Mayor Martin J. Walsh has taken over the reins of power at Boston City Hall, and he has set high goals for his administration.
These goals are never easy to attain under the best of circumstances, and these are not the best of circumstances.
As a new administration, many residents are expecting quick changes, but change for any administration comes slowly.
There are contracts in place that must be honored whether it be for police unions or school unions. There are social and economic problems that have been in the making for generations.
All these will not be changed in the first 100 days of Walsh’s tenure.
As residents of Boston with school-age children, we anxiously wait for changes in the public school system as Walsh outlined in his speech on Monday. Realistically, we know these changes may not be in place before our children age out of the Boston Public School System..
We are encouraged by Walsh’s genuine commitment to change that will benefit all residents of Boston. We are also encouraged by his character and his humility. These traits will serve him and the residents of Boston well in the coming years.
We support his effort to view Boston as one community. Some residents may think of Boston as being only their neighborhood, but the issues in Mattapan and Roxbury affect us all as a city and as a society. We know that scarce resources may be directed from us towards these neighborhoods, but in the end if the changes in these neighborhoods are successful, we as a city will benefit.
Change is never easy. For 20 years we knew what to expect from Tom Menino. Starting on Monday, there was a change when Walsh took the oath of office as Mayor.
We do not have a crystal ball or know what the future may hold for us. What we know is that the goals that Walsh have laid out for his vision of what Boston should be are the goals that we should support.
The Chinese adage says, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Walsh has started on his journey. We ask residents to support Walsh beyond the first 100 days, knowing that many of his goals will take years to achieve.