Change Can’t Wait
July 14, 2009
By: Sam Yoon
Our country is moving forward. Under the leadership of an exciting new president, we’re restoring our standing in the world and charting a path for a new economy, for a new generation. Finally, we have a federal government that wants to invest in cities. But Boston is being left behind because we are still stuck in old politics and an old way of doing business.
Tom Menino has been mayor for sixteen years and is now asking for another four-year term. It’s time for a change.
Our city, so rich in resources and talent, should be an example of new and innovative ways of governing. Instead, we are falling behind while others enjoy the benefits that come with fresh, new leadership. Boston has resources like no other city; our research universities and technology companies should make City Hall a laboratory for innovation. It’s time we reinvent government to tap into the extraordinary talent and creativity of our city.
Before serving as a city councilor, I spent ten years working in community-based nonprofits, as an affordable housing developer and a community organizer. I’m running for mayor because I know city government can be a powerful instrument of change if you have people on the inside who believe in collaboration and bottom-up thinking.
We could wait for Mayor Menino to retire on his own terms, but the people of Boston can’t wait another four years to catch up.
There is a sixth grader in the Boston Public School system who, in four years, is either going to drop out, or will get on-track to go to college. That sixth grader cannot wait another four years. There is a generation of young people dying on our streets, when they should be developing leadership skills that will prepare them for a new economy. Those young people cannot wait another four years.
We need to convert to a green economy and lead the way in developing green-collar jobs. We need to start using 21st century technology that is commonplace in every other city, like 311 and performance-based management. Boston is already behind – we can’t fall behind another four years.
I hope that everyone will be part of the bottom-up change that would rebuild our city. Together, we can unlock our potential and create a bright future for Boston – for this generation and the next.
