Comments on: Development, Education Issues Top Low-Key Mayoral Debate http://www.wbur.org/2009/10/20/mayoral-debate-4 WBUR is Boston's NPR News Station, featuring NPR news and programs such as Car Talk, On Point, Here & Now, Only A Game and Radio Boston. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:31:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Sara http://www.wbur.org/2009/10/20/mayoral-debate-4/comment-page-1#comment-2542 Sara Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:42:56 +0000 http://www.wbur.org/?p=11200#comment-2542 I'm starting a family in Jamaica Plain and have been visiting BPS early education sites over the past few months -- I can say I am truly amazed by the opportunities offered at these schools -- the teachers are amazing, young, and engaged, and the school leaders have incredible visions for how to improve schools form top to bottom. Parents of BPS children do vote, and overwhelmingly, they vote for Menino. In fact the majority of BPS students are students of color and the majority of communities of color of Boston voted from Mayor Menino in the prelims. As a Latina in this city, who went through the BPS and is now starting a family here, I am proud to have myself, earned a first rate education, went and graduated from college in 4 years, and I am proud to send my family to BPS as well. And for the record I entered a charter school in 6th grade and hated it so much I begged my parents to send me back to BPS, thanks to Menino we now have even more k-8's! Most of the people who bash the schools seem to be the people who have never stepped foot in them. You seem to be comparing Boston to the nearly all-white suburbs which surround us...as I have frequently heard Menino say, the strength of Boston is our diversity, and I wouldn't want our city and our neighborhoods to turn into cookie cutter suburbs. I agree with ksb1986, I'm sticking with Menino. I’m starting a family in Jamaica Plain and have been visiting BPS early education sites over the past few months — I can say I am truly amazed by the opportunities offered at these schools — the teachers are amazing, young, and engaged, and the school leaders have incredible visions for how to improve schools form top to bottom.

Parents of BPS children do vote, and overwhelmingly, they vote for Menino. In fact the majority of BPS students are students of color and the majority of communities of color of Boston voted from Mayor Menino in the prelims.

As a Latina in this city, who went through the BPS and is now starting a family here, I am proud to have myself, earned a first rate education, went and graduated from college in 4 years, and I am proud to send my family to BPS as well. And for the record I entered a charter school in 6th grade and hated it so much I begged my parents to send me back to BPS, thanks to Menino we now have even more k-8′s!

Most of the people who bash the schools seem to be the people who have never stepped foot in them.

You seem to be comparing Boston to the nearly all-white suburbs which surround us…as I have frequently heard Menino say, the strength of Boston is our diversity, and I wouldn’t want our city and our neighborhoods to turn into cookie cutter suburbs.

I agree with ksb1986, I’m sticking with Menino.

]]> By: Diane http://www.wbur.org/2009/10/20/mayoral-debate-4/comment-page-1#comment-2539 Diane Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:35:11 +0000 http://www.wbur.org/?p=11200#comment-2539 Mayor Manino made it clear why he has not improved the schools. He stated that parents of children in the BPS don't vote, and that those who do vote (elderly and young professionals) don't care about good schools. His priority is simply catering the voters who get him re-elected. Parents of the BPS are certainly voting - with their feet. We, like so many others, are looking to move out of the city to communities that value education now that our children are old enough for school. We have noticed that communities with strong schools also seem to have the highest property values and the lowest crime rates. Has he? Mayor Manino made it clear why he has not improved the schools. He stated that parents of children in the BPS don’t vote, and that those who do vote (elderly and young professionals) don’t care about good schools. His priority is simply catering the voters who get him re-elected. Parents of the BPS are certainly voting – with their feet. We, like so many others, are looking to move out of the city to communities that value education now that our children are old enough for school. We have noticed that communities with strong schools also seem to have the highest property values and the lowest crime rates. Has he?

]]> By: ksb1986 http://www.wbur.org/2009/10/20/mayoral-debate-4/comment-page-1#comment-2538 ksb1986 Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:28:26 +0000 http://www.wbur.org/?p=11200#comment-2538 I was kind of undecided, leaning towards the Mayor, but last night's debate really sealed the deal for me. Flaherty came off to me as egotistical, arrogant, and elitist. Especially when he snapped back at Emily because she respectfully tried to bring him back on topic -- that's how you deal with people and treat them? I'm not cool with that. Also, I heard Flaherty was incredibly disrespectful for the city councilors of color while he was council president -- again, not cool. Apparently he invoked a rule hardly ever used so that they couldn't bring up issues at council. Someone who doesn't even take the time to listen to people who may see things differently from him doesn't impress me as a candidate for mayor. I'm going with Tom Menino for sure now. I was kind of undecided, leaning towards the Mayor, but last night’s debate really sealed the deal for me. Flaherty came off to me as egotistical, arrogant, and elitist. Especially when he snapped back at Emily because she respectfully tried to bring him back on topic — that’s how you deal with people and treat them? I’m not cool with that.

Also, I heard Flaherty was incredibly disrespectful for the city councilors of color while he was council president — again, not cool. Apparently he invoked a rule hardly ever used so that they couldn’t bring up issues at council. Someone who doesn’t even take the time to listen to people who may see things differently from him doesn’t impress me as a candidate for mayor.

I’m going with Tom Menino for sure now.

]]> By: Raymond Schneider http://www.wbur.org/2009/10/20/mayoral-debate-4/comment-page-1#comment-2536 Raymond Schneider Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:57:18 +0000 http://www.wbur.org/?p=11200#comment-2536 I have an opportunity to bring my cincinnati based business to the city of Boston. I was wondering what incentives there are for developers that are ready to add a new business that will bring 60-80 new jobs to the city of Boston. I have an opportunity to bring my cincinnati based business to the city of Boston. I was wondering what incentives there are for developers that are ready to add a new business that will bring 60-80 new jobs to the city of Boston.

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