Though he’s been called ‘mayor for life’ by many, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino is soon going to have to prove to Bostonians once again why he is best equipped to lead this city. Though the odds are against his challengers to unseat the man who has had an ironclad grip on the mayor’s seat for nearly 16 years, Boston is long overdue for a competitive mayoral race.
This is not an election that Menino can phone in or Boston residents can afford to ignore. No matter who out of Michael Flaherty, Kevin McCrea or Sam Yoon emerges as the top challenger to Menino, voters deserve an election full of lively debate about the future of the city. Menino needs to put forth more of an effort this time around and take the competition seriously.’ Though Menino has plenty of mayoral responsibilities to worry about, he needs to find the time to debate the other candidates on television on more than just one occasion as he did in 2005 against former City Councilor Maura Hennigan.
Sixteen years is a long time for anyone to be in charge of a city. It’s easy for one to get too comfortable with his or her’ job. Just because Menino has had over a decade of experience does not automatically mean he is the best person to lead Boston for the next four years.’ He can run on his long and successful record for Boston, but Boston needs a plan for the future as well.
If Menino had not proven to be such a formidable politician, his election prospects for this year might be much dimmer.’ It is hard for anyone to remain politically popular during a recession, especially a mayor that has called layoffs in the city of Boston ‘inevitable,’ and has proposed to freeze the wages of all city employees for one year. But that just goes to show the political powerhouse that Menino has become. For much of the younger generation living in Boston, it can be difficult to even remember a time before Menino became mayor.
No politician is unbeatable, but Menino is as close as they come to a sure thing, winning landslide victories in the last two elections.’ In this economic climate where more people than ever are worried about their jobs, it may be time for a new direction of leadership in Boston.’ A spirited campaign will help Bostonians decide if they are really willing to shake things up at City hall or if Menino is still their man.
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