According to UsingEnglish.com, the definition is as follows:
A rhetorical question is one that requires no answer because the answer is obvious and doesn’t need to be stated .
But I am not so sure the Capital was being rhetoric with their front page headline “Will the Market House Fiasco taint Mayor Moyer’s legacy?” First off, I am not sure the term “legacy” is appropriate, since Annapolis is a sailing town, perhaps “wake of devastation” might be more appropriate.
Of course it will taint it! The article continues with quotes from former Mayor Dean Johnson, current and former Aldermen, and local activists with varying opinions of where the fingers should point for blame.
The answer is simple–Ellen O Moyer. She is the CEO of this corporation we call Annapolis City and while the the Council enacts the legislation, she was elected to manage it. Yet another case for a City Manager. The past years has shown us exactly how inept the Mayor is at actually managing the City. To be honest, a “do nothing Mayor” would have been preferred.
The facts are clear, we had a thriving market house at the beginning of Moyer’s tenure. Through poor decisions (and likely her combative demeanor), we now have an empty shell that represents, arguably, one of the most valuable pieces of real estate in the County. We had merchants that wanted to be in business in the Market House. We had residents that wasnted to support the Market House. We had tourists that wanted to spend their money at the Market House. Now we have tenants fleeing in the middle of the night (is that a Maryland tradition or something?) and tourists and residents avoiding the eyesore that it has become. And this does not even begin to address the multiple lawsuits to go along with it. So of course it is her problem and of course it will taint her wake of destruction.
But the Market House will not be her only taint. We cannot forget the fiasco at the Annaplis Police Department, the losing proposition at Knighton, and her friendly handouts! But hey, she did get get City Dock redecking done, has improved our bond rating (not sure how much impact the Mayor had on that), and has numerous environmental awards. ANd come to think of it, didn’t she redesign the City logo?
