In Boston, labor and business together

Aerial view of Downtown Boston, 2015

— Photo by Nick Allen 

Adapted from Robert Whitcomb’s “Digital Diary,’’ in GoLocal24.com

Kim Janey, the president of the Boston City Council, will become The Hub’s acting mayor as Mayor Marty Walsh heads off to become Joe Biden’s labor secretary. It’s unclear whether she’ll actually run for the job.

I hope not, since Ms. Janey seems more interested in ethnic identity and appealing to certain neighborhood politics than with  the overall state of the city. She also seems to have little knowledge of, or respect for, business. That Marty Walsh and his predecessor, Tom Menino, both standard liberal Democrats, understood that nurturing a vibrant business climate was essential in paying for municipal programs explains some of Boston’s stunning prosperity in recent decades.

As Jon Chesto wrote in The Boston Globe, “Walsh knew what every big-city mayor understands: Success depends heavily on a thriving business community. Boston’s budget is particularly reliant on a strong haul of commercial property taxes, a steady stream that has continued to earn the city high marks from two bond-rating agencies during the COVID-19 pandemic.’’ When a city’s bond rating falls, its interest costs – and often its taxes -- go up. Mr. Chesto noted:  “progressivism often gives way to pragmatism when you have to run a city as large and as dynamic as Boston.’’

To read Mr. Chesto’s article, please hit this link.

Whoa, a U.S. labor secretary who will be pro-labor instead of pro-plutocrat (the case under the gangster who left the Oval Office Jan. 20)!  

Mr. Walsh used to run the Boston Building Trades, among other union positions, before he became mayor. He understands the needs of working people. But he also understands business. Yes, you can be pro-labor and pro-business. Indeed, such a mating is the best for the long-term health of the economy.