Hey, there! Log in / Register
Michelle Wu makes it official, although Marty Walsh made it a bit anticlimactic
By adamg on Tue, 09/15/2020 - 7:00am
At-large City Councilor Michelle Wu announced this morning that, yes, she's running for mayor next year.
Mayor Marty Walsh, who has yet to say if he'll be seeking a third term, spilled the beans last week after Wu called him to let him know and then a reporter asked him if he'd heard about Wu running.
We’re in an unprecedented time as Boston faces a pandemic, an economic crisis, and a national reckoning on systemic racism. To meet this moment, we need leadership that matches the scale and urgency of our challenges.
Business as usual has been failing Bostonians since well before the pandemic, and COVID-19 has exposed and exacerbated deep inequities across our city,” said Michelle Wu. “In this moment of crisis, it’s not only possible but necessary to reimagine community-based leadership with the vision and conviction to act.
We can build wealth in all our communities, value public education, plan for our neighborhoods, invest in housing we can afford and transportation that serves everyone, truly fund public health for safety and healing, and deliver on a city Green New Deal for clean air and water, healthy homes, and the brightest future for our children.
Wu, 35 and a Roslindale resident, first won election to the city council in 2013.
Neighborhoods:
Topics:
Free tagging:
Ad:
Support Universal Hub
Help keep Universal Hub going. If you like what we're up to and want to help out, please consider a (completely non-deductible) contribution.
Comments
I think Mayor Walsh is hoping for a Biden win...
...and a cushy federal appointment. Councilor Wu will be formidable.
Beaten by Boston's huge
Beaten by Boston's huge zombie population. Looks like they will keep winning. Good luck tackling the out of control heroin, fentanyl and coke problem Downtown, South End, Dorchester, South Boston, etc. Cripes they deal and use right out in the open now.
I'm hoping for the same thing
That's the best outcome all around.
Kim Janey would be formidable too
And she becomes acting Mayor if Marty resigns. That would shake up campaign dynamics for sure.
As someone who lives Kim
As someone who lives Kim Janey's district, I can say that she's been hugely disappointing and many of my neighbors agree. She has been remarkably silent on really important issues such as the Mass/Cass situation despite the neighborhood crying for help. She also has had changes made by the City in the neighborhood around parking regulations without any community input and then has not answered questions about why she had the changes made and what prompted them. She seems to have taken it upon herself to "reclaim" part of the South End as being part of Roxbury which historically it never was. She seems to have her own agenda and doesn't seem interested in what her constituents need or want.
Ditto, she's done very little
Janey's done very little to advance Roxbury, has failed miserably at the Mass/Cass situation, and is not very responsive to the everyday urban mechanics that Menino excelled at.
As a neighbor and constituent of Janey
She really has ignored us.
Marty’s nervous
Marty’s nervous
As well he should be!
As well he should be!
I doubt Marty's nervous,
I doubt Marty's nervous, after all this is the city that kept Mumbles in office.
Eh. With a pandemic going on
Eh. With a pandemic going on I can't imagine is Michelle Wu losing sleep over the mayor announcing she called him to let him know she's running.
I like her ad.
I like her ad.
Wu and Walsh are two sides of the same crony capitalism coin...
Wu and Walsh are two sides of the same crony capitalism coin...One small example: since 2015, Wu has received $5,800 in contributions from New Boston Ventures, the developer who plans to demolish the South End's cherished Harriet Tubman House. Her office has remained silent about this for more than one year, despite repeated calls and emails from the community. You would think with her calls to dismantle the BPDA that Wu would oppose the agency's lifting of the Tubman House's deed restrictions (which allowed the condos to go forward).
Unfortunately, Walsh is worse: his Chief of Staff Kathryn Burton (since March), was the chief of operations for New Boston Ventures until then, making sure the Tubman condo plans ran smoothly (Burton, along with her bosses at NBV) contributed many thousands of dollars not only to Walsh, but nearly all city councilors (including Wu of course; and 21K to AG Healey, $$ to Rep Pressley, State Rep Santiago; Black and Latinx community leaders as "liaisons").
For those defending this BRA/Walsh move with the argument that United South End Settlements needs the $20 million sale to survive (their propaganda), there's a lot more not publicly known around their finances (beyond spending down their $5 million endowment since 2015 under new leadership and eliminating programs while giving raises) and deliberate neglect of the Tubman House to justify selling their "cash cow".
You posted
this exact comment in the post of Marty outing her....
Oh
A whole five thousand dollars. That's earthshaking.
Over 5 years, too
Call me naive, but I have a hard time imagining $1000/year is really influencing anyone to a huge extent.
Handing out money
to City Councillors is not new by any means. Developers like to cover all the bases. if you think Wu will swear the same amount of fealty that Walsh has, you'll be sorely mistaken
Marty will assuredly be counting
on his masters to pony up enough cash to try and defeat the wildly popular Wu.Only I have a sneaking suspicion that after all the screwups and blatant old school corruption of Mayah Muttonhead, a lot of that cash will go to Wu.
I'd like to think that
but I think the institutional support in the city (unions, BPD/BDF, contractors, etc...) will firmly, firmly behind Walsh. Middle class, non-white collar Boston is a solid block of reliable voters behind him. Wu (or Campbell) will have a lot of support, but it's a mix of JP/Rosi well off progressives and folks lower down the economic ladder with less $ to give.
Are you saying Progressive consistently
Vote against the best interest of the middle-class, what a revelation.
Also i hate that Roslindale is now lumped in with JP.
Nope - two different kinds of middle class here in Boston.
There's the middle class of university employees, teachers, white collar folks who work in biotech, financial sectors downtown. I believe these people vote progressive more often than not. Then there's the middle class of the construction unions, cops, firefighters, contractors, etc... I believe that's Marty's base - the Steve Lynch Democrats I'll call them.
There are plenty of people on both sides who don't fit the categorization, I know.
This
The biggest thing going for Wu is if Boston mails out absentee ballot applications to everyone by default. Look to Walsh to fight that tooth and nail.
Walsh's biggest advantage has always been the support of people with jobs allow them to take the day off to vote and ensure all their friends and families can do the same.
Is that really true?
Given the fairly user friendly hours of polling in the city, is it really that hard to vote while having a job? Plenty of people vote before going in or after getting home. I know it is a huge, huge issue in other states but is it a real challenge in Boston?
Walsh's advantage is that he has a lot of very solid block of donors who vote every time with strong network effects. Wu/Campbell need turnout from everyone else from Mattapan to Brighton to counter that and it's harder to pull off.
Maybe yes, maybe no?
Barely a quarter of Boston voters showed up for the last mayoral election. Is it an accessibility issue, or a voter apathy issue?
Apathy and unawareness
Our mayoral election being all by itself is dumb. Put it on the Presidential schedule and you'll see people vote for mayor.
It's not dumb, it's deliberate
It's not dumb, it's deliberate. Holding city elections on off years means much lower turnout. Low turnout is good for the entrenched machine.
Por que no los dos?
It can be both dumb and deliberate.
I can't decide which is better/worse
A small turnout: In theory, the people who actually bother to show up care enough to have done their research, listened to candidates, etc. and make an informed decision. But also much easier to skew for one candidate through support from organizations and special interests.
or
A massive turnout, but only because people are already there to vote in a "more important" election anyway. A larger number of votes for sure. But I'd argue the majority of people who wouldn't have come out to a standalone mayoral election will probably just vote for the incumbent by default. Maybe you get some votes for change from people who wanted it, wouldn't come out to a standalone mayoral election because they didn't think their candidate could win anyway?
Walsh vs Connolly
In the last competitive election Connolly and Walsh had about equal amounts of money and levels of support. On the day of the election the polling locations were swarming with the local trades unions, none of whom seemingly went to work that day and included people from outside the city.
Was it enough to push Walsh over the edge? No idea but it certainly helps to have a ton of people who can take the day off to support the cause.
Now that early voting is actually a thing, maybe it will be less of an advantage.
What, with signs?
I don't believe that someone who is going to trouble of voting is going to change their mind at the polls based on the number of signs and supporters out front. If voting was mandated so that you had more uninformed voters showing up, that would be different.
I don’t know anyone who has
I don’t know anyone who has ever changed their vote on Election Day because of supporter presence.
Happens all the time
I think it happens all the time -- but not for the top line race.
Folks in primaries figure out who they should vote for Register of Probate outside the polls. Not POTUS, not Mayor.
Someone must think it's worth something...
or else they wouldn't keep doing it, but I agree that it doesn't seem particularly sensible to me.
Plenty of people have jobs
Plenty of people have jobs that allow them to take the day off.
Union guys often do because there is not always work every day, so anyone with a free day is welcome to jump in. Fire Fighters and Police Officers work crazy random shifts, often not 9-5. What is the issue if they choose to use their version of Saturday to campaign?
If you work in retail or the restaurant industry getting a Tuesday off is not all that hard. So anyone in those fields is welcome to use their time off to help out. Office workers often get vacation time, nobody is stopping you from taking one less day in the Bahamas so you can hold signs. In fact we see this in many progressive races, workers using their own vacation time to help progressive candidates. I know I personally sit down a month before an election I care about to map out my plan. I make sure I request the day off, I free up all my time around that day, I treat it as if I am going to be under the knife at the hospital for the day pretty much.
We are also starting to do early voting so there really is no excuse. If you can't free up Tuesday then step up during early voting and get voters to the polls. Most campaigns have pancaked their calling operations so you can call from home while the kids are napping or get a few calls in between appointments if you are a traveling salesman. There really is no good excuses anymore. If you don't help a candidate it is because you chose not to. Which is fine too! Just don't run around complaining when other people make it a priority because you do not want to.
Sometimes, yes
Sometimes, yes. I heard a lot of stories while canvassing, from people who have long commutes, long hours, two jobs, family responsibilities, etc. If someone has to leave for work earlier than the polls are open, gets home at 6-7 pm, needs to get dinner on the table and doesn't have childcare, it can be pretty tough.
Why would BPD or BFD support
Why would BPD or BFD support Marty? He screwed them.
The only unions he cares about are the construction unions and the SIEU.
if you think Walsh screwed BPD / BFD
Can you imagine what Wu will do? In the sea of defund?
They're going to be Marty all the way on that one.
I’m so excited to not vote
I’m so excited to not vote for Trump in November. I’m also very excited to not vote for Michelle Wu.
Perfect!
Luckily for you, you won't even have to see her name on a ballot this November.
I am very comfortable voting
I am very comfortable voting for Wu against Marty, we will see if other contenders come out during the campaign. She's great and I wish her the best
Methadone Mile
Walsh has failed in addressing Methadone Mile. I have no confidence that Wu has the chops to find real solutions either. Words and good intentions don't work. Bandaids are just that- bandaids. The comfort station idea is better than no comfort station but in no way addresses the larger problems of housing and addiction.
My vote will go to the candidate with the best, specific, budgeted and funded plan to solve the open air drug market/ drug hangout/ homeless hangout that is Methadone Mile and surrounding communities in the South End, Roxbury, and Dorchester.
I like most of Wu's platform
I like most of Wu's platform but I am not really here for a NIMBY campaign focused on bashing developers. Who does she think builds the homes people live in? And her plan to create more "neighborhood control" is a formula to shut down all new housing production and make this city even more unaffordable. Very disappointing to see her pushing that line so hard. I'd probably support her if it weren't for that.
Whoever wins
Will have to deal with the seismic cultural shifts in the city. Bars and restaurants permanently closing, rents plunging, employees being told to work from home forever, laying waste to any remaining hope for tech fueled renewals in struggling neighborhoods. City services will be depleted and cops, firefighters and teachers will all be laid off and the wealthy will flee when crime spikes in their neighborhoods. The one business that will thrive in Boston will be U-haul rental companies.
All Aboard!
As a 53 year old white male (like Marty), I'm all aboard the Wu Train. It's time for a change, and new inspiration in the city. She is progressive on transportation for example, in a good way (service equity, lower fares, residential parking fees).
Vote for whatever candidate
Vote for whatever candidate that has a plan for dealing with the massive rat problem Boston has
change is coming
Much has changed since the last mayoral, Ayanna Presley’s win is one. Marty should be scared, there are a lot of people upset about the building boom in neighborhoods and of course the school system. Marty ran originally promised to get rid of the BRA. He changed the name but failed otherwise. I will gladly vote for and support Wu, for many reasons but one key to me is she has actually ridden the T, spoke to riders and addressed their concerns. Something Marty has never done.
Now if someone would take on my phony councilor Matt O’Malley !!!!
OMalley has a challenger
Kendra Hicks
Cares more about trees on Melnea Cass than the people there.
While Michelle Wu has been an at large city councillor more have died of drug overdoses than of corona virus. Yet, she's been absent in what has been called the health care crisis of a generation. She has however called cutting trees on the same street (Melnea Cass) environmental racism while watching people die a few blocks away. Please tell me why she deserves to be mayor.
I can't bring myself to vote
for someone who thinks that the City runs the MBTA.
So we can count you as a Wu voter then?
She's never said the city runs the MBTA.
Please note that the city of Boston does pay the MBTA roughly $85 million a year, in addition to whatever its citizen pay for fares, for the privilege of T service. So regardless of whether or not city councilors should use their bully pulpit to push for better service, the city has a direct financial interest in T operations.
That really fries my nose
I love the woman in Wu's ad with the Irish brogue, especially since Marty's mother has a brogue too. Marty must be feeling like Mayor Menino who would say of such things, "that really fries my nose." It will be interesting to see how the Boston Irish diaspora (what little is left) reacts to this.
As I wrote here around the time of the first City Hall corruption investigation, I don't think Marty is running for reelection. I also wrote then that Wu would be a top contender. Don't underestimate BPD Commissioner Willie Gross if he decides to jump in. A law and order candidate may be unpopular in the media but as noted above, this will be another small turnout. 81% of Black Americans want police to spend the same amount or more time in their area so Wu will have to walk a tightrope if she intends to follow the far-left script of defunding our brave police, especially if the city is still in ruins a year from now.
Jesus H. Christ
Does Boston have problems? You bet! Is it in ruins? Only in your sad, bitter mind, I guess.
Nothing like the voices of those who dont live here
telling us who do live in Boston how to vote.
Hey, who's your pick for mayor of Honolulu while you're at it? As long as you're opining on races you're not involved in, might as well case a wide net, right?