Boston City Council 2005 Endorsements
Hey, no one asked me, but here are my endorsements for tomorrow’s city council election:
- Mayor: Maura Hennigan. I actually think Tom Menino is doing all right, and he will obviously win, so this is more of a “strategic” vote. I think it’s generally bad for elected leaders to be too certain of their grip on power, and voting for the challenger hopefully will keep them on their toes and more responsive to the community. It also may lay the groundwork for a better challenger in the next election four years from now. (This is why I voted for Bobbie Rush in Chicago in 1999, even though he had no chance of winning).
- City Council – At Large
- Felix Arroyo: Hands down the best guy on the council. I heard him referred to as a “rock star” on WBUR this morning. I can’t think of anyone I would prefer for Mayor in 2009.
- Matt O’Malley: I agree with him on just about every issue, plus there’s a strong Roslindale “home town” feeling for Matt. Someone showed me some of his campaign literature from the last time around where he was unfairly critical of Felix Arroyo, but my feeling (and hope) is that he has matured significantly since then.
- Sam Yoon: Yoon seems to have the best chance of the newcomers/outsiders of actually getting elected, and he has been absorbed into the progressive fold with Arroyo, Chuck Turner, and Charles Yancey. That would be a nice block to have on the council. Certainly having the first Asian-American on the council would be a good thing as well.
- John Connolly: Mostly, I just prefer him to the remaining four candidates. Although I’m a bit torn because I would also like to see more women on the council, I’m not convinced that Patricia White is the candidate to do it. Ed Flynn’s entire campaign platform seems to be “veteran,” and he opposes reproductive rights and same-sex marriage, so he’s (way) out. Steve Murphy lost my support when the only house in our neighborhood to sport large Bush/Cheney signs also posted Murphy signs. Michael Flaherty lost my support when he procedurally squashed a resolution that would have opposed the PATRIOT Act.
In any case, if you’re a Boston voter, be sure to participate tomorrow, whomever you choose to support.
Matt O’Malley Jan 28
Thanks for the vote, Adam. I won’t let you down.
Matt B Jan 28
You know, Adam, you don’t have to vote for four at-large candidates. If you’re not interested in Connolly, why support him and risk diluting support for the three you like?
Adam Rosi-Kessel Jan 28
Good point. I suppose if I thought Connolly might knock out Yoon or O’Malley, it would be better to withhold my vote. On the other hand, I like Connolly, I just don’t feel as strongly about him as the other three. Well, I’ve still got about 45 minutes to decide.