And then there were two... (Boston, Brookline: condo, new construction, schools)

[Boston Shudra]

Originally Posted by WestieWhitie

Westie residents are primarily concerned about schools, safety and property taxes - can you blame them for choosing a candidate who best aligns with their concerns?

I like George's rhetoric about schools, but considering that she's already the chair on the education committee, I guess I'd expect her to have more to show for it. What kinds of things has she actually done as a city councilor to improve BPS? Has she actually gotten a nurse and a psychologist into every school? If not, what steps has she taken towards that goal and how close is she to achieving it?

Wu can at least point to the Good Food Purchasing Program as a tangible initiative she drove towards improving BPS students' health and quality of life that actually came to fruition.

In general, after scrolling through George's bio on her campaign site, I'm just not entirely sure what she's actually done as a city councilor (as opposed to things she's supported). Anyone have more detailed information?

[bostongymjunkie]

Originally Posted by Boston Shudra

And I suppose Connolly was the more center-right candidate in 2013? In that case, I guess it's surprising that he won JP and Allston?

There was no clear center-right candidate in 2013. They voted for the home grown candidate.

[bostongymjunkie]

Originally Posted by WestieWhitie

Westie residents are primarily concerned about schools, safety and property taxes - can you blame them for choosing a candidate who best aligns with their concerns?

No, I don't. It wasn't a judgement, just an objective observation of voting trends in Ward 20 over the last 30 plus years. Although I will add that I would hope that people would also be concerned about the health of the entire city.

[Boston Shudra]

Originally Posted by bostongymjunkie

There was no center-right candidate in 2013. They voted for the home grown candidate.

Fair. Do you think that George is to the right of Walsh? The section on her website on police reform is pretty thorough and some of the proposals seem pretty strict (e.g. mandating the release of body cam footage to the public 24hrs after an incident and mandatory yearly training on racial bias) however others sound expensive (e.g. commit to a schedule for promotional exams and college-style police academy courses). However, her husband is a private real estate developer and she apparently got a large donation from the owner of New Balance. She also doesn't have the union ties that Marty had.

[bostongymjunkie]

Originally Posted by Boston Shudra

Fair. Do you think that George is to the right of Walsh? The section on her website on police reform is pretty thorough and some of the proposals seem pretty strict (e.g. mandating the release of body cam footage to the public 24hrs after an incident and mandatory yearly training on racial bias) however others sound expensive (e.g. commit to a schedule for promotional exams and college-style police academy courses). However, her husband is a private real estate developer and she apparently got a large donation from the owner of New Balance. She also doesn't have the union ties that Marty had.

I wouldn't say she's (overall) to the right or left of Marty. She may not have the union ties that Marty had, but she's by no means union unfriendly. Her views on enhancing training and education funding for law enforcement are consistent with traditional Democratic views going back to the Dukakis administration, so I don't see that as conservative. Her family has ties to business and I would expect transparency in her official duties but not sure how that relates to the question of whether she's more right than Marty.

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by Boston Shudra

Huh! I didn’t expect Westie to go so hard for George. Don’t they usually fall more in line with JP and Rozzie voters than with Southie and Dorchester? That was the case in 2013.

much of Northern West Roxbury went for Wu.

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by Boston Shudra

Fair. Do you think that George is to the right of Walsh? The section on her website on police reform is pretty thorough and some of the proposals seem pretty strict (e.g. mandating the release of body cam footage to the public 24hrs after an incident and mandatory yearly training on racial bias) however others sound expensive (e.g. commit to a schedule for promotional exams and college-style police academy courses). However, her husband is a private real estate developer and she apparently got a large donation from the owner of New Balance. She also doesn't have the union ties that Marty had.

Yes.

She can be because she's not Irish and not a man. She can be further right and not take the same criticism Marty would. Marty wouldn't be able to campaign on the promise of returning exam schools back to their less diverse form, increasing police presence, or having accepted the help of a Trump supporting Super PAC. He'd be DOA.


This is the inverse of Wu being able to campaign as more liberal than Janey or Campbell because she doesn't have to deal with the same stigma. identity is big on how you are able to present yourself to others.

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by bostongymjunkie

No, I don't. It wasn't a judgement, just an objective observation of voting trends in Ward 20 over the last 30 plus years. Although I will add that I would hope that people would also be concerned about the health of the entire city.

This is not most of West Roxbury. I wish they would secede.

[BostonBornMassMade]

But yea, Wu. By a wide margin.

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by Boston Shudra

I like George's rhetoric about schools, but considering that she's already the chair on the education committee, I guess I'd expect her to have more to show for it. What kinds of things has she actually done as a city councilor to improve BPS? Has she actually gotten a nurse and a psychologist into every school? If not, what steps has she taken towards that goal and how close is she to achieving it?

Wu can at least point to the Good Food Purchasing Program as a tangible initiative she drove towards improving BPS students' health and quality of life that actually came to fruition.

In general, after scrolling through George's bio on her campaign site, I'm just not entirely sure what she's actually done as a city councilor (as opposed to things she's supported). Anyone have more detailed information?

Name one unique or original idea AEG has about schools. Considerin these chairs and was a teacher ( albeit illegally licensed) for a decade. You'd think she'd have an idea other than more counselors (is that even an idea?).

Her big things s this: Create a clear academic path for students by organizing the grade configuration system to become primarily a K-6/7-12 and K-8/9-12 system, so that only one transition is required for most students.


^Too bad Brenda Casselius started tiss transition 2 years ago, lmao


She hasn't done much of anything, Shudra. She's a candidate riding the wave of reactionary white votes and peddling the small vision rhetoric we heard for city councilors in the 20th century.

I mean she really is a lackluster pick. Her idea of mayor is being a giant old-school city councilor. She wants Boston to be known for the fewest potholes in the US? How that helps advance Bosotn forward int these dynamic times is 100% beyond me.