WHAT’S THE MOST PRESSING ISSUE FACING BOSTON, AND WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?
Felix Arroyo
I’m working to reduce dropout rates, because if you’re not in the system, it doesn’t matter what else you do to improve schools. Our children in special education aren’t receiving the services they negotiated for. We need to monitor maintenance and do the basics—attendance, assisting students, reducing the dropout rate, gap closing, the availability of resources and books. We need to clean that up first.
John Connolly
The improvement of our schools. As a former teacher in urban schools, and a teacher of at-risk youth, I know the value of strong after-school programs, and I want to make after-school programs universal. I’ll make improving schools my first priority.
Michael Flaherty
Substance abuse … That’s why I’ve led efforts at the council to increase funding for community health centers for substance abuse, and I co-sponsored legislation to have drug forfeiture money shared equally between law enforcement and the treatment and recovery world.
Ed Flynn
The city is not being well-represented, in terms of a major event that might hit Boston, whether it’s a homeland security situation or a natural disaster. People in government don’t have the experience or the training to handle such an event, and they haven’t prepared Boston to handle one. We need a better response plan and better training.
Matt O’Malley
I want to hire 500 new teachers to lower class sizes. We need new approaches to educational support, like building partnerships with the arts, building trades and government. We can create apprenticeships and internships for after-school, summer and during vacations. And we need stronger support for Head Start, after-school programs, sports and media centers.
Steve Murphy
The city’s revenue structure. The Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) program needs reform. Nonprofit institutions like universities continue to expand, and as they do, there’s less total property in the city that’s taxable. We’re relying heavily on property taxes on a shrinking volume of property, so we keep increasing the tax rates on property we can tax.
Patricia White
Keeping families in the city. They’re leaving because of the cost of housing, and because of a lack of confidence in our public schools. I’ve been working in our schools, running a literacy program, and I’ve seen first-hand successes and challenges we’re faced with, like the achievement gap and infrastructure in desperate need of repair.
Sam Yoon
The affordability of housing. I’ll bring 10 years of real-estate development experience to retooling our carrots and sticks in housing policy, so we can motivate developers to develop affordable housing.
DO YOU SUPPORT OR OPPOSE THE BU BIOLAB?
Arroyo
Some people have missed the point: If an incurable disease gets out and there has to be a quarantine, when will the quarantine finish? Boston doesn’t deserve to take such a risk. The money won’t pay for that. There can be no official guarantee from BU that there will be no mistakes. But I will support it immediately if there will be no work on incurable diseases.
Connolly
With strong safety and security precautions, and a strong evacuation plan, the biolab can have a strong economic impact for all our communities.
Flaherty
I do support the construction of the lab, and the research … but [safety-wise] we need to do it right. Given the realities we’re faced with, I want Boston to be a model, so we can generate more opportunities. But as an elected official, I have the responsibility to open up the hood, kick the tires and ask questions.
Flynn
Because of my background in homeland security, I believe it’s needed in Boston. We have to be prepared, trained and educated in all areas, including biohazard research.
O’Malley
I’ve probably spent more time and research on this than any other issue, and I think the potential to hurt the city [outweighs] the potential gains. The building trades are campaigning against me because of my stand on this, but leadership is being able to stand up for something that’s not popular but that benefits the city. I’ll fight the biolab with every fiber of my being.
Murphy
I have never made a public statement about the biolab. There’s a small subset of people who want the entire election to hinge on that issue, and I will not allow myself and my colleagues to be stampeded into that forum. There’s a process the council is undertaking, and it will continue after the election.
White
I support the biolab. It’s not simply a neighborhood issue—it concerns the entire city. And I think Boston is in a unique position to make scientific advancements in curing these infectious diseases … But I’d like to add that BU has not done a good job of being transparent, and they need to do more to make sure the project is safe.
Yoon
I’m strongly against it. The city of Cambridge, which has a thriving biotech and university-research-driven economy, said no to a BL-4 lab. Do they know something Boston doesn’t know?
BIGGEST COUNCIL PERK YOU’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO GAINING/KEEPING?
Arroyo
The parking. If I’m riding in my grease car for free, I want free parking, too.
Connolly
Getting the time back to spend the weekend with my wife.
Flaherty
Getting the chance to meet so many different people, from people in the neighborhoods to dignitaries and athletes.
Flynn
Whether I win or lose, I’ll probably go back on active duty, so I’m not looking for any perk—just a safe, livable city.
O’Malley
The parking spot at City Hall. I’m going to rent it out on the weekends to pay my campaign bills.
Murphy
The title.
White
Inspiration—and I mean that sincerely. Every now and then, you visit a part of the city and meet people who are truly inspiring. And also, to be able to enjoy the city’s cultural diversity. There are few jobs that allow you that ability, to share in that diversity of culture.
Yoon
The opportunity to spend so much time in Boston City Hall, and admire its architecture and design.
ARE YOU IN FAVOR OF BLOWING UP AND REBUILDING CITY HALL?
Arroyo
We need a discussion open to the public to understand, is the building appropriate? Is it OK to change? To come to a decision without public input and architectural expertise would be inappropriate. In the meantime, we need to explore ways to make the building more efficient, like by using bioheat.
Connolly
Yeah, I’d love city hall to fit in a little better with the city’s colonial architecture. It’s a pretty cavernous building.
Flaherty
Yes, I do believe we should implode city hall … and rebuild on one of the vacant parcels available, now that the expressway has been torn down. The new city hall should be energy efficient, open to sunlight and have the most-used services on the first floor for easy access and efficient customer service.
Flynn
Nobody’s said anything to me about that yet. I’d try to figure out what the people think—I’d hold meetings in Beacon Hill, the North End, Chinatown and all over the city, and whatever the people thought, I’d agree to.
O’Malley
I wouldn’t mind seeing a new building, but right now, we can’t afford it.
Murphy
What a waste of space! It’s colossal. To think that the ceiling in my office is 27 feet above the floor, and in my particular space, three other full-time employees have to work in an 80-square-foot office … it’s a huge waste of space.
White
It’s a terrible idea. My heart is in City Hall. My father served there, and I’d hate to see City Hall anywhere else. But we do need to make Government Center and City Hall Plaza more pedestrian-friendly, and I’d like to work on that.
Yoon
By itself, the revenue generated from the price of admission to see that take place would offset the cost of relocation.
WHO ARE THE BEST- AND WORST-LOOKING CANDIDATES IN THE FIELD?
Arroyo
I am probably the worst. As a gentleman, I’d say that Patricia White is the best-looking.
Connolly
I’m clearly the worst-looking, given the fact that I eat a pizza at the end of every day. The best—I don’t know where to go with that. Matt O’Malley has a certain sartorial splendor to him—he’s certainly the best dresser.
Flaherty
Is that really a question? We’re all faces only our mothers could love.
Flynn
They’re all good-looking, every single one of ‘em.
O’Malley
I’ve been called everything from Richie Cunningham to Howdy Doody, but one of the beautiful things about this election is that we have eight talented, beautiful candidates.
Murphy
I’ve never given any thought to that. I’d like to have Flaherty’s hair and Sam Yoon’s waistline. That’s all.
White
I feel very weird, as a woman, commenting on that. It’s a weird area. No comment. Except, thank God it’s not a beauty contest—then we’d all be in real trouble.
Yoon
Matt O’Malley dresses the best; he has a very event-specific wardrobe, and he has cool glasses. I’ll say that John Connolly dresses the worst—I know he can’t help it, he was in law for a while, so he dresses the most conservatively.
ARE YOU NOW, OR HAVE YOU EVER BEEN, A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY?
Arroyo
No.
Connolly
I refuse to answer. I take the Fifth.
Flaherty
No.
Flynn
No.
O’Malley
I am not, and I have never been. The only thing red about me is my hair.
Murphy
No.
White
I am not a member, nor have I ever been. I’m not sure I’d even know where to register for that party.
Yoon
Perhaps in someone else’s mind.
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY?
Arroyo
I have allowed this office to listen to you at all times. Without listening, I cannot do anything for you. That’s why we have e-mail, our community newsletter, and when I’m not running, our TV show in Spanish and English. And I’m open to every reporter who wants to investigate me. That’s what I’ve done for you lately—accessibility.
Connolly
Oh my God. I most likely harassed you with automated phone messages, mailings and knocking on your door. And I’m willing to stop all of it, if you give me one of your votes.
Flaherty
I turned in a drug dealer. I helped police get him off the street.
Flynn
I served my country in the war on terrorism. I proudly served in the Navy. I hope that’s an answer that someone would say; that’s something to me.
O’Malley
Didn’t I let you cut me in line at a DNC party last summer?
Murphy
Do you have 15 minutes? CORI [Criminal Offender Records Information] reform, I’ve led the groundwater effort, I’ve led the PILOT reform fight, the new countdown crosswalks, flashing school zone lights, bike messenger registration, anti-sweatshop regulations. I do this full-time; somebody’s gotta write this stuff.
White
People want to know how you’re going to change their lives and serve them—they’re looking to you to be that person. I’m running to work on the issues, and I have been working on them—I’ve raised half a million dollars for in-class funding, worked on expanding literacy programs—I have been working on the things I say I’m going to work on.
Yoon
I’ve given people the hope that we can actually elect a geek like myself into office. I’ve given geeks the hope that one of their own can make it.
