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Elections may have big impact on tech, biotech

Details: Written by Scott Krisner, The Boston Globe

Tuesday, a primary with pretty poor voter turnout chose the two major party candidates who will face off in the Senate special election June 25, while two dozen candidates hoping to succeed Mayor Thomas M. Menino of Boston began collecting signatures to get on the ballot in November.

Boston’s next mayor and Massachusetts’ next senator have the potential to be helpful, harmful, or just so-so for the region’s innovation economy. But what has been surprising to me is how disengaged the tech, biopharma, and energy sectors have been in the process to fill these jobs.

Minorities, women make mark in races

Details: Written by Dave Wedge, Boston Herald

Shifting political winds — reinforced this week by state Rep. Linda Dorcena Forry’s historic Democratic primary win in South Boston — clear the way for Boston’s first minority  or female mayor and a  minority-majority council, as a slew of candidates of color seek to make history of their own.

“What happened in the race with Linda shows  we are a changing city,” said Councilor Tito H. Jackson. “It shows the strength of communities of color.”

A Statement from Boston City Councillor Tito Jackson

Details: Written by Tito Jackson, Boston City Councillor

A Statement from Boston City Councillor Tito Jackson:

"Since 1993, Mayor Menino has worked to connect neighborhoods, build business districts, ensure equal access to education and make Boston the cosmopolitan city it is today. On March 28th, the Mayor announced that he would not to run for re-election. The void he leaves will be great, and the person who fills it must be ready to build upon Mayor Menino’s work while fulfilling his or her own. In November, the people will elect a new vision and a new narrative for the City of Boston, its businesses, children, schools, and communities.

While my vision of Boston, past, present and future, is one of resonance and promise, I truly believe that my work in District 7 is not finished. I am honored to represent these neighborhoods, which include all of Roxbury, and parts of Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, the South End and the Fenway. Dudley Square, the geographic center and heart of Boston, is on the rise, and we need to support its transition. Dudley should be a destination, a cultural center. Corridors of economic development and diverse businesses should extend down Dudley Street to Upham’s Corner and on Washington Street from the South End to Jamaica Plain. Madison Park Technical Vocational High School could be the gem of the Boston Public School system. Right now, parents, teachers, administrators and civic leaders are collaborating to give the school the attention it deserves. Roxbury Community College has the potential to lift a community up. Its proximity to Longwood, Boston Medical Center, Dudley Square and Interstate-93 make it ripe for partnerships with institutions that need skilled workers. We have to continue building partnerships to curb youth violence. These young men and women need help, they need opportunities, and they need a push up. Schools, community centers and summer jobs should be safe havens. District 7’s diverse histories and people make it dynamic and full of promise. I am confident that through communication and collaboration we will push the district forward, and as goes District 7 goes the City of Boston.

Therefore, I will not put my name forward to be considered for Mayor of Boston in 2013. Instead, I will run for re-election to be District 7’s Boston City Councillor. The future is bright for Boston, from Dudley Square to Maverick Square to Kenmore Square and all the places in between. I look forward to the working with the next Mayor to make Boston better than it is today."

The real reasons young people leave Massachusetts

Details: Written by Chad O'Connor, Global Business Hub

It is time to change the discourse around talent retention in Greater Boston.

Last Thursday’s second-ever joint city council hearing, hosted by Boston City Councilor Tito Jackson and Cambridge City Councillor Leland Cheung, in partnership with the World Class Cities Partnership (WCCP), highlighted the concern of talent loss to many in the Boston area. The discourse on this topic is not new to local leaders and the same lamentations about why young talent leaves – apartments are too expensive, the T doesn’t run all night, the bar scene is boring – keep getting shared across forum discussions, newspaper editorials, and election campaigns. But these are more the complaints of the people who stay, rather than the reasons for why others leave.

Who will be Boston’s next mayor?

Details: Written by Jim O'Sullivan, The Boston Globe

_{Top row (left to right): City Councilor Felix Arroyo, State Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz, District Attorney Daniel Conley, City Councilor John Connolly, City Councilor Rob Consalvo, City Councilor Tito Jackson. Bottom row (left to right): City Council President Stephen Murphy, James Rooney of the Boston Convention Center Authority, City Councilor Michael Ross, State Representative Jeffrey Sanchez, State Representative Martin Walsh, and City Councilor Charles Yancey.}

State Representative Jeffrey Sanchez of Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts Convention Center Authority executive director James Rooney, and state Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz of Jamaica Plain were among the state officials most widely mentioned as potential candidates.

State Public Safety Secretary Andrea Cabral, the former Suffolk County sheriff frequently mentioned as a potential mayoral candidate, did not return a phone call.

There were also a few who cast doubt on speculation about their political aspirations.

Melnea Cass Widening Project raises resident questions, concerns

Details: Written by Sandra Larson, Bay State Banner

_{Attendees listen during a question-and-answer session at a March 6 meeting on the Melnea Cass Boulevard redesign project, while neighborhood activists display a 40-foot string of complaints about the project.}

At a public meeting hosted by the Boston Transportation Department (BTD) last week, Roxbury residents, activists and local elected officials raised sharp questions about a plan to widen Melnea Cass Boulevard in order to add new center median bus lanes and stations.

Councillor's Corner

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