At-large candidates: End school busing and give Back Bay and Beacon Hill their own elementary school

At a candidate forum sponsored by the Ward 5 Democratic Committee tonight, two of the four incumbents urged voters to keep all four in office because they work so well together.

Six of the seven candidates for the four open seats on Nov. 8 addressed topics from the city's biggest societal change over the past decade to greening up the city. Incumbent Ayanna Pressley did not attend; she is caring for her sick mother.

What follows are the questions and the gist of their answers. Also see Stevil's summary.

The biggest societal change in Boston over the past 10 years and how well has the city dealt with it?

Felix Arroyo (incumbent). Boston has become far more inclusive and welcoming to people of color and of different sexual orientations.

John Connolly (incumbent). The continued increase of kids in Boston Public Schools who have to learn English. "We're fast approaching a day where over half the children will be English-language learners." More needs to be done to help them; the diversity in languages "is a strength for our school system if we do it the right way."

Will Dorcena. Gay marriage, bar none. In 2004, some outside Boston wanted to keep the city from winning the Democratic National Convention because we were seen as very intolerant. That's not the case today.

Michael Flaherty. Gay marriage. He said he was the first citywide official to call for legalized gay marriage. Also, environmental consciousness and the destigmatization of substance-abuse treament. More needs to be done to help drug users, such as treatment on demand.

Steve Murphy (incumbent). The remarkable demographic shift in the city, with the increase in such communities as Chinese, Vietnamese, Russian, Cambodian, Hatian and GLBT. The city has helped these communities through such efforts as the Office of New Bostonians, translated ballots, but more could be done, especially in schools.

Sean Ryan. The economy and the collapse of the housing bubble. We have to do more with less, the social fabric of the city is deteiorating and our streets are not safe for everybody.ryan. economy. put through ringer because of this gt. real estate bubble. we have to do more with less. social fab is deter ps are failing and our stts are not safe for everybody.

$4.5 billion in unfunded health-care costs for retirees.

Connolly. It's a serious long-term threat, but the council has set up a stablization fund to chip away at the costs and the city should be even with its obligations by 2025.

Dorcena. Doesn't want to wait until 2025, when his daughter will be coming of age. Wants to look at the city budget "line by line" now. For example, why is the city planning to spend $120 million to move the BPS headquarters from downtown to Roxbury - especially when some kids don't have textbooks now.

Flaherty. We need to live within our means, "we cannot continue to tax, fee and fine Bostonians into submission." Would try to get new employees to pay more of their longterm costs, cut out loopholes in sick and vacation time.

Murphy. Already 15 cents of every dollar the city collects in revenue goes to pension, debt and retiree healthcare, it's too much. Agreed new employees need to share a higher part of the burden.

Ryan. Cites Sal DiMasi, but says city has to honor its existing contracts. As a member of two unions, would be a firm yet fair voice in calling for reform of contracts for new workers.

Arroyo. In his 19 months on the job, the amount has shrunk from $5.7 billion to $4.2 billion and he helped convince unions to give back some of the payments they'd been promised.

Niketown

Connolly, Murphy and Flaherty agreed with the mayor the store should ditch the drug-related merch. Dorcena, Arroyo and Ryan did not.

How to keep young families in Boston?

Dorcena. Better schools.

Flaherty. Better schools and end to the current school-assignment lottery.

Murphy. The 2010 census showed some good news for Boston - an increase in population, which shows the city's vitality. But the age of the average Bostonian increased, which means too many young families with children are still fleeing for better schools elsewhere. Increase the number of school-assignment zones to reduce busing. Get a school for Beacon Hill/Back Bay.

Ryan. Went to Boston public schools for 14 years, taught in them as well, time to end busing, it's not 1974 anymore and the city wound up with a segregated school system all over again.

Arroyo. Schools. "If you don't have faith in the school your child was assigned to, you're going to stop and look for other options." But also, public safety, affordable housing and accessible government.

Connolly. The key to retaining families is "a world class public school system." He said getting that sort of system is something he works every day on. But busing needs to end: "We spend $80 million a year to rearrange deck chairs on the Titanic." Also, schools, community and health centers and libraries need to be joined to create "community-based learning models." End the lottery. "We shouldn't put our children in a lottery, because, by definition, it means some children win and some children lose."

Making Boston a greener city.

Flaherty. Boston is filthy compared to some other cities. And rodents. The average female Norwegian rat has 10 to 12 babies in a litter and probably up to 100 a year. Better enforcement of trash rules, and enough with this nonsense of trying to cut back on trash pickup in the Back Bay, North End and parts of the South End. Also, the city needs year-round streetsweeping.

Murphy. The city has increased the number of hybrid vehicles in its fleet, new buildings will have solar and wind components, single-stream recyling. The states needs to include water bottles in its bottle return law. Also, plastic bags and Styrofoam have to be taken out of the current trash stream.

Ryan. Unlike JP, where he's from, some neighborhoods seem to lack a cohesive social structure that encourages residents to keep things clean. Part of that's due to social issues and a lack of public safety. In neighborhoods with high unemployment rates for teens, why not create efforts to get them to go out and pick up some trash?

Arroyo. Bicycle riding - Boston has gone from a city with an awful reputation to a better one. We should emulate some European citis that put a recycling can next to every public trash can.

Connolly. Wants to make Boston the greenest city in the world, is proud of efforts to increase energy efficiency of new buildings, keeps pushing to include water bottles in the state bottle law, would start an environmental-sciences high school, agrees with Arroyo on the need for public recycling cans.

Dorcena. Was once attacked by a pack of Norwegian rats in the North End, but managed to outrun them. Would stay with three pickups a week in neighborhoods with a lot of visitors.

Biggest challenges for Ward 5 (Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Fenway)?

Murphy. Institutional expansion. Suffolk on one end, BU and Northeastern on others. "We need to make sure this is a viable, livable area first," before letting colleges expand more. Also, groundwater remains a big issue for the Back Bay and the Fenway.

Ryan. Better zoning is needed so developers - and even individual homeowners - can build without having to crawl to the BRA for everything.

Arroyo. Back Bay and Beacon Hill need their own elementary school. Also more say in giant projects. Trash remains an issue, along with groundwater.

Connolly. The ward needs an elementary school; otherwise it's going to continue to keep losing young families. "If we have great schools, we'll have great neighborhoods. ... It's not right that Ward 5 doesn't have an elementary school."

Dorcena. Need to curb overdevelopment.

Flaherty. A ward that has some of Boston's largest taxpayers needs its own school. Also more predictability needed in city oversight of development and planning. Would set up a city planning department independent of the BRA. Even before that, residents need earlier notification of hearings on key project.

Summing up

Ryan. Running on 3 S's - schools, services and safety. It's been 37 years since busing was imposed, it no longer works. Safety would come when police stop enforcing unworkable drug laws and gain the trust of residents.

Arroyo. Wants other young people to have the same chances he did to get ahead; for example, his first summer job, which he got through ABCD. The city can't afford to reduce the number of summer jobs - or of libraries. "I'm proud to tell you we have not lost a single branch library in this city." Residents want and deserve a voice in their city; the city needs to keep its money only in banks that invest in Boston.

Connolly. We need to push for "One Boston," where all have opportunity. "I want to raise my daughter and my son in a different city than I grew up in," one strengthened by diversity. Every kid needs a good school system that will put them on the path to college. Vote for the incumbent at-large councilors, they're "the best slate of at-large counilors" since the city moved to its current city-council format.

Dorcena. Fix the public schools, move aggressively to curbe youth crime. Poor education leads to crime and violence. Good education breaks the cycle.

Flaherty. Passionate about public service and helping people; couldn't just stay away after running for mayor in 2009. "The city benefits when the administration is challenged. ... I can assure you I'm probably the last person [the mayor] wants to come into City Hall and ask tough questions." Noting Connolly's slate statement, "I'm beholden to no one; I'll work for you."

Murphy. The "strong mayor" naysayers are full of it. "There's no impediment to getting things done" for people willing to roll up their sleeves. Proud of his work to increase payments in lieu of taxes by non-profit property owners and CORI reform, along with work to keep libraries open and minimize layoffs.