E-Mail This Article to a Friend Voters’ guide The November 4 Boston City Council election COMPILED BY DEIRDRE FULTON
	Voters' guide questions 1) Rate Mayor Tom Menino’s handling of negotiations with city unions. 2) Would you back a plan to import prescription drugs from Canada for city employees? 3) Name one budgetary item for which you would promise to protect funding for the next fiscal year — and why? 4) What role can the council play in making sure the city impresses the nation during next year’s Democratic National Convention? 5) Do you support a return to neighborhood schools? How can this best be accomplished? 6) It looks like we may be going through yet another round of talks about the Red Sox moving to a new stadium in South Boston. Where do you stand on the location of the ballpark and whether any public funds ought to be spent on such a project? 7) The Supreme Judicial Court is going to issue a ruling in the Goodridge case — in which the plaintiffs seek the right of civil marriage for same-sex couples — any day now. The ruling, regardless of what it is, is widely expected to generate controversy. What will you do, as an elected official, to show leadership on the day the ruling is announced?

THERE’S A LOT going on in this city. More than 30,000 municipal employees are working without contracts, and ongoing concerns about falling revenues mean that next year’s budget is likely to be as bad as this year’s, if not worse. Meanwhile, Boston is preparing to host the Democratic National Convention next summer. Next Tuesday, we will elect city-council officials who will influence some or all of these pressing matters. Below are seven questions we put to the candidates. (Attempts to reach District One challenger Ken Fowler were unsuccessful.) Their answers may help you decide how to vote on Tuesday, November 4, when the polls are open between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Felix Arroyo, at-large incumbent

1) I am not in the business of judging or rating the mayor.

2) Yes.

3) It is our responsibility to pass a balanced budget, but I voted against the city’s FY ’04 budget because it did not do enough to preserve taxpayers’ hard-earned money or to allocate available funds appropriately. My top three budget priorities are avoiding unnecessary layoffs of city employees, ensuring adequate funding for the city’s public schools, and increasing funding for Boston’s youth services, including the summer-jobs program.

4) The role of the council is not to impress the nation with the Democratic National Convention but to serve the people of Boston and address their everyday concerns, including the extent to which the coming convention affects them.

5) The real issue is not neighborhood schools but whether we have the quality public education we deserve in Boston, to which I answer, "no." As a parent of five children who either graduated from or are currently enrolled in Boston’s public schools, I have always been personally invested in the success of our public schools. While serving on the school committee for eight years, including two years as its president, I feel I was able to make a real difference for our city schools. I led the fight to preserve bilingual education, opposed the MCAS as the key criterion for grade promotion or graduation, and sought to preserve essential services for children with special needs. Now, as a city councilor representing every Boston neighborhood, I am committed to working with the Boston Public Schools administration and the city’s communities to serve the parents, families, teachers, and, most importantly, the youngest children of the Boston public schools.

6) I believe Fenway Park should remain in its original location, and I oppose the use of any public funds for a new stadium.

7) As an elected official representing all the residents of Boston, I unequivocally support legalizing gay marriage and offering full domestic-partnership benefits. I was the author of a successful Boston City Council resolution opposing any and all efforts to discriminate against gay men and women, their children, and their families by constitutional amendment, state legislation, or other means. When re-elected, I will continue to be a strong advocate for the GLBT community on the day the Goodridge decision is announced and at every opportunity thereafter.

Michael Flaherty, at-large incumbent

1) Tough, but fair.

2) Yes. The city council adopted an order for a hearing to explore the feasibility of such an option. I support these and any effort that would result in lowering the cost of prescription drugs for city employees.

3) Maintaining existing programs and expanding the services that the city provides for drug and substance abuse in our city is critical in the years ahead, and I am committed to making sure our budget provides for this priority item. This is an epidemic in our city, and we need to recognize it as a public-health problem and a public-safety problem. The time is past when we can deny the problem exists and recognize that it is impacting all of our neighborhoods and all of our children.

4) One of the primary functions of city government is to maintain our public places and public ways and ensure the public safety of those who live, work, and visit in our city. This is true whether or not we are hosting a convention. The Boston City Council is committed to making sure that our commitment to a clean and safe city is made evident to those participating in the 2004 Democratic National Convention.

5) Boston needs to build more schools and ensure that all our schools provide a sound education to the children of Boston. The result will be a huge reduction in the school-transportation budget. That money can then be channeled into the classrooms of our city. Boston’s school-assignment policy is outdated and doesn’t work for Boston’s families. We need to reform the policy so that more students will be able to get into a school that is their first or second choice.

6) I gave conditional support to locating a new ballpark on the South Boston waterfront based on three conditions that have since expired: $100 million in infrastructure-improvement money that was appropriated and is no longer on the table; a "slingshot" ramp to improve direct traffic flow between Back Bay hotels and the South Boston waterfront that is not on the table; and local ownership in the person of Frank McCourt, which would be illegal under league rules that prohibit dual team ownership. In baseball, it’s three strikes and you’re out.

7) I fully support equal rights for same-sex couples, including the right to civil marriage. What we all need is for people to stop trying to divide us and discriminate against any member of our society simply because of whom they love. If the ruling affirms this right, I will applaud it as a matter of equal justice. If the ruling does not, I will remain committed to supporting legislative efforts to extend this right to all.

Althea Garrison, at-large challenger

1) Fair.

2) Yes.

3) Senior citizens and veterans’ programs, because these constituency groups are frail and need to be protected.

4) Work with the mayor to make sure the awarding of contracts is done fairly and equitably and to make sure everything is running smoothly.

5) Yes, by building more schools in each neighborhood.

6) I don’t have a problem with the stadium being built in South Boston if the leaders from South Boston and its citizenry want to build it in South Boston. No, public funds should not be used.

7) I think it’s premature to make comments before the Supreme Judicial Court rules. However, I would be willing to take a leadership role and summon the parties to see if there are grounds somewhere to reach a consensus.

Maura Hennigan, at-large incumbent

1) I feel there is room for improvement. Mayor Menino needs to become more personally involved in the relations. The working men and women of Boston deserve fair compensation in a city where the costs of living, particularly housing costs, are out of sight.

2) I am a co-sponsor of an order to study the possibility of importing prescription drugs from Canada. Health-care plans and prescription drugs are very expensive and can become cost prohibitive, especially for those on fixed incomes. A cautionary flag, though: we must be sure that every prescription is safe, and the drugs need to be guaranteed for quality and content.

3) I will do whatever I can to protect all of our services, but I feel education must be safeguarded. Our school system and educational process must continue to move forward. Our teachers and other support staff must continue to not only be stable but must be increased to meet our growing need for excellence.

4) I believe that Boston is more than our downtown business district and that we are a city of neighborhoods. I would ensure that each neighborhood would have an opportunity to showcase itself and host a local event.

5) The [phrase] "neighborhood school" is not an accurate reflection of a change in the student-assignment plan. Currently, there are not enough schools in every neighborhood. I do believe the assignment plan should be changed by decreasing the size of the current zones. I believe, in most instances, parents will choose a school closer to their home if the school is a quality one. However, I believe a parent should still be given an opportunity to choose a school outside their neighborhood, particularly if there are not sufficient seats in their own neighborhood or if their local school does not meet certain standards. We need to increase seats and site more schools in all of our neighborhoods.

6) I was an original supporter of the Red Sox moving to the McCourt site in South Boston. I never supported the mayor’s plan to expand Fenway Park, take private property by eminent domain, and publicly subsidize a new ballpark with taxpayer money. The new Sox owners have been innovative in creating a better experience for fans. I want to continue to make sure, however, that they do not encroach on their neighbors by over-expanding. I will be judging their future plans as they present themselves.

7) I am a supporter of same-sex couples, and I am a supporter of the ability of same-sex couples to marry. No matter what the ruling, I will continue to speak out against the anti-gay amendment, House Bill 3190. The gay-and-lesbian community needs to have the same legal protections, benefits, and responsibilities that all citizens enjoy.

Stephen Murphy, at-large incumbent

1) The mayor has been firm, but fair.

2) The cost of prescription drugs is staggering. We certainly must look to measures that will decrease this cost, which accounts for a growing portion of the city’s budget. I would first look to negotiations with US drug companies and distributors as our primary option. If that is not possible, I would endorse relief from any safe and reliable source.

3) Public safety and homeland security. Our most important duty is to protect our citizens.

4) We are working to include a plan to showcase the diversity and beauty of all of Boston’s neighborhoods in the DNC experience — not just downtown Boston.

5) Money spent on education instead of transportation is a worthy effort. I strongly support a return to quality neighborhood schools with some option for choice, first within schools based in the same ward, then beyond. Some of our schools are specialized, such as the Performing Arts Academy, and some students have educational needs that can be better met in specialized programs, so some flexibility is necessary.

6) The Sox may indeed need to leave Fenway Park, and I hope they do stay in the city that loves them so much. I would support any location that provides a suitable venue, adequate transportation, and would not displace any residents or adversely impact the neighborhood. That is a tall order. This is an issue that will take careful consideration and negotiations. Should the time come, I’m sure Boston will find a way to keep the Sox.

7) As with any Supreme Judicial Court ruling, I will abide by it.

Matt O’Malley, at-large challenger

1) There are 30,000-plus men and women without contracts right now — city employees. That is inherently unfair. I support using some money from the overlay fund to put on the bargaining table.

2) Yes.

3) Public education. It is the reason I’m running — to improve the quality of public education in Boston. The fact that 1000 teachers were given [pink slips] last May is unacceptable ,and I will fight with every fiber of my being to make sure that cuts made to public education are minimal.

4) That’s a great question. The city council can play a very, very important role — I mean, on everything from the smaller, quality-of-life issues to making sure the graffiti’s cleaned up, the litter’s picked up to making sure that we’ve got a vibrant mom-and-pop business community that will be able to do well and at the same time offer the hundreds of thousands of people coming in services and goods. I think that the city council should take an active role in business development as well as hospitality, make sure that people have a good time here. I would support extending the closing hours of bars. I would love to see another citywide cleanup on a massive level, in every nook and cranny. I think the city council can really orchestrate that working with the mayor, working with parks and recreation.

5) I absolutely do support a return to neighborhood schools under the caveat there are excellent facilities in the neighborhood. Many proponents will demand fast action that can’t happen. This is something that’s going to happen in 10, 15, 20 years. First we need to make sure there are great schools in every neighborhood before we can do that, or else we we'll go back to the days of de facto segregation — and I certainly don’t support that.

6) I don’t support a new Red Sox playing field in South Boston; I’m a supporter of Fenway Park. I love Fenway Park, I love old ballparks. Fenway has become a symbol of this city, and much of the Red Sox lure stems from the fact that we play in one of the oldest ballparks in the country. So I support keeping Fenway Park where it is while maintaining and protecting the character of the neighborhoods of the people who live in the Fenway area. I would not support public funds to build a new Fenway Park, nor would I support public funding going to any cosmetic face-lift that Fenway Park would receive.

7) I fully support gay marriage and I have been vocal about it, so much so that I was greeted by about a dozen [anti-gay] protesters outside one of my fundraisers. If I am lucky enough to be elected, I will continue my vocal support. I will lobby on Beacon Hill against DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act.

Roy Owens, at-large challenger

1) No opinion.

2) Only if we could not find matching prices in America.

3) The Boston Public School, because our children are our future.

4) Make sure all ethnic groups are included, especially religious groups.

5) Many people believe neighborhood schools is a good idea. It has been said it would stop busing and save money and give more security to the mothers who have to walk their children to school. But in many of the minority communities the neighborhood schools have been closed. If you stopped the busing, the children would have to walk to school, through dangerous streets and neighborhoods. Minority students would be more often late as a result. Minority students would be more open to assault and attack. Minority students’ education would be greatly affected. The Boston Public School budget has been cut [by] millions of dollars; if we don’t have the money to pay teachers and buy supplies, I do not believe we have money to build new schools.

6) The city has enough problems without worrying about where every private organization will be moving to.

7) This is a Christian nation formed by Christians who left Europe and other nations for a better way of life. They believe that God knew what he was doing when he created Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve has been our example since the world began, and that example still works today, it still takes a man and a women to produce a child. I am a firm believer that if something is not broken, it does not need fixing.