Planning Boston’s Future
Posted June 16th by Sam Yoon
For a city to thrive and grow it needs an economic development and planning strategy that is focused on the future, that seeks out innovative ideas – and acts on them. And as the old proverb goes: “Without a vision, the people perish.”
The planning process in Boston is not working – and it is not working because there is no long-term vision coming from City Hall. Continue Reading…
Smart Caps for Charter Schools
posted June 10th by Sam Yoon
This week, I am proposing a new way to fund quality public education in Boston: “smart caps” for our public charter schools.
Many of Boston’s charter schools have a proven track record of success in closing the achievement gap, but we set strict limits on the number of students they can teach. This makes no sense. Instead of limiting successful public charter schools, we should be replicating them. Parents and children need and deserve more quality choices, not less.
You can read more about my vision for Boston’s schools here in an op-ed that ran last week.
Weekend Update
Posted June 15th by the Field Team
Boston had a lot to celebrate this past weekend – and so did “Team Yoon” – our loyal group of volunteers. We marched, hollered, and cheered in both the Gay Pride Parade and the Bunker Hill Day Parade, joined by chants of “Sam for Mayor!” from supporters in the crowd. We had a great time meeting residents in every part of the city, from the South End to Charlestown, and we want to send a big THANK YOU to everyone who celebrated with us.
Visit Sam’s Flickr page to see more pictures from this weekend’s events.
Fleet Sharing: Moving Toward a Greener, More Efficient City Government
June 3, 2009
The biggest challenge we are facing in City Hall is a budget shortfall. We need to use this crisis to rethink how we can use our dollars more efficiently. The answers are there. We just have to be willing to look for them. Continue Reading…
Creating 21st Century Schools in Boston
May 31, 2009
When Mayor Menino first took office in the early 90s, he challenged Boston to judge him harshly if the schools did not improve.
Sixteen years later, we still face the same dropout rate, the same achievement gap, and the same lack of trust from parents in BPS. And here we are, debating the time-worn, reliably divisive issue of busing – again.
Enough is enough. Continue Reading…
A New Approach to Road Repair
May 19, 2009
When it comes to achieving accountability in City Hall, I have a simple principle: What gets measured gets done.
Potholes are a prime example of how our city could do better with a real 311 service. For those who are unfamiliar, 311 is a simple, intuitive number to call for non-emergency municipal services. Moreover, it’s a performance-tracking instrument to measure how well we deliver city services. With 311, the City would receive a high volume of calls about the state of our streets, and, like many other cities, we would have better data to evaluate street repair needs. Continue Reading…
Real Priorities for Public Safety
May 5, 2009
We have real public safety priorities to address in the City budget.
Last year, the Boston Police Department (BPD) went over its overtime budget by an incredible $17 million – an excess of more than 50%. Continue Reading…
We Must Protect Childcare Services
April 29, 2009
Quality, affordable childcare is one of the most critical challenges facing working parents. All the current research shows that early childhood education affects later success, and that after school programming prevents violence. City government should be leading the way towards a comprehensive strategy for children and families, not walking away from the table. Continue Reading…
Updated FY10 Budget Hearing Schedule
Below, you will find a copy of the most recent version of the FY10 Budget Hearing Schedule. Please check back as hearing dates and locations may change in the coming weeks. We look forward to your participation. Continue Reading…
An Important City Council Public Hearing
March 26, 2009
Our city faces a budget shortfall of $140 million, possibly forcing us to lay off hundreds of teachers, police officers and firefighters, as well as custodians, bus drivers, librarians, and cafeteria workers. We have a full-blown fiscal crisis in Boston.
Over the past few weeks, we have been reading in the news that the mayor is asking unions to accept a wage freeze. Most unions are either crying foul or staying silent, and we’re not hearing much else. Continue Reading…
