Keep Moving Forward
By Mayor and candidate for reelection, Thomas Menino

Diverse, talented and innovative, the people of Boston are the strength of our city. We have all worked hard to make Boston a city that welcomes, protects and empowers all people. From creating jobs to reducing crime, from championing marriage equality to building workforce housing, my administration addresses the priorities of our city.

Despite the economic challenges we face, Boston’s future is bright. Powered by innovation and strengthened through partnerships, we will continue to improve our neighborhoods and bring new opportunities to our residents. I believe in the people of Boston, and I will continue to work to move this city forward and make it a better city for all of our people not just some of our people.

Recognizing that Boston’s strength is in its diversity, we have taken many steps to support the efforts of Boston’s active GLBT community. I am proud of the work that we recently did to open the nation’s largest GLBT health center, the new Fenway Community Health Center, and expand access to quality health care for all of the people. The new health center location also includes housing and commercial services that will bolster West Fenway and help turn that area of Boylston Street into the grand boulevard that the community envisioned in its neighborhood planning process.

Boston’s success also depends on a well educated work force. We were recently named the most improved urban school district in the country by the Broad Foundation; but we need to do more. We will turn around our low performing schools and surround our youth with opportunities from dawn to dusk, from birth to college. That’s why I’m pursuing legislation to create “in-district” charter schools, as we continue to expand K-8 schools, increase early childhood education, and partner with area universities to double college graduation rates for our BPS graduates. I am particularly proud of the Boston Arts Academy in the Fenway, which offers new opportunities for young people in arts and culture.

The innovation that is transforming our schools is also reinvigorating city government. With the newest technology, I want to make government even better at achieving its most essential mission: helping people. Just look at our new iPhone application. It makes it easier for residents to report service requests – from graffiti to potholes –so that we can act on them more quickly. Through continuous innovation, we are bringing government far beyond the doors of City Hall by connecting directly with the people of Boston.

Partnerships and empowerment are also making our neighborhoods safer. Boston has reduced its crime rate each of the last three years. Our community policing strategy puts more officers on regular walking beats to build stronger partnerships within neighborhoods. At the national level, Mayor Bloomberg and I are leading a coalition of 400 mayors pressing for smarter laws that will take more guns off our streets and recently, we were successful in curbing the spread of concealed weapons by rallying congressional opposition to the NRA on this. In addition to the work we have done nationally and across the city, we have also worked closely with Fenway Health Center on hate crimes issues and the Victory Recovery Program.

But a strong city is more than safe; it’s also sustainable. Together, we have worked to make Boston the 3rd greenest city in America. We are moving forward with an array of new initiatives from expanding bike paths to exploring new wind power and solar options to training our residents for new “green” jobs. A few weeks ago we brought single stream recycling to all of Boston’s residents, making our neighborhoods cleaner and greener. This fall, we will start a bike share program and add more bike lanes and racks. We’re also connecting green policies to economic development to create new green jobs and help residents make their homes energy efficient. Whether it’s through recycling, tree planting, or innovative energy solutions – Together we are leading the way to a greener future.

We worked with the community to turn the old Sears Building parking lot into green space and a continuation of Emerald Necklace. We also worked with Fenway Civic Association to create and endow Ramler Park which the ParkMass Audubon heralded as a “Garden of Eden”.

So together, we’ve made our city greener, our streets safer, our schools better and housing more available. We have made great strides in our city over the last few years, but this campaign is about the future of Boston. This is about the citizens of Boston, and I am asking for your help and your vote on September 22nd so that together, we can keep moving Boston forward.