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Menino: Some progressives like him, some cops don't
By adamg on Sun, 10/18/2009 - 12:32pm
Just getting over as I type: the first get-together of Progressives for Menino, featuring Sheriff Andrea Cabral and Boston Architectural College President Ted Landsmark.
Lindsay Crudele, who was there, reports that among those also in attendance were: Valerie Bassett of the Massachusetts Public Health Association, Mark Erlich of the New England Regional Council of Carpenters, Lora Pellegrini of NOW, Boston Harbor friend Vivian Li, Mossik Hacobian of Urban Edge, Ellen Parker of Project Bread and Lyndia Downey of the Pine Street Inn.
Meanwhile, the Dorchester Reporter's Lit Drop reports the Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers had a unanimous vote of no confidence in the mayor yesterday. William Celester, a founder of the group (yes, that William Celester), said the group plans stand-outs and leaflets against the mayor.
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Comments
Real Progressives should care about our schools
The fact that 70% of our schools are underperforming is something that real progressives should be concerned about. Or how about the 24,000 kids who have dropped out of school since Menino became mayor? Or the children killing children on our streets. People who are actually progressive - not just self-labeled - are with the Flaherty-Yoon team for new leadership.
You are right. After 16
You are right. After 16 years of being left out, it is about time the community of color has a real voice in city hall. This administration has proven itself to not be able to help those in Boston's most desperate communities.
No student should have to decide between a gang and a college. The youth crime in this city has errupted, and it is about time we contain, and combat it. The city and communities need to work towards preventing the crime rather than simply responding to it.
But isn't crime down in Boston?
Sure looks it, based on BPD stats. And even the number of shootings, which had been rising, are down this year.
Tell that...
..to the parents of kids who are killing kids in our city. There is no way that a city like Boston should tolerate youth-on-youth murder like we do. It's time to face down this scourge and end it. That's not going to happen from Tom Menino plodding along for four more years. We need new leaders. We need Flaherty & Yoon.
I'm not saying there is no violence or murder
But to suggest Michael Flaherty will just snap his fingers and make it all go away on Jan. 2 is kind of silly, and the fact remains that the murder rate in Boston today is lower than it was 16 years ago.
adam, you have a dog in this race
come out in admit it. You never say anything positive about floon and are a schill for the mayor...
I'm a McCrea backer
Truth comes out!
nobody will snap their fingers
And fix the problems that plague our city. Crime stats are not just based on the murder rate, and i think even the BPD data suggests that certain types of crime are on the rise in the City.
But the idea that there is some 'body' of progressives that speak to a platform of ideas in this city is ludicrous, because we are not being called to the table to even consider this race. Many progressive ideas are more firmly rooted in the Floon campaign, yet large democratic machine-type groups are launching high-money campaigns for Menino.
Seems to me that progressive values are tied into issues like quality public schools, government transparency, equitable zoning and development practices, meaningful public safety and green transportation--none of which the Menino administration can defend itself about.
I imagine any new administration would struggle with these issues, not unlike this administration did 16 years ago. The only difference is the guys potentially coming into power have about a decade of education surpassing what the Mayor had back then. Menino's anti-intellectual governance is regressive and
has hampered the City's ability to move forward. Time to think differently about a world class city, and challenge the notion of who represents progressive values...
A decade of education? check
A decade of education? check the facts on that one -- Menino graduated college from UMASS Boston with a degree in City Planning in 1988...Michael Flaherty began at BC in 1987.
The only difference between these two guys is that one has done tremendous work for our city - drastically improving infrastructure and the quality of life for ALL residents. He has a vision for the future and a past record that proves he knows how to get things done on a progressive agenda.
The other one has sat in the city council for 10 years while never visiting the communities of color until he realized he needed their vote to be mayor.
When communities of color overwhelmingly vote for Mayor Menino in the prelims yet the new young progressives think they know what's better for those low-income people of color -- that's where we need to challenge the notion of who is claiming to be progressive and who actually understands what it means.
I'm 23, and latina -- an educated resident of Boston, and I can see past the pomp and circumstance of this Floon marriage to know who really understands what progressive means -- Mayor Menino.
you are a fool.
Fact: menino only has a BA from UMass Boston. Flaherty has a law degree from BU. Not that it really matters, but I am not sure what your point is.
What has the mayor done to drastically improve infrastructure? The city roads are a mess and disproportinately so in communities of color. Compare Blue Hill Ave and Columbia Road to Comm Ave or Huntington. God could Columbia Road at least get some trees and a repaving job? American Legion Highway is finally getting rebuilt, but no thanks to the Mayor. That was all paid for by NSTAR so that they could run a new transmission line.
What has he done to improve quality of life? 16 years no improvement in crime, schools, air quality...anything.
So the mayor stops for a coffee at Grove Hall while his SUV motorcade from the Dedham line blazes through the city every day. But what has he actually done? 16 years? He should have moved mountains by now.
so if menino is really progressive, where is the progress?
where is the progress for minorities when it comes to development within the city? If your names are not Samuels, Boston Properties, John Fish and the like good luck.
What happened with Parcel 3? Elma Lewis Partners had a plan, but the mayor didn't like that they demoted his buddy as the project manager and they made sure the plan was redesignated. If that had been one of his preferred developers, they would have had all the time in the world to get things done. Its total BS but no one has talked about it during this campaign. Why?
for the record I will probably either not vote or vote for him because I hate Flaherty.
I wish there was a real candidate to unseat the king. If you ever have seen how things operate in city hall, its disgusting. Its a kingdom. Everything revolves around the wishes of a man with a fragile ego and a ton of political savvy. Hes not good for you, he just does a damn good job of making you think he's good for you.
Disregarding valid point....
...by poster with campaign rhetoric is becoming a bit of a bore, no frankie?
How do you back the idea
How do you back the idea that the community of color has no voice in City Hall when...
1) The Public Health Commissioner is Puerto Rican, born and raised, and has dedicated her life to (successfully) combating racial inequities in health. And, Mayor Menino is one of the only mayors in the country to publicly acknowledge that health disparities are caused by institutionalized racism that must be dealt with as the core of all City agencies and policies. Or do you just follow blindly when Flaherty says there are no Latinos in city government (because they don't fit that typical Puerto Rican profile he apparently uses). For the record on youth violence, Boston is actually a national leader in transforming the dialogue and action to prevent youth violence and approach it as a public health issues, rather than simply a policing issue (if you agree with Flaherty's idea that all work on youth violence should go to the Police, than you're ignoring the real root of the problem -- there is a serious mistrust between police and communities of color [regardless of the skin color of the police] and the more effective workers on this issue are the street workers coming from a sociological and public health standpoint).
2) Our Superintendent of BPS is one of the most accredited African-American leaders in education in the country. Memphis cried and begged us not to take her from them because she had transformed their school system and is in the process of doing the same with ours. Although I will say, I attended BPS during Menino's tenure and I got a first-rate education (as a Latina)...and now I've been looking at the early education programs for my family, and I see they've improved dramatically from when I was in school!
3) Daphne Griffen, also Puerto Rican, born and raised (but again Flaherty announced that she wasn't because her last name doesn't end in a vowel) is the Ex. Director of Boston Centers for Youth and Familes and also has been committed to issues of social justice for youth and families in out city.
4) Rev. Gregory Groover, an established and well-respected resident of Boston, is a co-chair of our School Committee.
These are just a few...
What's NOT progressive is:
1) Flaherty VOTING AGAINST a bill that would have extended the rights straight couples already enjoy (health care, insurance, retirement packages) to gay and lesbian couples in the City.
2) After not supporting legislation that would have fought for equality for the GLBT community in Boston, then throwing salt on the wound by marching in the openly homophobic and discriminatory South Boston St. Patrick's Day Parade.
3) Voting against a bill of Affirmative Action that would have ensured students of color in the City of Boston, had access to resources and schools, and the ability to achieve the same goals that white students are inherently provided with.
4) Severely mistreating and disrespecting the City Councilors of color while he was Council President -- he would not give them time on the floor, he was cut them off while talking during Council meetings, and he refused to support any of their propositions.
5) SUPPORTING THE DEATH PENALTY!
These are the issues "real" progressives care about in the city. Not a manipulation of facts that the Flaherty campaign has put out to distract and confuse voters.
Michael Flaherty was the
Michael Flaherty was the first politician to Openly support Gay Marriage. He was the first in Boston to strongly support President Obama's candidacy.
Today he recieved endorsements from strong advocates within the community of color, not to mention the endorsement he recieved from State Rep. and former Mayoral Candidate Mel King. His Deputy Mayor is a Korean-American.
Councilor Flaherty has already prooved that his administration will be as diverse as this city.
that's great
It's great that he openly supported gay marriage -- but why did he refuse to let gay/lesbian couples have he same rights as straight couples?
Talk is cheap -- Flaherty's entire council tenure and this whole campaign has been a case of "do as I say, not as I do."
HYPOCRISY at its best here.
And Flaherty hasn't proved anything actually - there's no proof that his administration will be diverse -- all we have is a "jobs for votes" policy under which he SAYS he'll appoint Sam Yoon as a deputy mayor -- when he was asked what Yoon's responsibilities would be -- his answer: "Oh he'll be right there with me"
HAH...so Yoon will do exactly what Flaherty wants -- not much of a progressive ring there!
Don't forget anti-tenant record ...Arroyo, etc
Opposed two Menino bills to give tenants more protection and one Yoon bill.
Worked to try to defeat Felix Arroyo Sr. as part of effort to shrink "Team Unity" by one. Also used "Rule 19" to shut them off frequently.
His people in Southie were also active on behalf of Kerry Healey in 2006 ...