By Mayor Martin J. Walsh
From around the world and across our nation, people look to Boston for hope, for opportunity, and for a chance to build a better life.
From the first immigrant who set foot on the Shawmut Peninsula to the first student from Puerto Rico who stepped into a new classroom this fall, for nearly four centuries Boston has been more than the place we share. It’s the hope we bring. It’s our determination to show a better way forward, lifting one another up along the way. This spirit has continues to remain in Boston.
To take our city to new heights, we must adapt the idea of Boston to new challenges, from our local streets to the global stage. We can be a city whose industry and innovation make the world a better place and provide good jobs in every neighborhood of Boston. We can be a city that heals the environment by opening our waterfront for all to enjoy. We can be the global capital of learning whose own young people know that they can change the world. And we will be that city.
To achieve this, we will build on the strong foundation we’ve set, and go even further to continue our collective upward mobility as a city. And the good news is that we are already well on our way to achieving these goals — we’re seeing this growth is every neighborhood of our city. The bottom line is that Boston is a city that’s world-class because it works for the middle class.
This doesn’t happen by accident. In Boston, we know that having a strong middle class means providing not only security for those who are already comfortable, but opportunity for all who need it.
That’s why we are committed to investing in a growing middle class through strong 21st century schools; good jobs; affordable homes in safe neighborhoods; and providing every pathway we can to lead to real opportunity. A better Boston for everyone.
It begins with a guarantee that every child, whatever their starting point, gets the education they need to thrive, which is why we’re investing $1 billion in our school facilities over the next 10 years and working towards universal pre-kindergarten for all our young learners. And it includes everything from supporting the small businesses that are the backbone of our local economy, to recruiting industry leaders from around the world who will bring new jobs and economic benefits to our city. It means moving Bostonians up into middle-class careers that pay a living wage through our newly established Boston Hires campaign that will train and place 20,000 Boston residents in good jobs, and taking advantage of the tremendous untapped talent in our neighborhoods.
Together as a city, we will continue to prioritize the needs of our working people, and do everything we can to lift our middle class up to new heights. As we move forward together into 2018 and beyond, we’re going to do all we can to make sure Boston remains an engine of upward mobility and middle-class security.
Really
Disgusted btw. Maybe you need to heed the advice on what Walsh is saying.
As they continue to approve new luxury developments and buildings, I’m curious to know how the “middle class” is defined anymore….
If you’ve just trained someone one on visa to take over your job or your job just moved to another world-class place, then your middle class. That’s the difference between world class and middle class.
Unfortunately the mayor’s words don’t align with his actions.
In his first term as mayor there’s been a boom in luxury development & real estate speculation. Not only does that do nothing to make Boston more accessible for the “middle class” but it’s causing traffic, noise & other problems that are eroding the quality of life for those of us who already live here.
Fortunately our city councilor Lydia Edwards is already fighting to keep our neighborhoods livable and accessible to working families.
In her first city council speech, Lydia advocated for policy that will ensure “that big business adjusts to the needs & standards set by our community.”
Taking a different tack than Mayor Walsh, Councilor Edwards went on to say: “I do not believe we can build our way out of this crisis & I am a skeptic of trickle-down housing policy.”
You can watch the video and read the full transcript of Lydia’s speech here: https://m.facebook.com/LydiaforBoston/
The speech received a standing ovation.
It’s so inspiring to see Lydia providing a voice for our neighborhoods to stand up to rampant development. She’ll provide a much needed counterpoint to the Mayor’s developer focused agenda. I’m so excited to have her representing us in city hall.
There is no way Boston is being viewed as a World Class City with Filthy Streets & lack of Snow Removal.
The No. End is 2nd to Faneuil Hall regarding Tourism. There is so much lack of Enforcement in this City it is
frightening. Lydia is a voice that we are very fortunate to have, but MARTY WALSH is the Star of the
Show & could careless about No. End Issues. Marty is too busy with Union Workers who are involved in
all the Construction you see all over the City. If No. End Residents want to make a diffence in the neighborhood,
we have to let our Mayor know snow has to be removed like it was in So. Boston & Dorchester and all our
streets have to be cleaned, not just streets where most restaurants are located. Absentee Landlords are one
of the biggest problems, and no enforcement encourages tenants to do whatever they want. Hopefully,
Lydia will be our next Mayor.
Boston is among the favorite cities in the US. Surrounded by ocean and enhanced with history makes it appealing. I guess we should not judge Boston by the North End’s lack of garbage pickups. Look at the Common, Beacon Hill, Newbury Street, Comm Ave….the city is beautiful, and considered to possess a European flavor.
Heather are you really going to compare Boston Common to the north end in terms of beauty and quality of life?
And I’m sure beacon hills garbage is picked up unlike the north end…. oh is that because they are upper class
I think the north end is one of the best neighborhoods in Boston.
To call our streets filthy is an exaggeration in my opinion. Our neighborhood is in very close quarters. Trash days get a little messy however it is two days per week. Small business get a bad break however if you walk the streets early in the morning it is small business owners power washing the sidewalk.
As for snow removal? I think the city did a great job considering the size of our city. That amount of snow would cripple many other cities across the country.
I was once talking to a visitor just in from LA and he commented about how clean the North End was. I was a little surprised and asked him if he was being facetious. He was serious. I had to remind myself how much I take for granted. I Get frusterated some times, but then again, I keep a broom around and end up clean up someone’s mess from time to time. I just don’t see clean streets as a city only responsibility.
your friend is completely right especially compared to LA. We take a lot for granted over here. Boston, the North End especially, is top notch in this department.
I hope I can get the Rose Color Glasses that all of you are wearing. If Matt Conti wants to run a survey on
this site, I would have to say we will definitely come up with most residents saying that the streets are
filthy, and snow removal is a big issue, along with Lack of Enforcement. There are residents who basically
throw their trash out whenever & wherever they want, and pets owners that leave their dog crap all over our
streets & playgrounds, and don’t pick up; not fair for those of us that are doing the right thing.
This is not a Rocket Science Project. What happended to those prisoners that cleaned the streets after the
feasts? It thought it was a great idea to get them out to do community service on a daily basis. I am not
talking Rapist, Child Molesters or Bank Robbers. Hanover St. might be the cleanest street in the No. End &
I don’t think it is fair for those of us who are paying steep Real Estate Taxes. I say the Survey will tell the
true story.