波士頓市議員Lara、Arroyo惹民憂 議長Ed Flynn發聲明籲高道德標準

           (Boston Orange 編譯)  波士頓市議會議長愛德華費連 (Ed Flynn) 7月5日發表聲明，引述波士頓市議員Kendra Lara、Ricardo Arroyo近況，強調波士頓市人民應得到最高標準，強有力，有道德的領導。民選議員應成熟的負責任，和他們所服務的人民一樣遵守基本規則。

                          波士頓市議員Kendra Lara 是在6月30日發生車禍，撞進民宅，爆出無照駕駛，開的車也沒登記，無保險，車上小孩沒坐加高座椅等一連串違規行為。

波士頓市議員Ricardo Arroyo則是因為在自己當選為波士頓市議員後，仍然出任自己哥哥在波士頓市政府擔任健康及人民服務長時，涉及性騷擾案件的律師，未做利益衝突迴避，違反麻州道德法規定。他承認了違反規定，繳交了罰款3000元。

愛德華費連議長在許多市民找他，表示不安、困擾後，決定發表聲明。

以下為愛德華費連的聲明譯文，以及原文:

“許多波士頓居民就最近在牙買加平原發生的車禍向我表達了他們的擔憂。首先，很幸運的是，拉拉議員和她的孩子——以及附近的屋主、駕駛者、行人或旁觀者——沒有受到嚴重傷害，我們祝願他們早日康復。我們感謝我們敬業的一線救援人員，他們以專業的態度確保每個人都安全並得到適當的治療。

                         然而，波士頓市的居民對這起事件報告中令人不安的細節感到擔憂，據稱包括一輛未註冊的車輛、一張被吊銷的駕駛執照、沒有汽車保險、過期的檢驗貼紙，以及孩子缺乏增高座椅。這發生在阿羅約議員承認違反道德規範並被馬薩諸塞州道德委員會罰款 3,000 美元的同一週。

                       這些事件，以及過去的其他事件，繼續給波士頓市議會這一機構帶來負面關注，並分散了我們市民對人民事務的關注。

                        波士頓市民值得享有最高標準的強大和道德領導。此外，他們希望當選官員表現出成熟、承擔責任，並在把我們置於公共信任的位置時，能夠遵守與他們服務的人民相同的基本規則和規範。 

"Many Boston residents have contacted me regarding their concerns on the recent car crash in Jamaica Plain. First, it is fortunate that Councilor Lara and her child - as well as nearby homeowners, motorists, pedestrians or bystanders -were not seriously injured, and we wish them a speedy recovery. We thank our dedicated first responders for their professionalism in ensuring that everyone was safe and was treated appropriately for their injuries. 

However, residents across the City of Boston are concerned about troubling details in the reports of this incident, allegedly including an unregistered vehicle, a revoked driver’s license, no auto insurance, an expired inspection sticker, and the lack of a booster seat for the child. This occurred in the same week that Councilor Arroyo admitted to ethics violations and was fined $3,000 by the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission.

These events, and others in the past, continue to draw negative attention to the institution of the Boston City Council, and distract our city from focusing on the people’s business.

The people of Boston deserve the highest standards of strong and ethical leadership. Moreover, they want elected officials who show maturity, take responsibility as adults, and demonstrate the ability to follow the same basic rules and norms as the people they serve when placing us in positions of public trust.

The residents of Boston deserve leaders who respect their constituents and take their responsibilities seriously, especially during these challenging times."