Now more than ever we need be creative about how we fund our important programs and carve out more opportunities for our BPS students. That's why I am calling on Mayor Menino to immediately broker partnerships with all the major sports teams that call Boston home -- the Red Sox, Celtics, Bruins, Patriots and the Revolution - and ask them to step up to the plate and help bolster BPS athletic programming.
Technically, the Patriots and the Revolution don't call Boston home, but you get the idea. His complete press release:
Flaherty Says "Status Quo" is failing Our Youth
Calls on the Mayor to partner with Colleges, Universities and major sports teams to support BPS athletics.
We will never win the war against youth violence unless we begin to make real investment in alternative options for our youth. Chronically underperforming schools, dead-end jobs and a non-existent BPS athletic program will not be enough to save our children. Simply put: If we don't want our kids to fail, then we must not fail them first.
For the better part of Mayor Menino's 16-year tenure, he has presided over the city during good economic times when real investments were more than possible. Blaming the current economic crisis for the city's dismal athletic programs in BPS is only the latest illustration of the fact that the Mayor is dangerously out of touch with the needs of Boston's youth and our growing gang problem.
Now more than ever we need be creative about how we fund our important programs and carve out more opportunities for our BPS students. That's why I am calling on Mayor Menino to immediately broker partnerships with all the major sports teams that call Boston home -- the Red Sox, Celtic's, Bruins, Patriot's and the Revolution - and ask them to step up to the plate and help bolster BPS athletic programming.
As taxpayers, we pay for the celebratory parades each time our home team wins and we provide the additional police presence required to maintain the public's safety during each of these games. Mayor Menino has missed yearly opportunities to demonstrate real leadership and engage our major sports teams in mutually beneficial partnerships.
In addition, the colleges and universities need to pay their fair share as well. That's why I am reiterating my call to reform the PILOT system to increase revenue for the City. I am also imploring Mayor Menino to ask all colleges and universities to join our effort to increase our investment in our public school's athletic programs by sharing their field space, providing coaching assistance and contributing funding for team equipment and uniforms.
Youth violence is a community-wide problem and it's up to the community to be part of the solution.
