption, so it seems only fitting that even Baltimore County’s new parking lot bill has been criticized for its lack of transparency.
Under the new measure, large shopping centers (upwards of 100,000 square feet) would be able to put in a request with the director of Baltimore County’s Department of Permits, Approvals, and Inspections to reduce the required size of their parking lot by up to 40 percent. The legislation would effectively eliminate the period of public comment that currently accompanies such requests, but why?
Our politicians would rather make all decisions behind closed doors, you know, just to be safe. They’re a little like teenagers who would always rather take phone calls in their bedroom than in the living room, whatever the nature of the conversation.
Should we be the “cool” parents and just tell our legislators that they can talk to us about anything and hope that that fosters more open communication?
