City and town governments are always looking for new ways to generate revenue without having to raise taxes on homeowners or commercial businesses, especially during these tough fiscal times. Advertising on websites, as done all across the private sector, is a proven way to generate new income. The City of Boston’s web site received an astonishing 6.8 million visits last year, while the Boston Public Schools’ web site received 4.7 million visits. With this kind of traffic, the City and the BPS could potentially raise hundreds of thousands of dollars in recurring revenue from advertising on …

This has been a busy year in West Roxbury and the city. In 2010 I have focused on a number of initiatives aimed at improving our schools and "greening" our city. As we end 2010 I want to thank all of you for your help.  Residents from West Roxbury and across the city attended and testified at Boston City Council hearings, called my office with ideas, and worked with each other toward our shared goal of One Boston. Over this past year, I have been very focused on improving our schools. As a former teacher and a parent, education is one of my top priorities. In September, I chaired a hearing …

As the first snow of the season hits the region (and in anticipation of a white Christmas), AgeWell West Roxbury and WalkBoston are teaming up to take on the New England winter with the formation of a new Snow Committee. At our first meeting last week, I was asked to co-chair of the Snow Committee along with Alan McKinnon of the Gardens at Gethsemane. The committee will be lead by Janice Williams of Ethos and Rosa Carson of Walk Boston. The committee's goal is to help prepare seniors in the community for snowstorms and to assist them with snow removal once the inclement weather arrives.  When…

In my last column I discussed the budgetary challenges the city of Boston is facing as we head into the New Year. With over $61 million in stimulus funds drying up and a potential loss of $30–$40 million in local aid, we are looking at a potential total loss of $100 million. We will, however, see an additional $30 million in Proposition 2 ½ levy growth. This will not be enough, however, to maintain the current level of municipal services that residents deserve and, frankly, expect. Simply put, we have to find ways to do what we do better. One of the ways we can work to keep Boston flourishing…

On Friday, December 10, 2010, the Government Operations Committee of the Boston City Council will hold a hearing to discuss the Invest in Boston ordinance I filed on October 6th. As we enter the holiday season, we reflect on our actions during the last 12 months and set our goals and aspirations for the future. The Invest in Boston legislation represents the culmination of a year's hard work to ensure a better future for Boston families and for all the small business owners who keep alive the entrepreneurial spirit of our city. The city of Boston currently has more than $1.1 billion invested …

The best bet to prepare Boston's students for the 21st century economy, and drive our city's economy in the future isn't STEM learning. It's STEAM learning. The focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) learning, rightly, is the educational response to the global change in the way our interconnected economies work in the 21st century. A student with a solid grounding in STEM learning will likely be the more attractive college and job applicant. Emphasizing STEM learning makes sense and the curriculum offered in Boston's schools should reflect the new economic reality. …

As you might know, one of the Committees that I chair is the Boston City Council's Committee on Environment and Health. I've worked hard during my time on the Council to "green" our city, as it makes sense financially and environmentally.  Today, however, I wanted to discuss the work that I have been doing to protect the health of our residents.  This past Wednesday, I introduced to the Council a hearing order to address the consumption of caffeinated alcoholic beverages in the city of Boston.   Recently you may have heard about one of these beverages, Four Loko.  A standard 23.5 ounce can …

In the almost 14 years I've served on the Boston City Council, I've witnessed the ebb and flow of the city's financial health. As you know, we've faced some hardships over the years, but with the leadership of the Menino administration's financial team, we have fared better than most other municipalities.  The coming months leading into fiscal year 2012 (FY2012), however, we will once again be faced with tremendous challenges as we deal with reduced funding from the federal and state governments. Boston will be losing over $20 million in federal stimulus dollars at the end of this fiscal …

This Thursday, November 11th we celebrate Veterans Day. As a country we thank veterans for their service to our country and remember the veterans that made the ultimate sacrifice. They made that sacrifice to protect our freedom and our democracy. Voting is the central piece to our democracy; therefore, by voting we are honoring all of those that have died for our right to vote. Our country is based on the principle of a government of the people, for the people and by the people. The greatest benefit of being an American is the right to vote. Sadly, many of us take this right for granted. Our …