News From the 2005 Mayoral Campaign  
 
Please read all about Maura in the news!    Please check this section regularly for all the latest news.

Campaign News: Press kit

Maura making local and national news:

Neighborhood Issues

North End outage throws political sparks
(Boston Globe © 08/13/2005)
Hennigan seized on this week's manhole explosions [in the North End] by asserting in a news conference that Mayor Menino has not demanded enough of the electric utility. ''The mayor is asleep at the switch," Hennigan said. ''He is not holding NStar accountable, and it is his obligation as mayor of this city to make sure our streets and our sidewalks are safe." ... [more]

Click here for the text of Maura's Press Conference on this issue

Politics go postal over lot
(West Roxbury Transcript © 07/21/2005)
Hennigan said state law stipulates that if the city's Off-Street Parking Facilities Board entered into a long-term lease with the post office, it would have to replace the same number of spaces it removed. Instead, she said, because the board voted to turn over a portion of the lot to the Department of Neighborhood Development two months ago, it removed itself from any responsibility to compensate the public for the loss of 62 spaces. ... [more]

Post Office Relocation in West Roxbury Angers Residents
(Boston Globe © 05/24/2005)
Councilor at Large Maura A. Hennigan said the city should have sought more community input. Last week, she scheduled a public hearing tomorrow to discuss the parking lot. ... [more]

Postal plans need more parking, say residents
(West Roxbury Transcript © 04/07/2005)
Speaking about the possible relocation of the Post Office in West Roxbury, Hennigan said the "community should not consider accepting this location purely because there seems to be a lack of another." ... [more]

Fighting For the Gaiety Theatre
(Sampan © 04/05/2005)
During a Zoning Board meeting, Hennigan "demanded the right to see the counsel responsible for the hearing’s closure." ... [more]

BU confirms scientists' illness
(Daily Free Press © 01/21/2005)
"Particulary in an area where historically the constituencies do not have as much political clout, trust has been violated by BU and most importantly by the city's chief executive, the mayor," said Hennigan. ... [more]

Menino and BU's biolab
(Boston Globe © 01/27/2005)
''It is always very tempting when you have hundreds of millions of dollars waved in your face and a good working relationship with an institution," says Maura Hennigan. ''But first and foremost the chief executive of a city has the obligation to first, do no harm." ... [more]

Click here for Maura's Position on BU's Biolab


Fiscal Issues

Only Maura Hennigan hedges on $2 billion city budget
(West Roxbury Transcript © 07/07/2005)
... Maura Hennigan was the only councilor who voted against the operating and school department portion of the budget. "[Mayor Thomas M. Menino] hasn't provided enough resources for basic services," said Hennigan ... [more]

Click here for Maura's Editorial on the latest City budget

Mayor's Budget Rejected By Council At First Glance
(West Roxbury Transcript © 06/16/2005)
...The Boston City Council unanimously rejected Mayor Thomas Menino's $2 billion budget. "Clearly the administration did not reach out to the community and the councilors," said At-Large Councilor Maura Hennigan ... [more]

Use Convention Funds For Youth
(Boston Globe © 05/26/2005)
Maura Hennigan supports the idea that surplus money from the Democratic National Convention be used to supplement needs in the city budget, such as summer jobs and youth programs. ''An investment in our youth is the best use," she said. ''Let's not throw this money around." ... [more]

City seeks new tax revenues
(Boston Globe © 03/28/2005)
Maura noted ''We have a huge office vacancy rate that means declining revenue from office buildings. If there were a visionary plan to revitalize downtown businesses, they would close the gap in revenue."... [more]


Mayoral Term Limits

Let's not give more than two terms for Boston's mayor
(West Roxbury Transcript © 04/26/2005)
Maura explained "I truly believe that a limited term for elected executive office holders is in the best interest of the citizenry. I therefore transform my verbal pledge into action by taking a lead role in seeking to reform the City Charter in this regard." ... [more]


Education

Hennigan urges longer school day
(Boston Globe © 07/01/2005)
Hennigan said she's going further than the mayor by proposing that Boston public schools eventually extend the school day in all 139 schools. The former Boston teacher said that the extra time would help schools boost students' academic achievement, keep them out of trouble, and allow more students to pursue creative and athletic endeavors. ''We need a full day in each and every public school," she said. ... [more]

Click here to read the complete text of Maura's speech on education

Hennigan calls for education reform
(Allston/Brighton TAB © 07/17/2005)
Hennigan believes the six-hour school day is an antiquated product of the 19th century, when public education became prevalent in the United States. As mayor, she plans to make schools the hub of a community where the whole child is enriched through full day educational activities and parents and their input are welcome at any time. ... [more]

On pilot school demand, no debate
(Boston Globe © 05/08/2005)
''I am very strongly supportive of pilots," says Hennigan. However, she maintains that the bigger promise of pilot schools -- that they would be models for innovation that could be replicated throughout the system -- has not been met. ... [more]

Chaos Theory - Maura Hennigan revives the school-committee debate
(Boston Phoenix © 04/15/2005)
If elected, Hennigan promises, she will use the mayoral bully pulpit to build support for replacing the seven-member appointed committee with a five-member body that would be elected at large — that is, by voters from across Boston. ... [more]


Pet / Animal Issues

Pet profiling: law under attack
(Boston Globe © 03/20/2005)
''Breed-specific legislation does not solve the problem," says Maura Hennigan, a mayoral candidate and a Boston city councilor who voted against the pit bull ordinance when it came before the City Council last June... She calls it ''feel-good legislation that's really useless," useless because irresponsible people allow their animals to go out of control. ... [more]


Campaign For Mayor

And they're off - a day on the campaign trail
(Boston Globe © 07/31/2005)
It will be a steamy Saturday of campaigning for Maura Hennigan... ''I have a wonderful opportunity to make a difference," she says. ''It's like a tidal wave. You can't stop it when people see the need for change, the need for fresh air. It doesn't matter how much money you spend." ... [more]

The City Beat
(Boston City Paper © 07/30/2005)
There’s only about 100 days left to the November election. Mayor Menino is up against a rough campaigner and a woman who has been in the public eye for 25 years and the only one who has served on every configuration of the Boston City Council in that time. ... [more]

Hennigan seeks influx of cash to challenge Menino
(Boston Globe © 07/29/2005)
Mayoral challenger Maura A. Hennigan said yesterday she will borrow against her home and two other houses she owns to pump at least $100,000 into her campaign. ... [more]

Challenger to fund run with house
(Boston Herald © 07/29/2005)
Hennigan said using her personal assets will be more than enough to run an effective campaign, it still won't keep pace with Menino's fund raising. He has pulled in more than $300,000 since June alone, much of it from big-money corporate donors. ... [more]

Hennigan bets the ranch
(Boston Herald © 07/30/2005)
Voters have to admire any politician willing to put it all on the line - including the roof over her head - as mayoral contender Maura Hennigan is about to do. ... [more]

HENNIGAN GETS FIRST BOSTON ENDORSEMENT
(Boston Phoenix © 07/14/2005)
On July 10, the Boston chapter of Democracy for America (DFA), a progressive group originally founded by Howard Dean, gave the nod to Hennigan ... The DFA Boston press release praised Hennigan’s lengthy council tenure and her focus on public schools and economic development. ... [more]

The Geopolitics of two cities in a peanutshell
(New York Times © 07/17/2005)
... Boston's politics can be more caustic and quirky. Memories are long. ... Already people talk about how Mr. Menino didn't invite his chief political rival, City Councilor Maura Hennigan, to a budget-signing last month with her colleagues. ... [more]

Someone tell Maura Hennigan’s father to let the new generation handle this mayoral campaign
(Boston City Paper © 06/11/2005)
... I don’t see Maura Hennigan going into City Hall as Mayor and firing city workers. She’s not a heartless human being. And besides, patronage is not what the Hennigan family has ever been about. They are their own clan of politicians. They have always been an independent lot and never beholden to power politicians. ... [more]

For a long shot, Hennigan's on target
(Boston Herald © 06/20/2005)
Woodlief noted: ... there is a current of unease out in Boston's neighborhoods, especially over schools, crime and affordable housing, that gives the challenger heart and must give Thomas Menino heartburn ... [more]

Hennigan gets creative to match mayor's war chest
(Boston Globe © 06/27/2005)
Hennigan, who last week was personally phoning potential donors, said matching Menino dollar for dollar will be all but impossible. ''People who give to him tend to want to influence him -- people who need permits from the city or individuals or organizations that rely on the city for funding," she said. ''Our people have known us throughout our career. They're friends and people who tend not to be political -- average people whom we have helped over the years and people who can't be intimidated by him." ... [more]

Hennigan asks mayor to debate
(Boston Globe © 06/21/2005)
Hennigan noted "He [Menino] doesn't want to defend his record. Not only does he refuse to defend his record, he doesn't want to articulate a vision for the future. ... [more]

Read the Mayor's many replies to the debate challenge:

Voters needs not debatable
(Boston Globe © 07/18/2005)
Adrian Walker noted "The issue of a debate speaks to a larger point. It's about not taking reelection for granted; it's about not taking the voters for granted. When that becomes a joke, something's gone very wrong." ... [more]

'Mumbles' wants to speak
(Boston Herald © 07/14/2005)
[Maura Hennigan] has started a ``debate watch'' counting the days since her challenge more than two weeks ago. She said she is ''ready, willing and able'' to meet Menino anytime, anywhere, adding, ``We can have one next week.'' ... [more]

Profile in cowardice
(Boston Phoenix © 07/06/2005)
... Menino needs to be shoved out of his comfort zone, pushed to hone his policies until they can withstand scrutiny in the electoral marketplace. ... [more]

A contest this city needs
(Boston Globe © 03/10/2005)
Adrian Walker noted "The more important point is that the city needs the race. It needs to be shaken out of the doldrums produced, at least in part, by having just three mayors in the past 37 years." ... [more]

Hennigan enters the race for Mayor
(Boston Globe & West Roxbury Transcript © 03/10/2005) (East Boston Sun Transcript © 03/11/2005)
Hennigan says she wants to participate in a campaign that addresses affordable housing, education, and healthcare, all serious issues facing Boston 12 years after Menino took office. ... [more]

Hennigan called a Worthy Opponent
(Boston Globe © 03/10/2005)
Hennigan, a city councilor since 1981, stood on the stairs of the towering stone building and proclaimed that she would outwork Mayor Thomas M. Menino by campaigning neighborhood to neighborhood to fulfill her vision of a City Hall that listens to residents' concerns about housing, education, and property taxes. ... [more]

Menino sings a tired old tune
(Boston Globe © 04/20/2005)
Hennigan noted ''I think after 12 years in office, if he wants to serve more, he owes [a series of debates] to his constituents" ... [more]

Competition for Menino
(Boston Globe © 04/26/2005)
The Boston Globe noted "If Menino doesn't come out and make his case directly, then the rationale for his return to office would be, well, debatable." ... [more]

Mayoral run has surprising twist
(Daily Free Press © 04/26/2005)
"I've always made it a very personal campaign," Hennigan told The Daily Free Press. "I'm out door to door [to] hear what the issues are on people's minds." ... [more]