[responsive_youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zzognu9Z2k]
State Rep. Aaron Michlewitz and Democratic Ward 3 Chair Jason Aluia hosted a “meet and greet” event to introduce Michelle Wu to the North End community. Wu is running for one of the four City Councilor At Large seats in this year’s city election. The event was held on Tuesday evening, June 11, 2013, at Stanza dei Sigari on Hanover Street.
In an interview, Michelle explained that her focus in the campaign is to emphasize the importance of family, schools and small business opportunities. Her own family experience has largely shaped her priorities. Having lived here in Boston with a job in the Financial District, she was forced to move back to Chicago where her mother came down with severe mental illness. Michelle became the legal guardian to raise her younger sisters. While in Chicago, she also opened a small business, Loose Leaf Tea Shop.
Eventually coming back to Boston with her family, Michelle went to law school where she met her professor, Elizabeth Warren, and subsequently worked on the U.S. Senate campaign. A former North End resident, she chaired the School Site Council for the Eliot K-8 School. Wu also worked at City Hall for Boston Mayor Menino. She currently lives in the South End with her husband, Conor and two younger sisters. Her mother now lives in West Roxbury.
When asked about expectations that she is a “shoe-in” for the City Council, she said, “It helped to get in [the race] early, but we’re really only at the halfway point.” Regarding development, Wu said she wants to see “pipelines for opportunities” in all neighborhoods, not just the Seaport. Her position on the Boston Redevelopment Authority is to increase transparency and responsiveness to neighborhood issues, but she believes it is ok to have planning and economic development in one entity.
On schools, she said “I want to take what Traci Griffith (North End Eliot School’s Principal) is doing here and bring it to the rest of Boston Public Schools.” Wu said her office as a City Councilor would be a “hub of information” so that people could resolve problems in an efficient manner, whether its trash or permitting.
For more information on Michelle Wu’s campaign for City Councilor At Large, visit http://www.michelleforboston.com
