Opinion

Mayor forms Boston School Building Authority

The North End has benefited from obtaining funding for a new elementary school during the former Mayor Thomas Menino’s Administration.

Now that new Mayor Martin J. Walsh has formed a Boston School Building Authority, a city agency charged with the task of securing new funds for a new school in the Downtown area.

Apparently, the city is currently undertaken an extensive review of school facilities for a 10 year capital plan, which will include proposed renovations, repairs or additions to existing facilities, new construction proposals, potential facility consolidations and optimized facilities management operations.

The mayor’s steps being taken will help to close achievement gaps, bringing schools into the 21st century, and improve graduation rates.

Report outlines a successful year at the BRA

In keeping with his campaign promise, Mayor Martin Walsh has issued a positive 20 page report that outlines a year of successful changes at the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA).

The report claims improvements in the BRA’s transparency, accountability and operations through a series of policy reforms, personnel changes and investments in technology.

The report, divided in four sections outlines improved policies and protocols, modernization of systems and organizations structure. Maximizing BRA/EDIC assets and enhancing fiscal accountability and nurturing opportunities and fiscal empowerment among residents.

This is great news for the North End community groups that had problems with the BRA for many years.

It appears that the mayor plans to continue to improve the BRA into a viable city agency that will be helpful to the city, residents and potential developers.

Governor/Mayor shine during Blizzard of 2015

Near hurricane winds, heavy snow fall and surging tides crippled much of the State and the City of Boston during the Blizzard of 2015.

It’s been quite a while since Old Man Winter cast a storm like this on Massachusetts.

Before, during and after the major storm, both Governor Charlie Baker and Mayor Martin Walsh took complete charge of a dangerous situation and made all the right moves and suggestions to keep the general public, out-of-harms-way.

They, along with many city and state agencies handled the blizzard in the best way possible, including the recovery part of almost 2-days of severe winter conditions.

Communications with the public and cooperation between the state and city was outstanding, leading to a valuable public safety service to all residents, no matter where they reside.

Governor Baker and Mayor Walsh, with the exception of redirecting the blizzard elsewhere, get an A for their decision-making.

They pushed the pedal to the metal.

AG’s Drug Task force on drugs should be supported

A task force on opiate and prescription drugs is being formed by State Attorney General Maura Healy to deal with this problem that has plagued neighborhoods across the state.

The task force, will expand the state’s prescription monitoring program, address drug marketing, prescribing and dispensing practices that lead to abuse, support public education and outreach efforts, direct resources toward addiction and treatment programs, investigate drug trafficking and review the cost and availability of anti-overdose medication.

                                                       This is Healy’s first major policy announcement and it’s a good one. It deals with a serious problem that continues to plague communities and has already received support, including the North End Against Drugs (NEAD).