As an Indian-American and a political junkie, I keep tabs on many of the Asian-American candidates that stand for election across the country. Many of them are effective leaders that serve their constituents well. Sam, however, is an extraordinary leader who, if elected, would serve Boston exceptionally.
A few weeks ago, I decided to join the Sam Yoon for Mayor Campaign in Boston as a summer intern. I was a little apprehensive at first, never having worked on a big city campaign; frankly, as a Midwesterner, I had never even been to Boston and didn’t know what to expect. From the news articles and websites I’d read about the Mayoral race in Boston, I gleaned that Sam was a compelling candidate and that Mayor Menino was an entrenched, 4-term incumbent in a city were backroom politics and money often trump the interests of ordinary people. I felt the work I’d be doing on the campaign would be similar to what’s done by interns on most campaigns: fieldwork, phone calls, office stuff. But, while I have been doing some of that my first week, my experience thus far has been so much more. I’ve had the opportunity to work with staffers, constituents and the candidate in promoting Sam’s candidacy, in parades, on street corners and in door-to-door visits with voters.
In the interactions I’ve had with Sam I’ve been very impressed, not only by his intellect or command of the issues, but by the way he comes off as approachable and interested in addressing the problems of every-day Bostonians. On any issue, he can pinpoint the root causes of the problem and can propose solutions. It doesn’t matter whether he is talking to an African-American voter in Dorchester (where our office is located and where Sam makes his home) or an Anglo-American voter in Jamaica Plain. Sam knows his stuff. People follow. And it shows.
The campaign staff, interns and volunteers are an energetic and dedicated group with varying levels of political experience. They were all drawn to this race not just by the prospect of winning, but because of their belief in Sam’s ability to change the way Boston politics operates, and to make fundamental improvements in the lives of Bostonians. I have seen first-hand how Sam has been able to bring together Boston’s various ethnic groups, interests and citizens without diminishing his beliefs. In the parades and visibility events I’ve participated in so far in the different neighborhoods, Sam has gotten a very strong reception from Bostonians of all backgrounds. People frequently honk their horns and shout “Sam for Mayor” and “Yooooooon!” in crowds.
From what I’ve read amongst the Asian-American blogosphere, there is a considerable amount of chatter over the phrase “model minority.” While Sam does have a stellar educational background, there is something different about him, something that distinguishes him from other candidates. Yes, he is a Korean-American candidate running for the mayor’s office in one of America’s most prominent cities. But he’s also a “rising star” and is followed by the political pundits. And from my point of view it would be more accurate to call him a “model candidate” than a “model minority.” Sam isn’t just a Korean name bundling together a set of issues and interest groups. He is a Korean-American candidate who also happens to have some of the most creative ideas for changing Boston.
Sam is a two-term city councilor, having won an open-seat in 2005 running a grassroots campaign. After spending a decade working on affordable community housing and development issues in Boston, he decided to enter the world of Boston politics. It hasn’t been easy by any means. It’s difficult to change the way this city’s politics operate. But Sam has done a great job as a councilor, working to make the city’s business more transparent. He’s never compromised his beliefs and has never engaged in vote trading. Unfortunately, Sam’s efforts are often thwarted by a mayor who doesn’t believe in a transparent form of governance. Making the big changes in the way the city’s budget works, the way the schools are funded, the way the transportation infrastructure works, and the way development issues are handled requires a visionary mayor. Sam is the candidate for the job and I’m glad he’s running.
I’ll be blogging more in the next few months about my experiences, but in the meantime, please do check out my site, http://samyoon.helpmycampaign…. off of Sam’s website at www.samyoon.com. All of us on the campaign, and especially Sam, would love to have the support of the progressive community here in Massachusetts.
I can make my own answer, but I’m wondering what your answer is.
First of all, welcome to Boston. I hope you’ll learn a lot about the city and its people as you work on the campaign.
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p>Secondly, it is true that Menino has been re-elected several times. Perhaps because he is an “entrenched incumbent”, perhaps because he’s good at his job. Aside from some vague mumbling about “transparency” I haven’t heard a whole lot about why he has to go. No, Menino is no visionary — it was the “visionaries” that stuck us with that elevated Artery that bisected the city and cost billions to bring down (you’ll probably learn about this episode as you spend time in the Hub — that’s a nickname for Boston).
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p>As for Yoon, he seems an able city councilor, but I am curious what you heard in the Midwest to cause you to label him a “rising star”. I’m glad that he, as well as McCrea and Flaherty, are running on transparency. I can’t wait to hear from you what “big changes” he’s going to make in the city.
If Menino was good at his job our City wouldn’t have a 53% four-year high school graduation rate.
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p>If Menino was good at his job he would not be afraid to make the City Budget available to all residents online.
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p> ” all city departments would have adopted Citistat instead of just a select few.
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p> ” politicians such as Diane Wilkerson wouldn’t be able to call in favors at the Mayor’s office for her friends…and then get indicted for it.
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p> ” the Parcel 3 project in Roxbury wouldn’t have been shut down once the Mayor’s long-time friend and significant campaign contributor was removed from the position of Project Manager.
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p> ” he would be willing to talk about his record.
There is little question that Tom Menino was a good mayor for a long time.
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p>My view is that we need a change, but plenty of rational people will vote for him in good faith.
You’re holding Menino accountable for the high school graduation rate in a city with an enormous ESL population and % on the federal lunch program. He’s responsible for a lot of things…but something requires far more than a mayor’s touch. There are societal problems endemic to cities that the best educational program in the world can’t always turn around. He’s not superman, for God’s sakes.
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p>And blaming him for Wilkerson? C’mon. You’re totally overstating your case.
but his management style has created an atmosphere in which who you know determines what you can get done. It’s a pay to play system with no accountability or transparency.
If the ways in which liquor licenses and development contracts get awarded were made open and available for the public to see, then situations like the Wilkerson scandal would not happen.
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p>When do the committees that make these decisions meet? Who is able to view these proceedings? Why are these meetings closed and private? Could records of the decisions and reasons for them at least be made available online or in some other easily accessible manner?
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p>Obviously I recognize that certain situations require discretion, but decisions regarding who gets City contracts should be public information because our tax dollars are being spent.
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p>I want to know how my hard-earned dollars are being spent and I also wouldn’t mind knowing where my children and their friends might be going to drink alcohol.
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p>That seems fair to me.
I love this culture where nobody is responsible for their actions. As if changing the mayor or changing ethics laws would keep somebody so susceptible to corruption from being corrupt. I don’t care who’s sitting in what office and what laws are on what books — the system presumes integrity of people, and Wilkerson doesn’t have any.
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p>This ain’t 1960s Chicago — and trying to blame Menino’s amorphous culture for Wilkerson’s longstanding desire to chase down personal benefit, laws and ethics be damned, is weak. If the best that the anti-Menino people can come up with is Wilkerson’s mistake, then he’s looking at a walk to re-election.
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p>You have a fair point about transparency, and it’s thus far the only fair point I’ve seen raised by this campaign. As for “I also wouldn’t mind knowing where my children and their friends might be going to drink alcohol. ” — I don’t get that. I don’t look for drinking places by going through liquor license laws….easier way to do that.
I’m actually a past supporter of Michael Flaherty and have been considering supporting him again.
I didn’t mean to imply that you were part of any campaign. You raise a point that the campaigns have raised, but I don’t think it’s co-ordinated — in fact, it’s a good point. There’s a case to be made about Menino, but I worry that the mayoral election is going to be three guys saying “I’m the new hopeful visionary upstart like Devalbama!!!!!” Not to say that it won’t work, but I doubt it’s reason enough to vote for someone.
liquor licenses are given out by the State-appointed Boston Licensing Board ….
to find out when these committees and licensing boards meet, and whether minutes are kept? In my city, committee meetings are routinely taped, and minutes created. You may be right about the transparency issue, but if you’re asking me when the committee meets, it makes me wonder if you’ve even tried to find out. It’s been my experience that committee meetings are usually on the same day every month ie. second and fourth Tuesday, etc. unless an extraordinary issue comes up.
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p>And if you want to know where your children and their friends might be going to drink alcohol….well, ask them. I ask mine. My son is a big fan of Bukowski’s. My daughter goes to Tia’s. They are, after all, above 21. If yours aren’t, then you have bigger problems than which establishments get liquor licenses.
That if we got rid of ESL and the school lunch program, test scores would improve???
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p>or
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p>ESL and children from less affluent backgrounds are less able to grasp academic concepts??
I wasn’t “suggesting” either, so please don’t go there….especially that last sentence, which was a rather large leap from what I actually wrote.
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p>The point that I was making is that Menino can’t be held solely responsible for an abysmal graduation rate. There are societal challenges that a big city like Boston has that let’s say – a Belmont, Winchester, Arlington, etc. doesn’t have. Those challenges include ESL, single-parent or no parent families, poverty, violence – both within the family and outside, and the like. These ARE challenges, and they are tough and at times, intractable. They require money, teachers, family supports, alternative schools, etc. There’s no silver bullets in this equation. These challenges take decades to get traction on. I just think it was unfair to hang the graduation rate on Menino, as if he personally withheld resources or mismanaged the school system. There are plenty of deficiencies that he owns that can be used as campaign fodder…I just don’t think this is one of them.
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p>BTW – the graduation rate is actually a good six points higher than originally posted.
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p>http://www.bostonpublicschools…
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p>The intent of my original comment is to avoid feeding into the cult of personality, and actually parse what people say, not only about their candidates, but what they say about the opposition. I think it’s great that so many are running, but I also think the discussion should focus on achievements, proposals and ideas instead of lame ass red herrings.
are both products of single parent families, don’t go there.
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p>Given a quality education at quality schools, ESL children, poverty stricken children and children of single parents are equally able to learn and achieve. These types insulting stereotypes enable the status quo and keep children from being able to reach their full potential.
I will go there. Despite the single-parent family status for Mr. Obama, he had a incredibly motivated mother who valued education. For every Obama and Patrick – how many young men and women are left at the education and career curb because they didn’t come from motivated families? How does a kid learn when he/she is continually hungry and the violence of the neighborhood permeates the walls of their apartment? How do you infuse a child with the ambition to learn when survival is first and foremost?
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p> This is not about being “equally able to learn,” so please stop twisting this around. This is about the challenge of learning in an environment that is not conducive to learning well. Ignoring realities may be the home of the politically correct idealogues, but those who craft public policy don’t have that luxury. It takes money and resources to help a population chained to poverty through multiple generations.
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p>The original point is that this stuff can’t be hung around Menino’s neck. It’s not like he withheld resources or mismanaged the schools. You guys are going to have to do better than this.
The success of Deval and Obama is directly related to the excellent education they received, not the family income, parental marriage status or mastery of the English language. Their mothers concern for their education is something they share with other single, financially strapped parents who work hard to provide better opportunities for their children. The difference is some have access to quality education and some do not.
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p>There are many wealthy married couples who booze and drug with little concern for their children. These children may suffer in many ways but are not denied access to quality education. Every child deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential…they are our future!
is where you will find a copy of the Administration’s proposed FY 10 budget, it goes up there every year right as it is filed with the Council in April and anyone can testify before the Council on it.
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p> and please offer specifics as to how Senator Wilkerson got indicted “by calling in favors at the Mayor’s Office”.
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p>thanks!
If you read the FBI Complaint against Dianne Wilkerson and go to paragraph 14 it describes how in a recorded phone call Dianne Wilkerson called the Mayor to get help in obtaining the license for the Deja Vu nightclub.
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p>The silence from all of our elected officials on the licensing board has been deafening. Neither Menino nor Yoon or Flaherty has called for an investigation, a hearing, or even an explanation as to how this liquor license was granted.
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p>If you read further down the complaint you will see that two FBI officers attended the hearing at which the license was to be awarded. The Deja Vu license was not brought up in the public hearing but was granted.
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p>I took the initiative to make a formal complaint to the District Attorney’s office who have opened an investigation which has resulted in the Licensing Board hiring counsel to represent themselves. If everything was on the up and up, why would they bother hiring outside counsel?
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p>This is another case, similar to the BRA, where the Mayor takes advantage of the supposedly ‘independent’ board to get things done and grant favors while not officially being responsible for them. According to Governor Patrick he has offered to give control of the licensing board back to the Mayor but Mayor Menino hasn’t taken him up on the offer. As Mayor, I will ask for control of the licensing board back so that we Bostonians are responsible for what goes on in our city. That goes to having an accountable government. We are the only city or town not to have this responsibility, an anachronism left over from the Brahmin v. Irish battles.
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p>The City Council didn’t even have a hearing on the finances of the Licensing Board this year, even though they did last year. The budget has grown from $400,000 to over $700,000 in just a few years with no additional responsibilities. Much of the increase is from the $25,000 raises given by Wilkerson and Co. to the licensing board members for their part time work. I’m sure if we lowered their salary back to $60,000 a year for those jobs we could find some qualified citizens to decide what neighborhoods get licenses or not.
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p>Flaherty and Yoon talk about transparency, but their actions have not lived up to the rhetoric. Watch this video of Flaherty and Yoon participating in a meeting during a recess to give a long time City Hall staffer a 40% raise in his last two years of employment (but 3 calender years) to increase his pension benefit. They hired this staffer to write a report on how the City Council could evade the Open Meeting Law.
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p>This original poster says that Sam Yoon never traded a vote and stands behind everything he does. He refuses to answer my questions about why he voted for and funded this waste of taxpayer money, maybe he will answer yours? (Once this report was finished the City Council refused to post it online for the citizens to see and have now thrown it into the waste basket, $150,000 down the drain)
nice to throw out a red herring, but don’t a lot of elected officials call on behalf of projects — without the alleged wrong doing that I doubt she told him she was involved in …
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p>oh, and the City has filed legislation for years to abolish the state board, but there’s this little matter of the legislative process, the Gov and the Mayor can’t do it alone.
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p>Ciao,
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p>H
The point is that she called the Mayor, not the members of the licensing board.
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p>Did you read the FBI Complaint? She didn’t brag to the undercover witness that she had called the licensing board and that he would get his license, she told him that she had called the Mayor and he would get his license.
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p>Dianne Wilkerson certainly knew how to get things done in this town and that is why she called the Mayor. I’m not suggesting at all that the Mayor had anything at all to do with the illegal transfer of money, I’m just saying that if one reads this complaint they understand that to get something done in Boston, even through an “independent” board you have to go through the Mayor.
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p>A licensing Board giving out licenses to businesses that don’t meet the criteria of who should be getting a license would seem to be a big quality of life issue for a Mayor, but clearly from his silence on the issue he isn’t concerned with the process of someone giving an elected official money and that individual getting a liquor license that they don’t qualify for.
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p>I asked his staff back in November whether the Mayor was going to look into this, and they assured me that the Mayor has “nothing at all” to do with the licensing board. I don’t believe that, but maybe you do.