Synopses & Reviews
Bostonandrsquo;s late, revered mayor explains the power behind the cityandrsquo;s dramatic success andmdash; and its lessons for Washington power brokers.
When Thomas Menino stepped down from office as one of the longest-serving major-city mayors in the nationandrsquo;s history, he was among the most popular politicians in modern memory. Inand#160;Mayor for a New America,and#160;Menino gives a play-by-play look at how he managed to wield political influence while staying fiercely loyal to the interests of the people he was elected to serve.
The unassuming guy from Bostonandrsquo;s Hyde Park neighborhood was an unlikely politician. Heandrsquo;d been a backstage campaign workhorse whose career nearly ended the second he stepped into the spotlight, tongue-tied. Although not a fancy talker, Mayor Menino took to the details of running the city he loved. By taking care of the small stuff andmdash; fixing potholes, cleaning up parks, plowing the streets quickly after snowstorms andmdash; he won the publicandrsquo;s trust to deliver on the big issues. He had a progressive agenda and was forward thinking in his support of an innovation economy and a champion of gay rights. He also held fast to the values of his childhood andmdash; good schools, a growing middle class, and close-knit, welcoming communities.
In this candid look back at a career that spanned the busing crisis of the 1970s, the remarkable resurgence of the neighborhoods, and the cityandrsquo;s extraordinary response to the Boston Marathon bombing, Menino tells behind-the-scenes stories and gives a master class in urban politics. And his proven, people-focused track record provides inspiration for a dysfunctional Washington to actually get things done andmdash; just like he did in Boston.
Review
and#160;andquot;When your career includes delivering twenty straight State of the City addresses in Boston, youandrsquo;ve got a lot to teach the world about leadership and andldquo;getting stuff done.andrdquo;
Mayor for a New America is a fascinating look at how he did it. I worked with Tom Menino for eight years on the challenges facing our cities. I know how much he did for the people of Boston.andquot;
andmdash;President Bill Clinton
and#160;
andldquo;Mayor Tomand#160;Menino led the resurgence of Bostonand#39;s neighborhoods, expanded parks and livable spaces, and fought for an economy at the frontiers of innovation.and#160; He also knitted together a divided city and led the way for a new American revolution, ordering insurance coverage for domestic partners in 1996, performing marriages for same-sex couples in 2004, and sponsoring an annual gay prom at City Hall for Bostonandrsquo;s teenagers. and#160;A Mayor for a New Americaand#160;tells his story, from meeting his wife Angela toand#160;leading Boston after the Marathon bombings. and#160;Meninoand#39;s Boston truly is a city on a hill, a model for the country and for the world.andrdquo;
andmdash;Senator Elizabeth Warren, author of A Fighting Chance
Synopsis
A revealing memoir by Bostonand#8217;s beloved five-term mayor, explaining the power behind Bostonand#8217;s success and lessons for the Washington power brokers
Synopsis
Boston's late, revered mayor explains the power behind the city's dramatic success -- and its lessons for Washington power brokers.
When Thomas Menino stepped down from office as one of the longest-serving major-city mayors in the nation's history, he was among the most popular politicians in modern memory. In Mayor for a New America, Menino gives a play-by-play look at how he managed to wield political influence while staying fiercely loyal to the interests of the people he was elected to serve.
The unassuming guy from Boston's Hyde Park neighborhood was an unlikely politician. He'd been a backstage campaign workhorse whose career nearly ended the second he stepped into the spotlight, tongue-tied. Although not a fancy talker, Mayor Menino took to the details of running the city he loved. By taking care of the small stuff -- fixing potholes, cleaning up parks, plowing the streets quickly after snowstorms -- he won the public's trust to deliver on the big issues. He had a progressive agenda and was forward thinking in his support of an innovation economy and a champion of gay rights. He also held fast to the values of his childhood -- good schools, a growing middle class, and close-knit, welcoming communities.
In this candid look back at a career that spanned the busing crisis of the 1970s, the remarkable resurgence of the neighborhoods, and the city's extraordinary response to the Boston Marathon bombing, Menino tells behind-the-scenes stories and gives a master class in urban politics. And his proven, people-focused track record provides inspiration for a dysfunctional Washington to actually get things done -- just like he did in Boston.
Synopsis
A revealing memoir by Bostonand#8217;s beloved five-term mayor, explaining the power behind Bostonand#8217;s success and lessons for Washington power brokers After twenty years of service, Mayor Thomas Menino is stepping down from his office as one of the longest-serving major-city mayors in United States historyand#8212;and one of the most popular politicians in modern memory. His political career has stretched from the busing crisis of the 1970s to the cityand#8217;s extraordinary response to the Boston Marathon bombings in 2013.and#160;
Menino tells exclusive behind-the-scenes stories of urban politics and provides inspiration for Washington with his proven, people-focused method: and#8220;Do the small stuff so you can win the credibility to do the big stuff.and#8221; Heand#8217;s not known as a fancy talker, but he gets things done. Under his wing, the city has enjoyed unprecedented economic growth while fostering a new attitude of acceptance. Menino shows how a very old city shook off its Puritan roots and racial tensions to become a truly twenty-first-century city.
About the Author
Elected five times as Mayor of Boston and five times as a City Councilor, Thomas M. Meninoandnbsp;(1942-2014) spent a lifetime building a better city for residents and businesses. Menino was known as a mayor of the people and was widely recognized for meeting more than half of Bostonandrsquo;s residents. Following his final term, which drew to a close in January 2014, Mayor Menino joined Boston University, where he served as codirector for the newly founded Initiative on Cities. He is survived by his wife of forty-eight years, Angela, their two children, and their six grandchildren.
Jack Beatty is a news analyst for NPRandrsquo;s On Point and the author of The Rascal King,andnbsp;a biography of Boston mayor James Michael Curly.
Table of Contents
Introduction1
From Hyde Park to City Hall
Up from Busing
19
The Struggle for the Schools
and#8220;Iand#8217;m not a fancy talkerand#8221;
71
Police and Fire
A City for All
117
Getting Stuff Done
and#8220;Heyhowaya?and#8221;
173
and#8220;To Think I Did All That . . .and#8221;
221
Index
233