Not no, but HELL no

Do you like the word "Supergovernment?" Well, at least one joker thinks this is a good idea:

Marylanders want great services with low taxes, but they can't have it both ways. There are measures we could take, but some of them make too much sense to be enacted. For example, we could save billions of dollars without raising taxes by combining Baltimore and its surrounding counties into one consolidated metropolitan government.

Imagine the city and Baltimore, Anne Arundel, Howard, Harford and Carroll counties as a single jurisdiction. Taxpayers would easily save billions through the elimination of unnecessary, redundant functions. And the citizens would likely see a vast improvement in services with no tax increase - and in fact a probable tax savings. As a bonus, it would also eliminate the need for slot machine revenue. What's more, with 2.6 million residents, the combined area would recategorize Baltimore as one of the top-tier consolidated economic centers of the nation, which would generate even more industry and revenue, and more federal tax support.

(Shakes his head in disbelief)

And what does this mental midget blame this lack of unit on.....politicians:

What prevents this from taking place? Politics. The region's citizens and government leaders need to put aside irrational objections and try to understand the importance of acting soon.

There are a LOT of rational objections to this kind of cockamamie scheme:

• Governance: Baltimore City's government is broken. Expanding Baltimore City governance to encompass five very large, very independent counties is foolhardy.
• Geography: It's 80-plus miles from Lothian in far Southern Anne Arundel County to Maryland Line in Northern Baltimore County. It's 70-plus miles from Havre de Grace to Mount Airy. How can one logically say that this massive geographic conglomeration larger than Delaware can be served by a "local government"
  
• Schools: What works in Harford County schools would not work in Baltimore City schools. And.....well, nothing works in Baltimore City schools. Such a "local" jurisdiction cannot adequately serve students with such disparate needs and situations.
• Ideology: What does Taneytown and Annapolis have in common politically? Not much? How about Bel Air and Crofton? Or Ellicott City and Dundalk? How can people of such disparate worldviews function in a local governance sense.
• Cost: Hyman wants to talk about the "cost savings" of such a massive government. But when you talk about a geographic area as large as this, there are going to be redundancies. There is going to be waste. And if you are talking about expanding the city limits, there is going to be LOTS of corruption. I certainly don't want anything to do with it.
  

Carl Hyman's issue here seems to be less the issue of savings. And more the issue of ideology. He cites the example of "progressive" cities such as Miami and San Antonio, though those cities have crises in crime or education. The fact of the matter is that local government needs to remain local government. The concept of consolidating governance in a large multi-county city entity is entirely too Orwellian, and something that sounds like the idea of an urban liberal who wants nothing more than to tame us moderates and conservatives who are saddened by seeing Baltimore crumble from the outside.