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2013 elections

Election roundup: Money, money, everywhere; also, the environment

Dan Conley to Marty Walsh: Rob Consalvo's Boston Pledge is no gimmick, so what are you hiding?

That's why voters should be concerned that Marty Walsh's campaign is benefiting from enormous ad buys based out of nondescript office buildings in the D.C. suburbs.  It's fair to ask why anonymous donors who have never set foot in Boston are spending such vast sums on his behalf and who these donors are. 

Conley, of course, has raised more money than any other candidate, much of it from people who don't live in Boston, but they're listed in his campaign contribution reports.

Good news for Conley: Walsh says he'll sign the pledge if the other candidates sign it. All of them. Even David James Wyatt. Otherwise, the pen stays firmly in pocket. Well, he said it a couple months ago, anyway.

David Bernstein chronicles the timeline that led up to last week's Connolly/Stand for Education imbroglio, which, of course, started with Consalvo's pledge:

Rob Consalvo, noticing a disturbing absence of big-dollar PACs dedicated to the advancement of short Italian-Americans, realized that he would be left without allies spending their time and resources singing his praises. He was, however, blessed with a surfeit of clever political strategists, so he came out and staked a claim to the brave position of Candidate Who Refuses To Accept Dirty Money That Nobody Offered Him. Well done.

It this what they mean by world-class city? Former City Councilor Tom Keane explains why non-Bostonians should have as much say in who gets elected mayor as people who live here and pay taxes here. Michael Jonas kind of agrees, calling the whole debate over contrributions from the other side of the Charles and Neponset the new nativism.

Mike Ross declares he is pro-education. Specifically, he wants more, better vocational education (if Worcester can do it, so can we), more pre-K and early childhood education (to be funded by getting the state to pay for it) and a two-hour increase in the school day (for enrichment programs, such as art and music).

Mayoral candidates are pro-environment, well, at least nine of them are. Yancey, Clemons and Wyatt might be as well, but they didn't respond to a Globe survey.

Jamarhl Crawford, running a write-in campaign for city council in District 7 (vs. Tito Jackson and Roy Owens) has his own campaign song, too, joining mayoral hopefuls Charles Clemons and Rob Consalvo and, of course, Jackson himself):

A Planned Parenthood PAC has endorsed Ayanna Pressley and Jack Kelley, but not, for some reason, Gareth Saunders, in the at-large council race.


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Election roundup: With month left, third of voters still throw hands up and go 'who ARE these people?'

A Globe poll finds Connolly and Walsh virtually tied, with more than a third of voters still professing no clue whom to vote for.

Move over Brother Charles and Tito "No, not that one" Jackson - DJ Robby Rob is in the house:

The Dorchester Reporter surveys mayoral candidates on public safety issues.

Marty Walsh wants to paint Boston cabs the same color to make them more noticeable to help women avoid getting raped by drivers of brand-X cabs.

I will do whatever it takes to limit predators' opportunities to commit violent acts against women via the taxi system, or any other means. We owe it to the women of Boston and all residents to address this issue. It can't wait any longer.

Ed. question: Didn't that that guy whose name no longer gets mentioned now that he's been suspended as hackney god thanks to those meanies at the Globe get all the licensed cabs in Boston painted white?

John Barros posted a video about education.

Charlotte Golar Richie will march in the Caribbean parade on Saturday with Cecile de Jongh, wife of the governor of the US Virgin Islands. Richie herself has Bajan ancestry.

David Bernstein chats with at-large Council candidate Chris Conroy.


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Connolly to education group: Don't spend any money on my account

John Connolly said today he has asked Stand for Children not to spend several hundred thousand dollars getting him elected. At a press conference outside City Hall, Connolly said that while he gratefully accepted the group's endorsement, he doesn't want the election warped by large outside expenditures.

Connolly said somebody from the group called him Monday night to tell him it had endorsed him for mayor.

"I thanked him, and he wished me luck, and that was the extent of our conversation. The first I learned of the $500,000 independent expenditure was when I read about it in the newspaper."

He said he wants to win the election, "but I want to win this race the right way, by directly communicating with voters, he said.

He said that was what made Stand for Children's proposed spending different from expenditures by another pro-charter group, Democrats for Education Reform, who are doing a door-knocking campaign. One-on-one campaigning like that is completely different, he said.

Connolly said he is worried about the recent formation of several "independent" campaign groups.

"I'm deeply worried that such groups are going to warp the debate by making large purchases for TV and radio commercials and that they're going to open the door for negative campaigning. I want voters to hear directly from me and my volunteers about my vision for transforming our schools, safe and healthy neighborhoods and jobs and economic opportunity for every Bostonian."


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Battle of the C's: Conley all in on Consalvo contribution crusade; criticizes Connolly

Dan Conley, who already has the largest campaign warchest in the race for mayor, said today he's appalled at the amount of money an education group wants to spend to get John Connolly elected and that he's now agreeing with Rob Consalvo's effort to stop campaign work by third-party groups.

In a statement, Conley accused Connolly of running "an opaque political shell game" and said:

It doesn't matter whether one agrees with what Stand for Children or any other special interest group advocates.  My own education reform agenda largely aligns with theirs.  But their advocacy dollars should be limited to issues, and not specific candidates, as I urged them when I sought their endorsement.

This is not the way we do elections in Massachusetts - we led the way with the People's Pledge between Scott Brown and Elizabeth Warren, between Ed Markey and Steve Lynch, and just now the candidates for Congress in the 5th district have agreed to do the same. I am announcing today that I am signing on to the previously circulated People's Pledge for the Boston mayoral election through the preliminary, and if my opponent will join me, I'll do the same in the general election. I call on John Connolly and all candidates to sign the pledge as well.

Conley did not say he would seek to return the money he's already collected from individual contributors outside Boston.


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Election roundup: Pro-charter group backs Connolly, puts money where mouth is

The Globe reports a pro-charter group plans to spend up to $750,000 for ads and door knocking for John Connolly (Stand for Children's release on its endorsement is attached below).

Rob Consalvo is aghast at this "full-frontal assault” on the sanctity of Boston elections by a group not based here (Consalvo, you may recall, has been trying to get fellow candidates to sign a pledge not to accept out-of-city money).

The huge amount should make for an interesting discussion at the mayoral forum the Boston Teachers Union is holding on Sept. 11 (complete list of forums). Stand for Children has undergone a dramatic shift in its goals.

Frank Baker, the Dorchester district councilor with no opposition, is facing some heat for his decision to oppose a city designation of a dilapidated building as a landmark, the Dorchester Reporter reports. The building is across from his home. Also, his brother had earlier made an unsuccessful bid to buy the property.

CommonWealth wonders if Mike Ross can get as many votes as he has ideas. Chris Lovett interviews Connolly.

At-large candidate Annissa Essaibi George rides a bike.

David Bernstein thinks the Globe is doing a horrible job highlighting its mayoral coverage online.


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Election roundup: Conley calls for free tunnel rides for Eastie; Ross calls for thousands of apartments along Fairmount Line

Dan Conley, who lost the support of East Boston's state rep in calling for a citywide referendum on the Suffolk Downs casino, yesterday released a five-point plan for East Boston:

Move the Sumner and Ted toll plazas to Logan Airport (so free tunnel rides for Eastie residents), insist that owners of boarded up crap on the East Boston waterfront actually develop their land, re-open the Little City Hall that Kevin White pioneered, develop a grand avenue from Maverick to Orient Heights and a crackdown on cab drivers who refuse to take East Boston residents to East Boston.

Mike Ross, meanwhile, was in Uphams Corner, calling for 10,000 new apartments along the Fairmount Line by 2020:

This is an ambitious goal, but transit-oriented development is the future of Boston's growth. We need to make sure that growth and housing opportunities extend to our neighborhoods so that all Bostonians have better access to alternative forms of transportation.

NBC Latino takes note of Felix Arroyo: Can a Boricua become Boston's next mayor?

The Bay State Banner reports on a forum on housing and the homeless. The Massachusetts Associaton of Community Development Corporations posts candidates' answers to its questions on housing issues.


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Election Roundup: Ross goes carless, Jackson gets a new opponent and Republicans walk among us

Mike Ross is leaving his car in the Boston Globe parking lot this morning so he can spend a couple days getting from one campaign stop to another by the T and his own feet (why the Globe? Why not? Plus, it's sort of near the JFK/UMass T stop, although the Dorchester Reporter lot is a lot closer).

As Boston continues to grow and develop as a world-class city we have stretched our roads and public transit system to the breaking point. Traffic jams and Red Line delays aren't just headaches, they are a serious economic drain on our city and region. As mayor, I'll make it easier for Bostonians to get to work or school, to go out, and to visit different parts of our city.

Ross wants to bring back Night Owl bus service, build dedicated "cycle tracks" to separate bicyclists from cars, move enforcement of city tax regs from police to the transportation department and look at better timing of traffic lights. His plan.

Community activist Jamarhl Crawford today announces a write-in campaign for the District 7 council seat that Tito Jackson wants to retain. Crawford hasn't been a Jackson fan. Because Jackson had only one other opponent file nomination papers (perennial candidate Roy Owens, of course), there's no preliminary in this race; no showdown until November.

Republicans are in Boston today, for a confab at the Westin by the convention center. Now be nice. Actually, the headline for this post might be a bit inaccurate: The Westin location means Republicans don't actually have to get anywhere near the rest of us.

At-large Councilor Ayanna Pressley has her council hearing today at 2 on lifting the cap on liquor licenses in Boston. Pressley says the current limit holds back neighborhoods where would be restaurateurs can't compete with pricey national chains and celebrichefs for what have become six-figure licenses on the waterfront and downtown. Because the limit is set by the state legislature, anything the council decides would have to go to Beacon Hill. Sign a petition.

John Connolly took some time off for campaigning yesterday for the birth of daughter MaryKate.

In their own words: The Dorchester Reporter interviews mayoral candidates on education.


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Cullinane in the 12th Suffolk

The Dorchester Reporter reports on Linda Dorcena Forry's apparent heir apparent in the House of Representatives (since he won the Democratic primary in this Democratic city).


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Election roundup: Candidate says current councilors are cowards who let Menino destroy city

David Bernstein interviews Thomas Dooley, running for the district seat Mike Ross is giving up:

I know all the city councilors, moreso the ones that were there a few years ago. They’re all cowards. They’ve allowed Mayor Menino to terrorize them for 20 years. They never stand up to him. They’re all concerned about keeping their jobs. I’m in a position, as a city councilor representing the most affluent part of Boston, I will say what needs to be said to the mayor of Boston.

Bonus for a certain UHub regular: He's the only candidate to publicly call for the deciphering of City Council stenographic records.

It's nothing but net for Rob Consalvo in his first TV ad:

Special bonus footage: Consalvo hitting six three-pointers in a row.

John Connolly can't bottle up his enthusiasm for a proposed statewide referendum to make non-cabonated beverages subject to the 5-cent deposit law:

The current Bottle Bill has dramatically increased recycling and reduced the number of bottles that end up in landfills and it is time to update the law to keep up with the times. Expanding the Bottle Bill will make our streets and parks cleaner and help reduce our carbon footprint.

Bill Walczak, who doesn't want the Suffolk Downs casino built no matter what, says that if the idea does go foward, the state should reject Filene's Hole creator and minority Suffolk Downs owner Vornado's participation in the project unless it:

Submits to the background check required for all applicants or divests itself of its Suffolk Downs holdings. This company’s history in the city of Boston and elsewhere gives me great pause and provides for grave concerns for East Boston, Suffolk Downs and the city of Boston if they are allowed to go forward without scrutiny during your licensing process.

Bernstein chats with John Ribeiro, Jr., running against incumbent Sal LaMattina in District 1. He does not call current councilors cowards.


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Candidates vow to keep Boston from becoming another Manhattan

At a candidates' forum sponsored by two West Roxbury community groups last night, 10 of the people who would be mayor all called for greater attention to schools and public safety. Some also pondered what to do about the way the middle class is being squeezed out of Boston, potentially leaving us a city occupied only by the very rich and the very poor.

Summaries of their comments:

ClemonsCharles Clemons. "I'm the only candidate that has put a badge on and given my life for the community," he said. He said he's employed thousands of Bostonians, many of them with criminal records, 100 of whom have gone on to start their own business. Also started Touch 106.1 FM. In 2009, decided to walk across the country to push for licensing of stations such as Touch, which does not have a license. He said he got 200 miles out of Boston, to some small town in New York state, when his driver abandoned him. "But that didn't stop me," he came back to Boston, a young man came up to him to off his help, and he walked to Washington, DC, where three years later, President Obama signed a bill that could finally lead to Touch FM getting a license. "It's about doing the right thing," he said. "I care about people."

ConnollyJohn Connolly. Said he appreciates the work Tom Menino has done, but noted he announced he was running when everybody thought Menino would run again. "I hope it says something about my political courage."

Said Boston is facing a big divide: "We are increasingly a city of the very rich and the very poor," and we need to figure out ways to keep a middle class in Boston. We're losing "young professional after young professional, young artist after young artist," he said, calling for "smart housing" that will help keep such people in Boston.

"We've got to stop thinking we're in competition with Cambridge and start realzing we're in competition with the rest of the world," he said. He added City Hall needs to do a better job of meeting constituent requests. "I've got this crazy dream, I want to see City Hall function like that Apple store."

WalshMarty Walsh. "The first thing we have to do is really focus on our schools because we're losing families to the suburbs, because our schools aren't working." He said that means both more emphasis on education and on facilities - too many students are in buildings that went up before the Depression, he said, adding we need more vocational/technical schools and to pair up local high-tech companies with local high schools.

Ultimately, Boston needs more jobs, he said. It's great that downtown is booming, but almost all the growth is residential and residents need work.

Public Safety: South Boston was screaming for more drug units two years ago. "I don't think community should be screaming and waiting for something to happen to get more police. Funding. How? Downtown businesses. They're not new jobs. We need to bring back votech schools. High tech companies partner with different schools.

WalczakBill Walczak. Said he's spent the last 40 years "creating and building institutions of lasting importance in Boston," such as the Codman Square Health Center. Also helped start two high schools, one in BPS, one a charter.

Boston needs more jobs, "created for people who actually live in our city." Education is key. "Education really begins with pregnancy," kids need to be healthy enough to learn. Called for universal K1 and K2, and building "career academies" in local high schools.

Also needed in Boston: Better public transportation and turning up into "the greenest and healthiest city of America." "We're a city that's approaching world-class status," but that fragile toe across the line of world greatness will be jeopardized unless Boston capitalizes on its innovation - and the rest of the Boston area. Walczak said he opposes the East Boston casino.

"I've run large institutions and created change," won't be learning on the job, he said.

ConleyDan Conley. The DA now lives in West Roxbury. "We love this neighborhood and we love the entire city of Boston." Said Boston today is very different from the Boston of 1993, when he was elected a city councilor. "We've gotten so much better." Despite some recent cases, such as that of Amy Lord, "we're lucky we live in a very safe city."

Would remove the cap on charter schools, streamline bureacracy at Court Street, increase the school day for arts and other enrichment programs, bolster STEM teaching. Would focus city efforts on attracing jobs in life sciences, clean energy and the like. "People love our city and they want to come here."

ConsalvoRob Consalvo. Said he's "all in" for Boston, noted he decided to give up his council seat even at the risk of losing and having no job to support his wife and three kids. Boston has a "weak" council, but "I've used the council to be strong." He pointed to what he said are now nationally recognized ordinances he pushed on drunk driving and foreclosure.

Vowed to be the CEO of the city, said his past experience working on Beacon Hill and in Washington would help him win resources for the city there. Public safety is the number-one issue, vowed to put 200 new cops on the street, fight gun violence and violence against women.

RossMike Ross. Pointed to his work in 2009 to settle a protacted firefighters contract dispute in which firefighters made concessions that gave the city enough money to keep branch libraries open. He said his past work with Beacon Hill and Back Bay residents to get a downtown school finally paid off this year with the city's purchase of a building in the North End, which will be "the first downtown school since the Carter Administration." He called for a longer school days for arts, music, gym and computer science, vowed to ensure that never again would a company like Google accuse the city of not being able to turn out enough qualified graduates.

Small-business permitting should be made easier; it's wrong to force entpreneurs to spend six to nine months obtaining permits and hiring "expediters" to deal with city bureaucracy. Called for better public transit, greater cooperation with other communities in the area to attact business.

ArroyoFelix Arroyo. "I believe in a Boston where everyone has the opportunity to succeed," he said. "Government works best when it works with you, and not over you."

Called for universal pre-K, more access to arts, theater and other enrichment programs.

Said Boston needs to bridge the divide that's making it increasingly difficult for the middle class and poor to afford to stay.

BarrosJohn Barros. Grew up in Boston, went to Dartmouth and then to New York to work on IPOs. Moved back to Boston to take a pay cut as director of the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative, to give back to the city that gave him so much. Said under his leadership, the group helped dramatically reduce both crime and the scourage of vacant lots. Called for a "birth to career" education system. Would reduce control of Court Street, "where no child has ever learned anything and move it to the schools."

"We've got to put people back to work," he said.

YanceyCharles Yancey. With 30 years on the council, he said he has more experience in city government than any of the other candidates. He said he wants Boston to be known as "the city with the best educational system in the United States of America." He said far too many students "are not really challenged" and are learning in "substandard facilities," including high schools in condemned warehouses and without gyms or science labs.

Charlotte Golar Richie did not attend because her father died in New York over the weekend. David James Wyatt did not attend because he does not attend anything.


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Candidate gets first-hand experience in need for public safety

Ramon SotoAt a candidates' forum in West Roxbury tonight, pretty much all the candidates for mayor and city council named public safety as one of their top priorities.

Ramon Soto, running for an at-large seat on the City Council, had a rather immediate reason to do so: He was late for the forum because his wallet had been stolen while he was at dinner before the forum.

Soto said he was having dinner at a South Boston restaurant when he felt something. "I should have turned around," he said. But he didn't, at least, not until he reached for his wallet to pay for dinner and discovered it was missing.

Soto said he looked around the restaurant exterior on the hopes the pickpocket had at least dropped the wallet there. But he found nothing, so he had to call to cancel his credit and bank cards and then file a report with police. He praised C-6's quick response and said the restaurant has surveillance cameras, so he's optimistic the thief will be caught.


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Election roundup: One candidate comes out against a new state tax; another releases his platform in Albanian

Dan Conley is against the new tax on software services.

John Connolly has translated his platform into several languages, including Albanian (for the burgeoning Albanian community in Roslindale, natch). John Nucci writes that Connolly, if elected, would be the first teacher to become Boston mayor.

Mike Ross wants to combine the city's street-worker program with the Boston Foundation's street-worker program to create one mighty anti-crime program:

We can't be afraid to look outside City Hall for the best ideas. StreetSafe is a non-profit program that does similar work to our city's Streetworker Program, but often uses different approaches and tactics. Combining them would not only save resources, but would help them learn from each other and focus on the strategies that work.

Marty Walsh has a lot of support by labor unions, and the Globe is on it. Adrian Walker writes the mayoral race has suddenly become interesting, but provides only one vague sentence to buttress that claim, then spends the rest of his column on typical insider handicapping stuff.

Michael Jonas looks at Charlotte Golar Richie's campaign and finds little there there, especially not when compared to the campaigns of people such as Mel King, Deval Patrick and Elizabeth Warren.

The Golar Richie campaign reports her father died on Sunday:

He was 84 years old and died of natural causes at Calvary Hospital in the Bronx, New York, with his two daughters at his side. He was a man of great stature in New York City politics during the last four decades of the 20th century, having served in various appointed positions and having sought elective office as well, during his career. He ended this illustrious career as an elected New York State Supreme Court Justice, serving on the bench for more than a decade.

David Bernstein chats with at-large Council candidate Keith Kenyon.


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Everything is just great in Boston politics these days

The 27 gazillion people running for various offices in Boston this year have taken to Twitter like never before, keeping us up to the minute on what they're doing.

Well, more specifically, they're keeping us up to the minute on how great everything is. They're all having great conversations with great constituents who raise great points as they enjoy great food at great events in every great neighborhood of this great city, that is, when they're not having great rallies with their great volunteers, who then spread out to do some great door knocking - during which, of course, they get a great response.

Oh, great, you think, UHub is getting greatly carried away again. See for yourself, with this up-to-the-minute Twitter timeline of great Boston political tweets these days:


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Election roundup: Diversity dilemmas

Bill Walczak today called for the state to loosen civil-service rules to let BPD Commissioner Ed Davis elevate more minority and women officer to senior ranks (although the Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers, which wants Davis cashiered, says that's not good enough, because even with equal scores, Davis goes white).

Walczak says he wrote Gov. Deval Patrick seeking action, adds:

I have spoken with Police Commissioner Ed Davis about the problems related to building a senior leadership team with archaic civil service rules. Who is able to be promoted to senior ranks should not be determined almost solely by standardized exams. We need a system that allows us to hire highly qualified leaders who are able to work together as a team and reflect the communities served by the Police Department.

Globe columnist Larry Harmon went to a candidate forum in Grove Hall and says he watched Dan Conley melt down (action begins around 4:00):

GoogieBaba, who won't vote for Conley because of his position on charter schools (he wants lots of them; she's a BPS fan), watches the video and doesn't know what Harmon is talking about:

Don't tell me a candidate had a temper tantrum unless someone has flipped a chair. OK? I got angrier at my kids this morning for throwing a Pez. ... Jesus Mary and Joseph. A lot of pearl clutching over nothing.

The Dorchester Reporter has started a video series contrasting the mayoral candidates' positions on different issues, starting with crime and public safety.

Charlotte Golar Richie and Connolly tell the Herald why they have to raise money outside Boston.

The Globe reports John Connolly would keep an appointed school committee but vows to shake up Court Street.

At-large candidate Philip Frattaroli's campaign says his campaign raised $21,175 in July, which it says is more than any other candidate.

David Bernstein chats with at-large candidates Michelle Wu and Gareth Saunders and incumbent at-large Councilor Steve Murphy.


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T rider couldn't believe eyes when mayoral candidate encouraged people to piggyback through the fare gates

UPDATE, Friday a.m.: An MBTA spokesman reports: "We found no video evidence to support the story you sent us."

UPDATE: Dorchester Reporter News Editor Gintautus Dumcius caught up with Clemons at a candidate forum in Dorchester tonight. He tweets:

He denies it, quite adamantly.

An outraged Orange Line rider reports on an incident around 9 a.m. Friday at Forest Hills involving mayoral candidate Charles Clemons:

I was taking the MBTA (commuter rail and transferring to the Orange Line) and watched the mayoral candidate named Charles Clemons (bragging that he is a former police officer) letting individuals through the turnstiles without paying by doubling up and following closely behind other individuals who have paid. Telling them "Yeah, that's the way you do it," while he tried to hand them a pamphlet about his campaign. This was an attempt to get people to vote for him as he was campaigning at the same time. How alarming.

When I looked at him with inquiry, he said to me "Don't worry, I got them" (meaning "I've got them covered" or I plan to pay for them later). That's quite funny and insulting to my intelligence. This was the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen.

MBTA staff just watched as he was doing all of this. I was there for at least 5 minutes as I was leading a group of students on a field trip and watching it all.

As there is a discussion of raising the fares for folks taking the T, maybe these types of situations should be looked at more closely?

I certainly won't be voting for that guy. I also will be alerting my friends and neighbors in Dorchester and JP as to what I witnessed - also bringing it to his campaign office and possibly the press. I would like to hear what the MBTA has to say about this. His actions were a disgusting display - I have never seen anything like that before in the city of Boston.

MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo says:

Transit Police will investigate. The actions described by the witness are completely unacceptable.

Ed. note: I made several attempts to contact Clemons, both through his campaign and at his radio station. At one point, his staff asked for a copy of the rider's report, which I forwarded (without the rider's name). However, he has yet to respond.


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Ross, Yancey haven't ruled out Davis as police commissioner - yet

The two mayoral candidates joined a minority police organization today to criticize the lack of minority and women commanders in the Boston Police Department, but stopped short of saying they would not reappoint Commissioner Ed Davis.

Ross said that while he is dissatisfied enough with Davis's performance on diversity that he would not commit now to reappointing Davis - as several other candidates have said they would - he would still be willing to talk to Davis about reappointment if he were elected mayor.

Yancey said he would launch a nationwide search to find a new police commissioner, but that he would be more than willing to consider Davis if he chose to apply.

The Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers voted last night to seek Davis's ouster, saying he continues to show bias towards white officers in promotions - even when there are minority officers with comparable civil-service scores - and that his immediate demotion of the black detective in the case of the guy charged with Amy Lord's murder without due process was inexcusable.

Both Ross and Yancey spoke at a press conference at MAMLEO's Dorchester offices today.


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Election roundup: Casino as the circular firing squad of the mayoral race

Up until now, the candidates have mostly contented themselves with playing up their own platforms on issues. Casinos, however, change everything.

Mike Ross blasted Dan Conley for calling for a citywide referendum on the Suffolk Downs proposal and threatening to sue to stop an Everett casino if Suffolk Downs goes down in flames:

Whether a casino is built in Everett or East Boston, it's going to have similar effects on our entire city. But a casino in East Boston, rather than one in Everett, will without question impact the families and businesses of East Boston more than the rest the city. That's why I think they should get the final say in whether a casino will be located in their neighborhood.

I appreciate Bill Walczak's passion on this issue, and Dan's creativity in suggesting we can sue to stop a casino in Everett. But I'm not willing to bet Boston's future on a lawsuit with a very uncertain outcome.

Conley ignored Ross but instead blasted his near homonymous Westie neighbor, John Connolly, who wondered if the casino were proposed for Hyde Park if it would make sense for East Boston to vote on that:

We are not a confederacy of neighborhoods. We are one united city. To equate the casino with other development projects misses the larger point that this project is, in fact, different. Other areas of the city don't decide on local development projects by referendum, so the fact that there is a proposed referendum in East Boston is proof that this is not your usual project, and that this will affect the entire city in ways that any other discrete building project will not.

Speaking of Walczak, he didn't blast anybody, but plans a press conference Wednesday to call for turning Suffolk Downs into the city's second innovation district, focusing on green jobs.

Oh, the Herald would just love it if Menino's comments about Charlotte Golar Richie were something more than musing. And, hey, he gave Rob Consalvo $100.

David Bernstein talks with incumbent Councilor Sal LaMattina (East Boston, Charlestown, North End, Beacon Hill and Downtown).


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Election roundup: Walsh says don't sue Everett casino guy, talk to him

The Herald reports on a debate this morning between Marty Walsh, who is all about the Suffolk Downs casino, and Dan Conley, who says the entire city should vote on it and, if it rejects the idea, he'd sue to block any casino in Everett. Walsh said the only way to protect Charlestown is to negotiate with the developer of the proposed Everett casino. Conley said the state casino law is fundamentally flawed.

WBUR wonders if John Barros can convince anybody outside Dudley Street, where he long captained a neighborhood improvement group, to vote for him.

The Herald wonders if Felix Arroyo can pull a Ray Flynn and win an election with almost no money.

The Globe wonders if voters are too dumb to tell the difference between Dan Conley and John Connolly - after all, both come from Galway stock. David Bernstein proposes we start calling them Danley and Johnolly instead.

Somebody is getting tired of candidate tweets about the great times they're having at block parties and festivals.

Michelle Wu is in the middle of a whirlwind one-day tour of the city, specifically: Charlestown, South Boston, Chinatown, North End, East Boston, Brighton, Dorchester, Roxbury, Jamaica Plain, West Roxbury, Mattapan, Hyde Park and Roslindale (where she ends the day at 6:30 with dinner at Village Sushi), to promote her 50 Ideas for Boston Families: Pipelines to Opportunity.


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Conley: If we can't have a casino, neither can Everett

Unlike other candidates for mayor, Dan Conley says he's neither for nor against a casino at Suffolk Downs. But he says he wants the entire city to vote on it, not just East Boston - because the ramifications of a casino go far beyond one neighborhood.

Conley said today that if the Suffolk Downs plan is voted down while he's mayor, he'd promptly sue to block another casino proposal in Everett:

Like the East Boston proposal, the Wynn proposal was voted on in just one community, while residents and businesses from Charlestown to Somerville and beyond will bear its traffic, economic, and social burdens but receive none of the proposed benefits. The burdens of a casino don't stop at the lines drawn on a map. Neither should we allow those artificial lines to define the limits of a public debate that is sorely needed.

His complete statement is attached.


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Election roundup: Ross says curbing violence begins with early childhood education; hotel union endorses Walsh

Mike Ross yesterday released a 20-page plan that starts with increased access to pre-school and other educational programs and would include a tax on gun and ammo sales in Boston to help fund more direct anti-violence programs.

Ross says we need a holistic approach to crime prevention that includes giving the teenagers who might otherwise become criminals greater opportunities for both education and jobs. But he'd also build police sub-stations, hire more minority officers, and make community service an option for juvenile offenders rather than straight detention. Some of the money would come from the tax; he'd also lobby the legislature for additional funds. The complete plan is attached below.

David Bernstein reports Local 26, which represents hotel workers, has endorsed Marty Walsh, which might be seen as a blow to Felix Arroyo, a former organizer for the SEIU.

The Globe asked mayoral candidates for their favorite public art in Boston.

Joan Vennochi surveys the candidates on the Suffolk Downs casino proposal.

John Connolly has some supporters in Delhi, India.

Councilor Matt O'Malley (West Roxbury, Jamaica Plain) announces his favorite Muppet.


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