Abstract:
The newly elected mayor of Baltimore, faced with both serious budget problems and a campaign pledge to increase funding for the city's school system, decides to save money by doing what previous mayors have tried to do and failed: close several of the city's older fire stations widely considered to be unnecessary, given the capabilities of modern fire fighting apparatus. As a black mayor poised to close stations in white working-class neighborhoods, however, Schmoke must decide how to make the news public. Among his options: an address to the city at large; a message to the city council; an announcement by the fire chief. This case about communication as an aspect of political strategy is followed by the B case, which raises issues about how elected officials should respond to interest groups--in this case, protests led by neighborhoods aggrieved by the fire station closings.
