Michelle Wu's Inauguration SpeechThank you fellow Boston City Councilors.
Thank you for putting your
trust in me to support your work and to lead the meetings of this council over
the next two years.
I am proud to be a member of
the Boston City Council and grateful to work with colleagues who are strong
advocates and good people. Thank you, Councilor Linehan, for your leadership over
the last two years.
I want to recognize all the
family, friends, and guests who are here with us today as we embark on a new
term.
Your love and support makes
our work possible and often comes with great personal sacrifice. We are so
grateful to have you as partners in service to the City. I’m of course most grateful
for my lovely family – my husband Conor, my sisters Sherelle and Tori who are here.
Don’t worry, Blaise is in the building - down in City Hall Child Care on the 4th
floor.
He’s in these chambers so
often that I’m sure he’s already banged the gavel before mom has.
I also want to thank our City
Clerk Maureen Feeney--former Council President—as well as the City Council
Central Staff and all Councilors’ staff members. You are often our eyes
and ears, and you keep everything running smoothly.
We appreciate the work that
you will be putting in these next two years to make our city’s government a
voice and service for our fellow citizens.
And thank you to Mayor Walsh,
who just presided over a beautiful Inauguration ceremony earlier this morning. His
leadership has helped to set a tone of collaboration and partnership with the
Council.
Together with the Mayor, the
Boston City Council has been taking the lead on important issues where state
and federal government has yet to act.
Together with the Mayor, the
Boston City Council has been taking the lead on important issues where state
and federal government has yet to act.
Over the last term, we stood
up for working families, passing paid parental leave for city workers.
We passed the Trust Act, highlighting
that Boston is a city where immigrant families are welcome.
We passed a diesel emissions
reduction ordinance, to make sure Boston is setting the standard for sustainability.
We created opportunities for
small businesses and artists, reducing red tape to encourage more vibrant
neighborhoods.
I look forward to continuing
to partner with the Mayor and his Administration in making strides forward for our
city.
Today we officially welcome our two newest colleagues,
Councilor Andrea Campbell and Councilor Annissa Essaibi George.
Councilor Andrea Campbell and Councilor Annissa Essaibi George.
Congratulations, and thank
you for stepping up to serve.
Your voices will be important
additions to the conversations in this Chamber and your service will be felt
throughout the city.
Know that all of our doors
will be open to you as you work towards the goals that called you to run for
office.
To all my colleagues: your willingness to subject yourselves
to spotlight and scrutiny – sometimes fair, often unfair – testifies to
character and integrity in each of you. It’s easy to give up and be cynical or
critical from the sidelines, but you’ve had the courage to put yourselves
forward and that says something special about each of you. I’m proud to serve
with you all.
Today’s Boston City Council brings together diverse
experiences and family backgrounds.
Some of us are from families who came to Boston generations
ago, and some from families who arrived more recently.
We are former labor union members, entrepreneurs, long-time
City employees, public interest attorneys, and a teacher.
We are moms and dads, sons and daughters, friends and
neighbors.
These experiences--struggles and joys--truly matter. In this
Chamber, every debate is informed by our own families’ lives and those of our
constituents.
We don’t just think and talk about policy, but feel
the challenges and impacts.
We are sworn in today at a time of historic inequality and
uneven opportunity in our country and our city.
This lack of opportunity has led to stark divisions in
Boston.
In some parts of our City, we see increased profits, gleaming
offices, and growing workforces.
But in too many parts of our City, we see skyrocketing
housing costs, nightly gunshots, devastating opioid addiction, insufficient
mental health supports, imbalanced schools, and stagnant wages that haven’t
kept pace with the costs of supporting a family.
We have a wealth gap that splits along lines of race and
geography.
Too many Bostonians are worrying that coming generations will
be worse off, and will have it harder than their parents or their grandparents
did.
Against this backdrop, the work of city government is more
vital than ever.
In this term, we will take action on reducing income
inequality, reforming our criminal justice system, improving educational
opportunities, and preparing for climate change.
This Council comprises 13 strong and committed advocates who
have knowledge and experience confronting many of the issues we’re facing.
Our committee assignments will make the most not only of your
knowledge and experience, but also of your passion for and commitment to
specific issues. By putting you to work on the things you care about most, we
will create a climate that revolves around a fundamental principle: your
achievements are the Council’s achievements, and your success is the Council’s
success.
This term, we will create new committees to focus our
resources on today’s pressing challenges:
·
A
new committee on Homelessness, Mental Health & Recovery
·
A
new committee on Jobs, Wages & Workforce Development
·
A
finer focus with reshaped committees on Environment & Sustainability, and
on Parks, Recreation & Transportation.
·
An
expanded committee to include not just Public Safety, but Public Safety &
Criminal Justice
Most of all, we will open up the business of the Council with
a focus on transparency and accessibility.
Working with the Administration, we will relaunch the Boston
City Council website to make legislative dockets, committee hearing schedules,
and Council business easier to understand and track online.
We will bring the Council directly into the neighborhoods,
asking each Committee Chair to host a Town Hall on his or her Committee’s area
of focus to help us set an action agenda for the term.
Boston has a history of showing that citizens can make a
difference.
Democracy started here, and we will carry on that legacy,
knowing that the key to progress is empowering people to get involved.
There is much to be done, and there is great energy on this
Council and in this city to do it.
Thank you for the opportunity to lead this body, and the
opportunity to continue to serve this city we all love. Together, I look
forward to working with all of you to expand opportunity for all Boston
residents, and make our government more transparent, accessible, and inclusive.
(Photos provided by Michelle Wu's office.)
