ARCHIVES OF EDITORIALS

 

February 24, 2005

An untimely proposal

There is a housing crisis in Massachusetts, especially in Boston. For this reason it seemed especially untimely for Governor Mitt Romney to propose ending state rental subsidies to low-income families after they have been on the program for three years.

Home prices in the state soared by 53 percent between 1995 and 2002. As a result, according to a report by MassInc, families earning the median income in their community could afford to buy a house at the median price in only nine of the 127 cities and towns in Greater Boston.

The housing problem has become so severe that many residents are seriously considering leaving the state. A UMass poll in December 1999 found that 11 percent were considering moving. By 2002 that number had climbed to 32 percent.

The state program subsidizes housing for about 4,700 families, a much smaller number that the 70,000 apartments covered by the federal Section 8 program. However, the demand for affordable housing in Boston is so great that there are 15,000 households on the Section 8 waiting list.

It seems strange that Romney would have proposed such an ill-advised policy since he declared earlier that the development of affordable housing was an important initiative of his administration. The high cost of housing in Massachusetts is causing some talented personnel to look elsewhere for employment.

One possible explanation for Romney’s proposal is that he wanted to demonstrate a consistency with President George Bush’s new policies. While Bush has not cut back Section 8 vouchers in his new budget, he has reduced funds for Housing and Urban Development by 11.5 percent. Perhaps this is Romney’s way of showing that he is with the program.

At any rate, it is unlikely that the state Legislature will accede to the governor’s wishes.

 

An ill-considered attack

Kathleen O’Toole has been Boston’s police commissioner for only a year. She assumed command when patrolmen were locked in a hostile dispute with Mayor Thomas Menino over the renewal of their contract. Union leaders even tried to sabotage the success of the National Democratic Convention held in Boston last summer.

With an extraordinary display of goodwill and professionalism, O’Toole has been on an exhausting schedule of meeting with the many constituencies she must serve in Boston. Unfortunately, the Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers (MAMLEO) approved a “no confidence” vote against O’Toole last week. It was the first time that MAMLEO had ever taken such steps.

According to Angela Williams-Mitchell, the president of the organization, the vote was taken because of the reassignment of Superintendent James Claiborne and Deputy Superintendent William Bradley, two African American officers on the Boston force. The vote was taken even though Kenneth Fong, an Asian American, and Michael Cox, and African American, were both promoted to deputy superintendent.

MAMLEO’s vote was a mistake. There is no reason to believe that Commissioner O’Toole is insensitive to the interests of African Americans to become members of the command staff. However, it is unreasonable to attempt to deny her the right to put together a command staff with whom she is most comfortable. With the affirmative action consent decree no longer in force, a large number of issues will arise in the future. What is the point of destroying a good working relationship over the reassignment of two African Americans who still retain their rank?

The unfortunate MAMLEO vote is not supported by those who trust that Commissioner O’Toole will be responsive to the Latino, Asian and African American communities.

 

Home Page