2025 Boston Mayoral Race

Not living in the city, I have no real skin in this game, but as a BLS alum, I have to rant about this:
  • Reevaluate Exam Schools: Josh will reevaluate the current exam school admissions policy, as well as the number of seats available in our top-notch exam schools. If a BPS student has met the necessary requirements, they should be able to attend one of these flagship schools. And yet too many students face rejection from the exam schools. Josh will ensure that there are more seats available to our students across the city, and will consider options such as satellite campuses for our current exam schools. Moreover, Josh will work with all stakeholders to review the best practices for admission to our exam schools.
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(from https://joshforboston.com/policy/bps-education-plan/ for citation's sake)

Latin (and the other exam schools) are not some magic shortcut to college. They're rigorous education programs that chew up and spit out students who can't keep up. I can't fully speak to BLA or the O'Bryant, but BLS is a meat grinder. The crushing amount of work and ramped up pace is what makes it what it is. There really isn't anything done at BLS that couldn't be done at any other BPS high school, the issue being that any other school would see graduation rates tank if they adopted it. Expanding enrollment is a fool's errand - you will end up with the same number of graduates at the other end. "And yet too many students face rejection from the exam schools." How many is too many? Any kid? I agree that BLS specifically does not represent the demographic makeup of the city, but the solution to that lies in the elementary and middle schools of BPS, not in Latin's seat count or selection process. Implementing his ideas would devalue the exam schools while simultaneously doing a disservice to the students he's claiming to help.

It's such a nakedly cynical appeal to the parents of kids who just missed out on getting into the exam schools.
 
Arenacale said:
I agree that BLS specifically does not represent the demographic makeup of the city, but the solution to that lies in the elementary and middle schools of BPS, not in Latin's seat count or selection process. Implementing his ideas would devalue the exam schools while simultaneously doing a disservice to the students he's claiming to help.
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This, and all of your other points. Better results in the earlier grades would make more kids ready for a college prep curriculum, which as you note, does not necessarily mean a BLS type of setting. Improve the middle schools especially, and then increase college prep offerings at all the high schools, rather than trying to fiddle with just three of them to expect different results from the same student body.
 
commonwealthbeacon.org

Wu challenger emerges from inside Boston City Hall

He is currently in-house counsel for City Hall’s treasury department, which handles money, property, and securities acquired by the city.
commonwealthbeacon.org commonwealthbeacon.org
John F. Houton, who lives in the city’s South End and often walks to work, has been employed as an attorney for Boston City Hall for nearly 20 years.

Houton, 58, has served as an assistant corporation counsel, starting under the late Mayor Tom Menino, continuing into the Marty Walsh and Wu administrations, representing the city in various legal matters. He is currently in-house counsel for City Hall’s treasury department, which handles money, property, and securities acquired by the city.

He’s running for mayor as a pro-business candidate. “Boston needs new leadership, desperately,” Houton said, calling the business climate concerning and pointing to commercial properties still feeling the stress from the pandemic, which sent vast numbers of employees to work from home.
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www.dotnews.com

Wu, Kraft engage in feisty first mayoral forum | Dorchester Reporter

Candidates weigh-in on re-use of Carney Hospital site Mayor Michelle Wu and her main challenger Josh Kraft shared the stage for the first time in the 2024 mayoral campaign cycle last night at a forum organized by 11 Boston Democratic ward committees and moderated by GBH reporter Saraya Wintersmith.
www.dotnews.com www.dotnews.com
Later in the forum, the pair went at it again when asked if reducing a dependence on cars would be a priority for their administration. Kraft originally said no and instead said he planned to fix the roads and sidewalks first and then work with the MBTA.

Wu pushed back on Kraft, saying, “Last week Josh was asked by a reporter what his plans for traffic and transportation was, and what he said was just pausing bike lanes… that’s not a plan, that’s not even a concept of a plan.”
This prompted Wintersmith to ask whether or not the candidates supported the expansion of a network of permanent protected bike and bus lanes.

Everyone answered yes, except Kraft who said he stood in the middle, unable to answer with a concrete "yes" or "no."

Moments later, Wu turned Kraft’s indecisiveness into a joke, referring to him as “Mr. Halfsie.”
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themissinglink said:
www.bostonglobe.com

Boston Mayor Wu announces more than $2 million in funding aimed at organizations that support immigrants - The Boston Globe

The city is directing the funds to groups that support “access to critical services and resources.”
www.bostonglobe.com www.bostonglobe.com
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If it weren't devastating to so many people it would be comical how quickly things pivoted from "people who entered illegally and have committed crimes in the US" to "people who are here legally, work, and have committed no crimes but come from countries we don't like". The comment section makes me want to vomit. My wife, herself an immigrant, manages home health care aides and the majority of her staff are Haitian or other Caribbean immigrants. They're dealing with a staffing crisis now as many have opted to return home as their residency status became uncertain.

Now instead of having to grit my teeth while overhearing racist complaints from clients I get to grit my teeth while overhearing complaints about not having an aid at all.

All this to say, bless anyone working and funding aid to immigrants right now.
 
Is Michelle Wu as current mayor .. and as candidate .. better than what Josh Kraft offers on paper?

Yes, open-ended question but if you know me (you should, I MATTER) you would know I hate incumbents and status quo and I also hate arrogant people (John Kraft walking in like he owns the place).

archBoston is known for having lots of opinion from people who don't necessarily live here but if you feel obliged and are from the City or other places, which candidate should be elected mayor this fall?

I moved out of Boston in the fall of 2022 to Provincetown b/c we didn't need two apartments and we have a very cheap rent in Provincetown (and, we couldn't afford two apartments - my fault). It hurt to leave. I want to come back.

I've heard that Josh is "the real deal" by .. one person. But why rock the boat? I'mt talking about real-life here, not opinion. Will Josh Kraft be another "in-between" mayor that we accept but won't do much? Is Michelle doing anything that moves the needle, meaning making lives better? Is she waiting for a US senator seat to open up?
 
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