華人協選會11日傍晚宣佈，支持巴洛斯（John F. Barros）競選波士頓市長。
華人協選會(Chinese
Progressive Political Action (CPPA) )表示，他們和來自各工作階層鄰里及有色社區的夥伴，發展出“城市權利（Right to the city)”這社區穩定平台。在仔細評估各候選人對這平台的回應後，他們決定支持巴洛斯。
今年稍早，華人協選會在華埠舉辦了一系列的社區會議，並以保留，重建，扎根為呼籲重心的和全市多個機構合作，建立起交流平台。
他們認為，自從2000年以來，波市府在華埠，以及其鄰近地區，已批准興建2000 個以上的高級住宅單位，還有更多在排隊等著建。高漲的地產價格已把華埠的磚造排屋售價及租金，大幅推高，讓早前仰賴廉宜住屋的許多移民家庭，流離失所。
居民，企業領袖及社區活躍分子一直努力使華埠更安全，更乾淨，更美麗，到頭來，卻在這社區變得更吸引人時，被迫遷出。
社區組織員陳玉珍表示，“我們需要一個能把訂定社區穩定政策列為政府優先要務的市長”。
華人前進會董事會共同主席湯建華表示，華埠居民和活躍分子都認為巴洛斯所率領，座落於洛士百利（Roxbury)的杜爹利街鄰里計劃（Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative），是個很有啓發性的例子，他們藉由建造可負擔住宅，實施社區控制發展的做法，實現了穩定核心居民的理想。她支持巴洛斯，是因為巴洛斯的工作成績有記錄。
華人協選會表示，其他人支持巴洛斯，是認同他對社區做決定的承諾，他曾是青年領袖的歷史，以及他是個移民家庭之子的背景。
圖片說明：
預定本月底離任的波士頓華埠社區中心行政主任伍綺玲（中），上個月再ＢＣＮＣ青少年主辦的市長論壇中，和同名約翰的約翰康納利(John
Connolly) ，以及巴洛斯（John Barros)
Chinese Progressive Political Action Endorses John Barros
Chinese
Progressive Political Action (CPPA) announced its endorsement of mayoral
candidate John Barros after an extensive review of candidates’ responses to the
Right to the City community stabilization platform developed with partners from
other working class neighborhoods and communities of color.
Earlier
this year, CPPA held a series of community meetings in Chinatown and with
citywide partners to draft a platform centered on the call to remain in,
reclaim, and rebuild the city. Since 2000, more than 2000 units of high end
housing have been approved by the City of Boston for Chinatown and the
immediate surrounding area, and still more are in the pipeline. Escalating real
estate values have brought rising rents and sales of Chinatown’s brick row
houses, displacing many immigrant families who have relied on this formerly
inexpensive housing.
Residents,
business leaders, and community activists have worked to make Chinatown safer,
cleaner, and more beautiful, only to be pushed out as the neighborhood becomes
more desirable.
“We
need a mayor who will make community stabilization policies the top priority of
city government,” said community organizer Karen Chen.
Chinatown
residents and activists look to the Roxbury neighborhood where John Barros led
the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative as an inspiring example of a
community that was able to stabilize its residential core through establishing
permanently affordable housing and exercising community control of development.
"I
support John Barros because he has a track record," said Chinatown
activist and board member Jian Hua Tang.
"We want residents to have more control of development in
Chinatown, to create permanently affordable housing to anchor our community,
and he has concrete experience that shows that it can be done."
Others
identified with Barros’ commitment to community decision-making, his history as
a youth leader, and his background as the child of an immigrant family.
