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They're young and smart, but they don't vote, so who cares?
By adamg on Mon, 06/24/2013 - 8:15am
John Nucci contemplates the possibility that the "young, professional, tech-savvy non-native Bostonians" filling once somnolent downtown and waterfront streets could swing the election for their fellow young, professional, tech-savvy non-native Bostonian Mike Ross - if he can convince them to actually vote, that is, since it seems they are too busy being young and professional and tech-savvy to get involved in local politics.
But who knows? Maybe they "want a 24-hour lifestyle" enough to get motivated to shake up the City that Always Sleeps.
We look forward to Nucci's analysis of whether other recent arrivals to Boston in other neighborhoods can swing the election. After all, many of Boston's other neighborhoods are also "full of people who were not in Boston 10 or 20 years ago" as Nucci notes about the technoscenti. Could Cape Verdeans in Dorchester swing the election for John Barros, Hispanics in Jamaica Plain for Felix Arroyo? Especially in a field of 12?
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Comments
I'm a "young, professional,
I'm a "young, professional, tech-savvy, non-native Bostonian," and I've voted in every election since I moved here seven years ago. I started my time in Boston as a college student though, which is why I've never voted for Mike Ross, as he made it quite clear that he doesn't care for my kind.
Half the candidates running
Half the candidates running to replace Ross see students and institutions as trouble causing piggy banks to be pinched for every last dime. The geniuses don't seem to understand that they are driving up the cost of a education as institutions offset community transfer payments with tuition increases. Students already graduate with an exponentially increasing debt load and it is a big slap in the face when they can't afford to live in the same neighborhoods a good portion of their tuition went to paying off.
Personal Hatred of Students
Most people don't see what you describe.
What we see is Mike Rotch out there day in and day out hating on students personally.
Like illegal, unenforcible bans on students living together (when seven bartender actresses with a film crew in one house is just fine) and attempts to get universities to break federal privacy laws just to enforce his little hard on.
Dislike students?
Mike Ross has my vote. You want to live in a small apartment with 6 of your loud obnoxious friends? You should have went to Umass Amherst.
Why do you hate poor people
Why do you hate poor people trying to get an education? Students wouldn't be living 6 to small apartment if they could afford not too!
And?
Is that the city of Boston's fault or the fault of university presidents with edifice complexes (seen any of BU's latest structures) who pull down seven-figure salaries?
Well
Every time a college or university wants to expand dorm space on their property, who do they have to go to for approval?
You guessed it, the City! And the City usually rejects their plans because of the NIMBY contingent in the surrounding neighborhoods.
Oh, you're so right
That's why BU, BC, Northeastern, Harvard and Suffolk are so incredibly small - that mean and nasty city keeps rejecting every single thing they propose. It's a wonder the T still runs service down Comm. Ave., there's hardly ever anybody on the trolley.
No I blame SallieMae for
No I blame SallieMae for inflating a tuition bubble with easy upfront credit which turns into a high balance repayment nightmare. Schools have no reason to keep costs down when students are given unlimited borrowing power and little understanding of just how much debt they are getting themselves into.
Dislike students?
Do your homework. Mike Ross instituted a ban on students living together, even if they want to pay a lot of money and live in an adequately sized house/apartment.
Nitpicking, but I did teach a college class once
Mike Ross didn't institute anything. He proposed a city ordinance, which got passed by the entire city council and signed by the mayor.
...and it's known informally
...and it's known informally as the Mike Ross Law and is enforced strongest in his district.
Oh, I'm not saying not to credit/blame him
But in Boston city government, it takes at least 8 to tango (a majority of the city council and the mayor), so Mike Ross all by himself didn't institute anything, nor does he enforce the law (that would be ISD's responsibility).
whoht whoht whoht whoht...
...Charlie Brown....
Adam, stop feeding into this troll. "Wah, poor students from out of state, that Dad foots the bill for, but doesn't clean up after them though"....I cannot stand those students. get your degree and be gone.
Well
http://www.cityofboston.gov/citycouncil/cc_video_library.asp?id=9891
Go to 48:45. Ross did the road show."
And that would be because...?
Maybe that's where most of the problems are - since like 90% of the city's resident college students live in his district?
You are the exception, I worked the polls
and I can tell you the vast majority of the Yuppies who live here do NOT vote. More importantly, they are so cheap that they do not contribute to any of the candidates. Most politicians will tell you that. These people think being politically active is making moronic complaints on Citizens Connect.
Yuppie Sponges
They don't contribute to political campaigns, churches or any community/civic organizations. Just whine and complain about quality of life issues ie: someone threw a couch out with the trash, there's a crack in the sidewalk etc.
Anonymous curmudgeons
I'm betting a lot of older folks whine and complain about kids on their lawn, and post cranky complaints to Citizens Connect about fonts on street signs in the South End.
Yeah, a lot of young'uns don't contribute to the city, but a lot do.
Um, taxes?
If we're really talking about young professionals here, then those folks pay real estate taxes directly on their swanky condos or pay the rent to support their landlords assessment. Either way, if someone's a yuppie they're probably contributing plenty in terms of cash towards the city.
The JPNDC - now those people are folks who actively waste the city's time and money without contributing anything.
Duh!
We are talking political contributions, civic and church organizations. Last time I called the Assessing Department, none of my real estate taxes go to any of these.
If you think Yuppies paying real estate taxes is a good thing you're dreaming. What do they get out of it? Trash pickup and street sweeping every other week?
What?
Yeah, all those churches in Roxbury are doing a great job over there.
Also, who pays for the city services? Everyone and thing (companies, etc...) that pay taxes. It's kind of a key aspect of government. Having meeting to protest Whole Foods is not actually of any value. Political contributions are dominating by the city unions, again not a great thing.
S/he who controls the city hall vote...
...Still controls the election - especially the first round which is why the charter opponents have a real chance in the first round - the school department alone is about 7500 strong (although especially the teachers don't all live in the city). However, get a good chunk of those votes - along with the friends and family vote and you could end up with two of the weaker candidates actually winning that first round simply on the strength of their showing with city workers. I think the call is around 125,000 for the general - probably 50-75% of that in the primary - divided 12 ways - maybe 15-20,000 votes win.
Anyone want to go out on a limb and call a Consalvo/Arroyo final or do we go with the money - Conley, Connolly? No matter your feelings about Ross - I don't see him winning - I think he'll struggle to win his home district and he has little name recognition/base beyond that.
Conley
I live in the Parkway so mostly see Connolly and Consalvo signs with a few Arroyos here and there. Where is Conley's base and what is he going to do with all that money?
Good Question
I've heard about him twice - one was a fundraiser held at a neighbor's house (I did not attend) and I was invited to another fundraiser at an office building in Back Bay. I declined but asked my friend (minority biz owner) why he supported him and he came back with a glowing list of things to rave about. I think his support may be in law enforcement and business community, but honestly I don't know. DA isn't a local position that most of us interact with or follow regularly - but he does have name recognition simply by the fact that every newspaper article says he has the most money in the piggybank.
Slight correction - in my original post I should have said financially weaker candidates - quite honestly, I see everyone having about 8.33% of the vote right now. I think they all have strengths and weaknesses
Conley's base similar to Consalvo's and Connolly's
After Menino became mayor, Conley won his District 5 (Hyde Park, Roslindale and part of Mattapan) seat. Then he became DA and moved on up to West Roxbury.
West Roxbury
In terms of signage, Connolly is killing Conley in the Parkway.
Especially on Temple Street
That's pretty much the capital of Connollystan.
But the only signs on our street, which has the Roslindale/Hyde Park line running through it, are for Consalvo.
First anon is completely
First anon is completely right. Im a non-native, tech savvy blah blah blah, and Ive never missed an election.
I also would never vote for Mike Ross, ever.
Even though
it is certainly hard to find a politician who isn't a few speeches shy of choking on his/her own bullshit Ross seems to be at the top of the list in that regard. Looking for the young urban professional vote by advocating a 24 hour city while at the same time promising better and even more public schools? BPD and public works will tank city funding within a few years as the state reaps all the sales tax benefits. I bet he'll be offering free magic carpet rides and a Robin Williams meet n greet come October...
Minutes. Boston Finance Commission.
The City Of Boston Finance Commission
43 Hawkins Street, Suite A111
Boston, Massachusetts 02114
p: 617-635-2202
f: 617-635-2206
City of Boston Finance Commission
Minutes of the Meeting of April 24, 2013
The Finance Commission meeting was convened at 5:10 PM at 43 Hawkins Street, The Curley Room, 2nd Floor, Boston, MA. The meeting was attended by commission members Meg Mainzer-Cohen (Chairperson), Joseph Steinfield, Reuven Steinberg and office staff Matthew Cahill (Executive Director) and Michael Levangie.
5:10 PM: Director Cahill emphasized to all in attendance that the Finance Commission is an independent and non-partisan organization, and as such, the members and staff must remain publically neutral to any candidate as it pertains to representing the Commission.
5:15 PM: Director Cahill requested that members in attendance decide how to include Commission member information on the office web site. After some discussion, the members voted unanimously that the office web site should include a link to the State web site which contains this updated information. Director Cahill will make the addition to the site.
5:25 PM: The Commission was updated regarding research begun by the office staff into Assessing and the method(s) used to arrive at the taxation of properties. Director Cahill met with the Commissioner of Assessing, Ron Rakow to learn about the variables that are considered when arriving at an assessment. Members Steinfeld and Steinberg requested that Director Cahill research processes followed by Assessing to arrive at the figures and “reality checks” to verify the final numbers. Member Steinberg asked how abatements are decided. Member Steinberg suggested that the City of Boston web site contains an area called open government portal that maintains reports and data and that this assessing data is not available. Director Cahill will research and report to members on their questions prior to the next meeting.
5:55 PM: The Commission enters Executive Session to discuss an ongoing investigation.
6:20 PM: The Commission exits Executive Session.
Director Cahill anticipated a need to change the next meeting date of Thursday, May 16th, to accommodate members’ schedules and upcoming elections. The next meeting date was changed to Thursday, May 23, 2013 at 5:00 PM, voted unanimously by members in attendance.
The meeting was adjourned at 6:25PM.
A true copy.
Matthew A. Cahill
Executive Director
http://bostonfincomm.com/The_Boston_FinComm/Contac...
City of Boston Finance Commission
Minutes of the Meeting of May 23, 2013
The Finance Commission meeting was convened at 5:10 PM at 43 Hawkins Street, The Curley Room, 2nd Floor, Boston, MA. The meeting was attended by commission members Meg Mainzer-Cohen (Chairperson), Joseph Steinfield, Reuven Steinberg, James Weliky and office staff Matthew Cahill (Executive Director) and Michael Levangie.
5:15 PM: The first order of business was an update by Director Cahill regarding on-going research into processes of the Assessing Department. The office staff contacted various Massachusetts municipalities and reviewed the processes used to assess properties and found that all communities are similar in their approaches due to the fact that they are subject to Mass. General Laws Title IX, Chapter 59. The Commission will be updated on further research at a later meeting.
5:45 PM: The Commission enters Executive Session to discuss an ongoing investigation.
6:20 PM: The Commission exits Executive Session.
The meeting was adjourned at 6:25PM.
A true copy.
Matthew A. Cahill
Executive Director
http://bostonfincomm.com/The_Boston_FinComm/Contac...
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Boston Finance Commission
http://bostonfincomm.com/The_Boston_FinComm/Update...
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Bostonia Condita AD. 1630.
Boston Founded in the Year of Our Lord 1630.
Sicut Patribus, Sit Deus Nobis.
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Why?
Why is this here?
What's the difference?... a) "Article"?... or b)"Blog entry"?...
Further details please about differences between the terms as used here... a) "Article"?...
or b)"Blog entry"?...
>"Article
> Post Boston-related news and comment."
http://www.universalhub.com/node/add/article
>"Blog entry
> Add a blog entry."
http://www.universalhub.com/node/add/blog
In practical terms, no difference
They both create a piece of content.
A "blog entry" also gets added to your Universal Hub blog, which is keyed to your user name and which shows all your blog posts in reverse chronological order and has its own RSS feed. It's a holdover from when I first started the site and thought people would be using it for blogging. Articles, in contrast, aren't linked together and don't have their own unique RSS feed.
The blogs never really took off (since there are far better platforms that let you do stuff like customize the look of the site), so I should probably change "blog entries" to "articles" and then delete the blog-entry option (maybe on that brave new day when I actually update the software that runs the site).
thezak
thezak is not cut out for Twitter, that's for sure. Brevity is the soul of wit people.
Ross would win if the election were held in newton..
Mike Ross is from Newton. He has no home base.. No name recognition outside Back Bay. and, therefore, no chance at becoming Mayor of Boston.
The only candidates with a chance to claim the Mayor's office are the home grown talent- Arroyo, Conley, Connolly, Consalvo, and Walsh. The rest are just pretenders with Ross being the biggest.
The sad part of that...
...is that everyone you name is a career politician. And of them the only one with anything remotely resembling executive experience would be Conley running the DA's office.
Councilor Ross. Out of date Council Communications.
Councilor Ross makes something of experience with technologies and software. Yet as a former President of Boston City Council the Council Communications remain behind the curve with out of date technologies and software... No Captioning for hard of hearing and ESL English as a Second Language folks on videos of Public Meetings of Boston City Council. Stenographic software leaves scrambled the stenographic record, the public record of Public Meetings of Boston City Council unavailable in plain English text, no plain English text reader software! See also http://www.reddit.com/r/courtreporting/comments/1g...