A Vision for Boston:
Questions for the 2009 Mayoral Candidates

Day 15: Jobs

What would you do to ensure that Boston's economy is growing and that jobs are being created and maintained?

Response from Councilor Flaherty:

For us to remain competitive in the new global economy, we must make sure our local workforce is prepared. In addition to tacking our high school drop-out crisis and providing residents with quality education, we must help them find productive career paths where they can earn family sustaining wages and benefits. I have repeatedly advocated for us to tie our federal stimulus dollars to projects that will create jobs. I’ve also repeatedly called for better enforcement of the Boston Residency Job Policy to ensure that local work is going to local residents. The long-term impact of federal recovery funds and other economic development investments will only go so far if we aren’t putting our own residents to work.

We must also seize on the job opportunities made available to us by the emerging green sector, which is why I have advocated for a green vocational school within the BPS and investing in municipal greening projects that will provide hands-on training for residents with employment barriers. And we must better retain the intellectual talents of our college graduates who too often leave Boston and persuade potential companies to settle here with standardized and streamlined permitting and development processes.