Politics
Politics
Clocks wind down on ballot translation plan
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Time is running out for a Boston City Council-endorsed proposal on bilingual ballots and the translation of candidates' names into Chinese characters, frustrated Asian-American activists say.
Mayor Thomas Menino signed the proposal after the city council unanimously approved the local legislation in mid-May, but the bill appears to be stalled on Beacon Hill. Read more
Flaherty, Menino trade fire over city finances
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Still mulling a bid for the mayor's office, Councillor at-Large Michael Flaherty has ratcheted up the rhetoric against incumbent Thomas Menino. Flaherty last week released a statement hitting the Menino administration on the city's fiscal policies, calling them "dysfunctional" and "short-sighted."
The statement came as some political observers privately wonder whether Flaherty has had second thoughts about jumping into a race against Menino next year. Menino is showing all the signs of a definite run for a fifth term in '09. Read more
Contemplating life without 'Himself', the Senator
May. 28, 2008
Benjamin A. Smith II was mayor of Gloucester in 1955, the year that a right end wearing number 88 snagged the Harvard Crimson's only touchdown in a 21-7 whipping at the hands of the Elis in The Game. Read more
Flaherty in the crux, will he run or won't he?
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Will he run or won't he?
That is one of the questions floating in the backrooms of City Hall, even as the presidential race drags on and the mayoral election - in November 2009 - stands months away. Political horse race fans say the clock is ticking for Councillor at-Large Michael Flaherty as summer draws near, as does a major milestone for Mayor Thomas Menino, his potential rival.
July 12 will mark 15 years at the top slot in City Hall for Menino, who likes to play it coy when asked if he's running for an unprecedented fifth term. Read more
Well-seasoned Marty Walsh is 'go-to man' for many; After 11 years, representative's passion tempered by experience
May. 27, 2008
The third-floor hallway outside the Massachusetts House of Representatives is a waiting area outside a delivery room. Inside are the people doing the work, and outside are those hoping for happy news.
Expectants stand in pinstripes and pantsuits, with skirts and throbbing BlackBerrys, conducting casual asides that look like grave discussions and serious policy disagreements that look like back-slapping. Read more
Former Nantucket selectman launches council at-large bid
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A former Nantucket selectman is hoping to snag a seat on the Boston City Council next year. Doug Bennett, a case specialist in Suffolk County's criminal trial court, announced this week he will be running for one of the four at-large seats on the 13-member council.
Stating that he wanted to bring "fresh blood" onto the council, Bennett said of the current members, "They want to stay in forever. They don't believe in term limits."
Bennett said he would push for the creation of a court specifically geared towards domestic violence, cleaner streets, and a focus on "green jobs." Read more
Rifts begin to show in Columbia Point planning
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Last Thursday's public planning meeting for Columbia Point brought forth a plethora of details, a smidgeon of creative vision, and a hint of old grudges slowly rising out of the old calf pasture. Read more
Legislature, Council taking steps to confront rising tide of foreclosures
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A trio of bills aimed at stopping an expected wave of thousands of foreclosures this year went before a Beacon Hill committee this week as the City Council appeared poised to okay its own legislation.
The three bills, sponsored by state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson, would ban evicting tenants from foreclosed properties without "just cause," create a 180-day moratorium statewide on foreclosures and set up a judicial process. Read more
Walsh, Allen, Forry among those headed to Denver
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State Rep. Marty Walsh won't be the only delegate from Dorchester heading to the Democratic National Convention in Denver this August, after all. State Sen. Dianne Wilkerson and Reps. Willie Mae Allen and Linda Dorcena Forry will also be part of the group.
Walsh is a supporter of U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, while Wilkerson, Allen and Dorcena Forry are supporters of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama. The three were elected as pledged delegates to the Illinois senator last Saturday, when the state Democratic Party met in the IBEW Local 103 Hall in Dorchester. Read more
Anti-violence groups look to senate budget
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In a tight-budget year, the eyes of many local activists looking to boost domestic violence and youth violence prevention accounts now turn to the Senate, after the House passed a $28.2 billion budget that fell short of some of their aims last week.
Anti-domestic violence advocates were shooting for $10 million, but only received about a tenth of that in House budget. Read more
