Walsh campaign touts new neighborhood plan, summer jobs
Mayor Martin J. Walsh — still smarting from criticism from challenger Tito Jackson over a spike in shootings — is using the power of his office to tout programs that give thousands of jobs to teens and dish out millions on neighborhood fixes, all as part of his quest for re-election, City Hall watchers said.
Today, Walsh unveils the final draft of the Imagine Boston 2030 plan, which will invest millions of dollars in transportation, housing and jobs, with a major focus on developing the Fairmount Corridor as a “network of opportunity.” The Fairmount Corridor runs through Dorchester, Roxbury and Mattapan, mostly minority neighborhoods where Jackson hopes to draw votes.
Yesterday, the Walsh campaign sent out an email blast applauding his role in the city’s summer jobs program as it officially kicked off.
“If you believe in coincidences you believe in the Tooth Fairy — nothing in Boston politics is coincidence,” former City Councilor said Michael McCormack of the campaign email. “This is a calculated move by the campaign committee to respond to Jackson’s criticisms, and it sounds effective too.”
Jackson harshly criticized Walsh last week following a Herald report showing nonfatal shootings had increased by 30 percent. The city councilor, who represents Roxbury, accused Walsh of “abdication of leadership” and said his support of the summer jobs program was not enough to stem violence.
Walsh’s campaign email boasts of the mayor’s “record of delivering opportunities for Bostonians.”
“Mayor Walsh is proud to have provided thousands of young people with summer jobs over the past four years,” campaign spokeswoman Gabrielle Farrell said in a statement.
“He is constantly focused on how to improve the city and lives of all Bostonians,” Farrell, said.
Walsh will launch the Imagine 2030 plan with a five-hour block party in Upham’s Corner, including live performers, food trucks and a beer garden.
The plan, Boston’s first citywide plan in 50 years and a longtime priority for Walsh, includes more money for parks and wider projects like extended MBTA lines.
While the plan’s launch date was set before Jackson’s criticism, McCormack noted it’s a way for Walsh to emphasize his power as mayor while getting free publicity.
“It’s going to be a slow hot day in Boston, it’ll dominate the media,” he said. “It’s pretty shrewd.”
Former City Council President Larry DiCara said of the Imagine 2030 launch party, “This is why the last incumbent to lose was 70 years ago. The mayor has so much juice and controls so much of the media coverage.”