Unless you live under a rock (or not in New England), you probably know that Boston's Mayor Tom Menino won't be running for reelection. He has been an outstanding mayor for
twenty years, revitalizing Boston with his work. Those of us at the MWPC will be sad to see him leave. However, it isn't just with us that his popularity continues to grow, in 2005 he won his fourth election with
sixty-eight percent of the vote.
Sixty eight percent of the people in Boston voted for a pro-choice, endorsed by NOW,
MWPC Good Guy, guy. This is someone who put women in high level positions and, when others were talking about cutting funding to Women's Commissions,
kept it strong. He provided more resources for the homeless, pushed a national campaign against gun violence, was an early supporter of gay marriage, and a proponent for the distribution of condoms and care for people with AIDS, when it was highly unpopular to do so. On top of that, Mayor Menino has ushered in the nation's largest private sector construction jobs. Fifty retailers, ninety new companies, 2,300 new jobs, 1.1 million square feet of office and lab space, and $900 million dollars have flooded Mayor Menino's Innovation District since 2010.
We understand that Mayor Menino is stepping down due to personal reasons, but that doesn't make his retirement hurt any less. To see a Good Guy leave office is always a bit of a heart break and he will be greatly missed.
In 1994, Mayor Menino said
"When I leave this job, I want the city to be in better shape than when I took over." Almost twenty years have gone by, and I don't think anyone can say he didn't achieve his goal.
