City Council Election Demographics: Arroyo's Rise

In today's Globe, Andrea Estes and Lisa Wangsness discuss how Council results signal voting shift:

Arroyo finished second overall behind Flaherty in Tuesday's election. But according to a Globe analysis of the polling results, the city's first Hispanic councilor at large won 11 of the city's 22 wards while Flaherty won only six in predominately white areas, including Charlestown, Dorchester, and his home neighborhood of South Boston.
The results appear to reinforce the belief of some candidates and political observers that voting patterns and preferences in Boston no longer automatically favor traditional candidates, who have been more typically white males, often with pedigrees in the city's Irish political establishment.
Challenger Sam Yoon -- the city's first Asian-American council candidate, who placed a strong fifth -- did well in the same neighborhoods as Arroyo, including Beacon Hill, the South End, Roxbury, and Jamaica Plain. Yoon also placed first in the ward that includes Chinatown and the North End.
An endorsement by Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi of the Massachusetts House of Representatives was seen as helping him in that neighborhood. Patricia White, the campaign's only woman, also did well in some of the same sections of the city as Arroyo.
During the final weeks of the campaign, when the mayor's race is likely to draw attention among more liberal voters, Arroyo, Yoon, and White believe they have nowhere to go but up.

Of course, the Globe wants to talk about who's going to run for mayor, as they've already discounted this year's race. Hacks!

Maura Shows Who's Boss

Wednesday night's "town meeting" debate -- no direct interaction allowed between Hennigan and Menino, because Menino knows he can't handle it -- was a clear demonstration of how much better qualified Maura is for running the town. That is, if the qualifications for being mayor were intelligence and ability, not knowing how to run a goonish political machine.

Adam Reilly of the Boston Phoenix says it better than I can in his blog, Talking Politics:

There won't be any mayoral debates. Maura Hennigan made sure of that tonight by whipping Tom Menino in a "Boston Mayoral Town Meeting" (questions from the audience, but no direct candidate exchanges) that was televised on WGBH-TV's Greater Boston.

Some of the credit goes to Hennigan, who'd clearly prepped well and had her talking points down. In her opening statement, she hit Menino on two issues--his broken pledge to serve only two terms, and his failure to create a public-school system that satisfies the city's families--and she stayed on the offensive all night.

But Menino gave her plenty of help. Broadly speaking, he used two strategies when members of the audience quizzed him about problems in the city: blame someone else, or simply deny their existence. Nathan Spencer, a Brighton resident, asked Menino about skyrocketing housing costs driving out younger residents; Menino said, in essence, that the problem really isn't all that bad. Later, when Jadine Soo Hoo of Chinatown asked the mayor what could be done to create affordable housing in her neighborhood, he pointed the finger at other levels of government: "We don't have the partners we had in the past, when it came to giving us the availability of resources," Menino explained, sort of.

After a while, Hennigan picked up on Menino's approach and started to mock it. At one point late in the debate, a woman named Jody Holden suggested that the city create an independent review board to investigate tenant-rights issues. By way of an answer, Menino told her that the existing city framework is adequate. Hennigan's retort, which was directed at Holden, was spot on: "Obviously, you don't feel city government is responding to you, or you wouldn't have asked the question." After 12 years in office, Menino seems to be suffering from a Bush-esque inability to process criticism. He doesn't listen to it and reject it; instead, he just doesn't hear it.

Fortunately, the mayor had his machine to help him save face. Audience and media members who exited WGBH's studios onto Western Ave. were met by a throng of about 200 sign-toting Menino supporters, packed uncomfortably close to the doors and spilling out onto the street under the disinterested gaze of a Boston police officer. Moving through this crowd was a bit like running a gauntlet, and there was a definite intimidation component at work. It was a fitting end to the evening. After all, Tom Menino doesn't win elections with ideas--he wins them with political muscle.

Congrats to Sam Yoon!

Results from yesterday's preliminary election are in. Congratulations to DFA Boston-endorsed candidate Sam Yoon, who came in fifth, behind only the incumbents and John Connolly. Progressive incumbent Felix Arroyo also impressed with his second place finish. Now the real campaigning begins, as the top eight finishers vie for the 4 seats up for grabs in the November 8 election, less than six weeks away. Turnout was 15.1%, up from 13.4% two years ago (a rainy day).

1. Michael Flaherty (I) 13.90%
2. Felix Arroyo (I) 12.24%
3. John Connolly 11.14%
4. Stephen Murphy (I) 10.99%
5. Sam Yoon 10.26%
6. Patricia White 10.05%
7. Matt O'Malley 9.41%
8. Ed Flynn 8.65%

The Globe, whose coverage of the race has been abysmal, has more, including Michael Flaherty denigrating the electoral process:

''The interesting thing is it's a beautiful day, which should bring the voters out," said Flaherty, who is heavily favored to hold onto his citywide seat. ''But the Sox have a double-header . . . and people are focused on the pennant race. They may think it's more important than this race, and I would agree."

File that quote under: Your ancestors died to give you the right to watch baseball.

Join MA bloggers in support of MassACT

Please see recent diary on Daily Kos. Mass blogs have joined MassAct, a coalition of business, non-profit, and unions committed to realizing real health care reform in Massachusetts. MassAct is kicking off their campaign this week to gather 100,000.00 signatures to get their ballot initiative before the legislature and if needed on the 2006 ballot. The diary is below:

MA Blogs Health Care Ballot Initiative Week - Join the fun!

by lynne1
Tue Sep 20th, 2005 at 21:34:31 EST

This week hopefully signals a historic push in the battle for universal health care in Massachusetts.

They say the states are supposed to be proving grounds for new ideas in governance. We've all been watching the Grover-Norquist experimentations that the right would like to inflict on Mississippi and Louisiana. So how about a progressive experiment of our own?

Lead by Charley on the MTA of Blue Mass Group, we MA blogs have joined MassACT in their push to get 100,000 signatures in two weeks for their ballot initiative which would help cover most of the uninsured in Massachusetts. This is the first step in the campaign to push for some sort of universal health care coverage in our Commonwealth.

Why 100,000 signatures in two weeks when only 66,000 are needed and we have a lot of time to get them? Because we want to prove to the legislature that this issue is hot and they should be on the progressive side of it. Leverage.

In the first two days of our week-long blitz, many progressive blogs in MA have written posts with stories, policy analysis, and ideas about framing the issue. I wrapped up today's posts here. There's a fairly comprehensive list of the last couple days' stories at the top of my main page, which I will try to keep updated. Here's today's post:

I thought I would gather all of today's blog posts around the MA blogosphere and give a rundown of what bloggers are saying. And, you can always click on the LeftyBlogs.com icon on my side bar to get the conglomeration of almost all lefty MA blogger posts all at once! It's a handy tool and I use it all the time to keep up on the progressive blogs I like to read.
On to the health care blitz. Charley at BMG has this review of the almost-official MA Lefty Blog Book Club book of the week: Uninsured in America, by Susan Starr Sered and Rushika Fernandopulle. Walk In Brain's Wes will also be commenting on this work soon.

Wonk NOT! has a good post on keeping this debate about health care focused on the people who are hurting and dying with the words, "...its easy and frequent that people take off onto intellectual arguments about health care, forgetting that we are humans who have pain and suffering, who have loved ones, and whose bodies wear out."

Charlie also has an excellent listing of the current players in the health care debate. He sums up the different plans nicely.
And last for now (I'll add more to this entry if more posts are written),

Mass Marrier jumps in with a great entry about the MassACT ballot initiative petition. If you want to join in all the fun and excitement, then go print up a few petitions yourself and get to it! Be sure to follow the instructions carefully, as a whole sheet of signatures can be disqualified for a number of reasons. They have the rules here in PDF format.
Anyone interested in hopping to downtown Lowell sometime this week and getting petitions signed? Then email me!

[Update: Fred has this post on gubernatorial candidate Deval Patrick's stance on health care. As an aside, I caught part of a rerun of Patrick's recent Greater Boston interview, and the man was polished and had good answers even to impertinent questions. I like him more and more every time I read about or see him.]

[Update #2: Cape Cod Works has an interesting story on grassroots power and health care.]

[Update #3: Left Center Left has health care by the numbers, and Charley assuages concerns we all might feel about this particular ballot initiative.]

If you're a Masshole and want to see us win this first battle, come and tell your unique health care story on any of our blogs, leave comments, and best of all, go forth and print up petitions so you can collect signatures from your friends and neighbors! Be sure to read the instructions carefully [PDF] before you do.

We encourage everyone to learn more about this issue and to get involved in any way you can.

Mitt and Katrina...

Jon Keller reports that Gov. Romney is on the White House's short list to oversee the Katrina reconstruction effort. Whoever gets the nod, be it Romney, Giuiliani, Peter Ueberroth, or some other shiny GOP manbot, is getting anointed as the Next Great Successor to Bushie.

Mitt'd love it -- get him out of the no-win situation of the Massachusetts governor's race, and into the Deep South with billions of dollars to hand out. He'll get to develop a drawl and take photo-ops standing amidst rubble, his perfect hair oh-so-lightly ruffling in the breeze, his gleaming teeth blinding songbirds, causing them to veer into the giant multiplex Harrah's casinos to be erected along Biloxi. I think Mormons are supposed to disapprove of gambling, but I'm sure Mitt will be willing to leave it to Mammon.

JP Ward Committees Endorse Yoon, Arroyo - updated

Monday night, September 12, the Ward 11 and 19 Democratic Committees hosted a forum for the at large candidates for Boston City Council. The event drew over 100 people, one of the best turnouts for a candidates night in JP. The event was taped for BNN and the Globe City Weekly and JP Gazette covered it. Extensive publicity at the JP World's Fair the day before helped considerably as many new faces were in the audience.

All the candidates attending made good presentations and if the Ward 19 vote that followed was any indication, virtually all came across with some level of support, here's a summary (apologies in advance if I missed something, was sorting questions):

Kevin McCrae -- housing and education are priorities (anti-rent control); called for universal health care; alleges that the Council is violating open meeting law and city has over 300 acres of undeveloped property.

Patricia White -- looking to put another "progressive woman" on the Council, also against rent control; concerned about people leaving the city because of the schools, worked for Boston Partners in Education.

Michael Flaherty -- sends kids to Boston schools, so has a vested interest, working on CORI reform, drug treatment, opposes community stabilization act, supports community preservation act (CPA). supports elected school committee (the day after the forum, the Council President announced his opposition to the Biolab project).

Sam Yoon -- former housing director for Asian CDC, pro-rent control and CPA, for elected school committee, sends child to Boston public schools

John Connally -- worked with charter school, pro-rent control/tenant protection, talked about parents in Charlestown finding needles in parks

Matt O'Malley --managed Cabral campaign, knows "New Boston", opposed to rent control but supports just cause eviction for tenants, endorsed by Boston Teachers Union, others

Felix Arroyo -- has led effort to establish city planning agency separate from BRA, pro-tenant, former school committee

Joe Ready -- from Fenway; has seen institutions push up housing prices, wants to tax non-profits, not for rent control

Ed Flynn - pro-tenant; wants to create new Boston City Hospital, push living wage to $17-19/hour, Boston is "tale of two cities"

Steve Murphy -- has worked on JP issues, such as park rangers, lobbied state house for additional summer jobs, working on CORI reform

In the Ward 19 caucus afterwards, all of the above except Ready were nominated and everyone had some level of support from the 25 committee members voting. In the end, Councilor Arroyo got 20 of 25 votes and Sam Yoon was close behind. Matt O'Malley fell just short of an endorsement. Ward 11 reportedly endorsed the same two progressives.

The two committees will have a second forum in October for District Council and Mayor. Neither is on the September ballot in JP/Roslindale.

Congrats to the organizers! Great job!

Howard L.


PS -- a few other Ward Committees also held forums or votes this past week, Ward 12 in Roxbury co-sponsored a Council event with ROXVOTE and others; Ward 10 (Mission Hill) held their forum and unanimously endorsed Mayor Menino, and Ward 5 (Beacon Hill/Back Bay) also endorsed the incumbent by a 15-5 vote.