Politics

Politics

School assignment panel OKs ‘home-based’ plan

By 
Gintautas Dumcius, News Editor
Feb. 26, 2013

An advisory panel on the city’s school assignment system on Monday night signed off on a plan providing students with a minimum of six choices. The plan uses an algorithm and students’ home address to determine the set of choices, which will also include schools within a mile radius of the address, on top of new citywide schools.  Read more

Connolly launches mayoral bid outside Brighton school

By 
Gintautas Dumcius, News Editor
Feb. 26, 2013

City Councillor John Connolly, flanked by supporters and his wife Meg, announced his candidacy for Mayor of Boston today in Brighton. Photo courtesy Connolly campaign

Looking to make the city’s school system the focus of his campaign, City Councillor At-Large John Connolly launched his mayoral bid on Tuesday morning outside of a Brighton school. He said he plans a “bottom-up” campaign, with a community organizer’s mindset, similar to President Obama’s campaign for the White House.

In a conversation with reporters on Monday, Connolly said he is ready to “ask every voter I can meet to consider me.” Connolly has spent months building up his campaign kitty and he said last week that he was seriously considering a mayoral bid.  Read more

School assignment panel to meet at City Hall on Saturday

By 
Gintautas Dumcius, News Editor
Feb. 22, 2013

Awash in data and comments from the school department, parents, and outside groups, the panel tasked with revamping the city’s school assignment system will meet at City Hall for a Saturday morning (Feb. 23) discussion. A vote is still planned for Monday night (Feb. 25) at Suffolk University.

The 27-member panel appears to be leaning toward the “home-based” models as they look to make a recommendation to Superintendent Carol Johnson and the School Committee, according to its members.  Read more

Menino takes questions on Connolly and snow removal efforts

Asked about City Councillor At-Large John Connolly floating the possibility of a mayoral bid earlier this week, Mayor Thomas Menino said, “No, I have no thoughts about that at all. I’m just doing my job.”  Read more

Council schedules hearing on snow removal efforts

By 
Reporter Staff
Feb. 21, 2013

City councillors plan to review the city’s response to the two feet of snow that hit Boston earlier this month at a hearing on March 4. The northeaster and City Hall’s clean-up efforts prompted responses of praise and criticism, and councillors are expected to delve into the issue at a session of the City, Neighborhood and Veterans Services Committee.  Read more

Reports: Connolly considering run for mayor

Boston’s two daily newspapers are reporting something that has been apparent to close observers of campaign finance filings: City Councillor At-Large John Connolly says he i  Read more

Wu taps fellow Warren campaign alum as campaign manager

Dan Murphy, an alumnus of U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s 2012 campaign who would go on to work as a deputy press secretary on Congressman Michael Capuano’s Senate run in 2009, has signed on as campaign manager of South Ender Michelle Wu’s City Council bid.

Rachel Schwarzman, who worked on Joseph Kearns Goodwin’s unsuccessful state Senate campaign, is Wu’s finance director, the campaign said Tuesday.  Read more

Dot Dems to elect delegates at caucuses starting this weekend

By 
Reporter Staff
Feb. 14, 2013

Ward 14 Democrats will caucus at the Perkins Community Center, 155 Talbot Ave., on Sat. Feb. 16. Doors open at 12 noon. The ward will choose 25 delegates and four alternates for the Democratic state convention. Ward 16 Democrats are scheduled to meet on Wed., Feb. 27 at 6 p.m. at the McKeon Post, 4 Hilltop St.  Read more

Endorsement Corner: Unions begin to line up behind state Senate candidates

Unions are starting to wade into the special state Senate election, with two locals announcing the candidates they intend to back: Carpenters Local 67 said Wednesday that they are endorsing state Rep. Linda Dorcena Forry while Laborers Local 223 is endorsing state Rep. Nick Collins.

“We’ve got a much longer history of working with Linda,” said Chris Shannon, council representative for Carpenters Local 67 and the New England Regional Council of Carpenters. The local endorsed Forry when she ran for 12th Suffolk state representative in 2005, he said.  Read more

(UPDATED) Menino asks advisory panel to delay vote on school assignment plan

By 
Gintautas Dumcius, News Editor
Feb. 5, 2013

Mayor Thomas Menino on Tuesday asked for the advisory panel eyeing a school assignment overhaul to again delay their vote, scheduled for Saturday, and wrap up their work by before the end of the month.

“I ask that you continue your work past this weekend,” Menino wrote in the letter, which was obtained by the Reporter. The advisory panel had aimed for a December vote, and that was pushed back into January, and then to this weekend.  Read more