Greater Boston Labor Council Endorsement

Boston, MA – Boston City Councillor At-Large John R. Connolly announced today that he has been endorsed for re-election by the Greater Boston Labor Council, which is comprised of over 150 local unions and district councils.  Connolly also touted a host of individual endorsements and said that he anticipates more in the coming weeks.

“I am honored that these unions have endorsed my candidacy,” said John Connolly.  “I have made it a priority over the past two years to support and advance those issues that are important to Boston’s working families.  In my second term, I will continue to be a strong and loyal advocate for the concerns and priorities of working men and women.”

Last Wednesday, Connolly filed a resolution in support of a paid sick leave bill pending before the state legislature that would allow all public and private employees in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to accumulate paid sick days. The legislation would result in substantial savings to employers by reducing turnover and minimizing absenteeism.  The bill would also provide employees with time to obtain meaningful health care for themselves and their families.

In addition to the Greater Boston Labor Council, the following labor organizations have endorsed John Connolly for re-election as an At-Large Councillor for the City of Boston: AFSCME Council 93, Boston Carmen’s Union Local 589, Boston Police Superior Officers Federation, Boston Teachers Union, IBEW Local 103, IBEW Local 2222, Massachusetts Division of 1199SEIU, New England Regional Council of Carpenters, and Carpenters Local Union 67.

About John Connolly
John R. Connolly is an At-Large City Councillor and a lifelong resident of Boston.  Connolly Chairs the City Council’s Education Committee, the Environment & Health Committee, and the newly formed Special Committee on a Livable Boston.  As Chair of these committees, Connolly has undertaken a number of education, public health and environmental initiatives since taking office in 2008.  A new father and former teacher, Connolly is committed to working for One Boston with great schools, safe streets, and healthy sustainable neighborhoods.  He grew up in Roslindale and is a graduate of Roxbury Latin, Harvard, and Boston College Law School.  John, his wife Meg, and their daughter Clare live in West Roxbury.

Calls for Environmental Science Academy as Key to Greening Boston

First term Boston City Councillor John R. Connolly unveiled an aggressive green agenda at today’s City Council meeting. Connolly is the Chair of the Council’s Environment and Health Committee and he has made one of his top priorities the expansion and development of sustainability initiatives in the City.

The centerpiece of Connolly’s green agenda is the call for an environmental science academy within the Boston Public Schools. With looming budget difficulties, Connolly stressed a big vision and noted an environmental science academy would take a few years to get to fruition and would not impact this year’s school budget. “Getting this from idea to reality won’t impact this year’s school budget. We need a big vision for our children’s future and to get out of the recession. A school like this could be a key to the City’s future. Let’s start exploring our options.” Connolly’s vision is to establish an innovative public school open to all Boston students and that has a rigorous math, science, and trades curriculum that will prepare students to compete in the green economy.

“The green job market is rapidly growing and the clean and green economy is key to Boston and the nation emerging from the recession,” Connolly said. “Now is the time to train Boston’s youth to be competitive in this growing job market and to create a more responsible citizen who is environmentally literate and practices sustainability in their daily lives and in their communities. Boston must lead the way in the green economy.”

A report issued last fall by Boston-based economic research firm, Global Insight, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors revealed that in 2006 there were about 750,000 green jobs and that millions more will be created in the U.S. over the next few decades.

In addition to an environment-focused interdisciplinary curriculum, Connolly envisions a Platinum-level LEED certified building that would set the standard for green building and development. “Let’s have a school powered by alternative energy with wind turbines on the site that the students can learn to operate. The school could set a standard nationwide.”

Connolly’s green agenda also includes promoting local and individual strategies to combat global climate change through small summits in Boston neighborhoods that would bring attention to personal steps that Bostonians can take to reduce their individual impact on the environment. “You don’t have to spend a lot of money or completely change your life to make a difference,” Connolly stressed. “For instance, if you only run your dishwasher when it’s full, you can reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by up to 100lbs a year and also save your household money. There are lots of simple things like this that we can all do to make a difference.”

Connolly also called for the creation of a carbon neutral neighborhood pilot program in the city. Being carbon neutral refers to achieving net zero carbon emissions by balancing a measured amount of released carbon with an equivalent amount that is sequestered or offset. “Creation of a carbon neutral neighborhood pilot program will help Bostonians take responsibility for their environmental impact and encourage others to make positive changes in their homes and habits,” Connolly said. “The goal is to get individuals and businesses working together to pledge to reduce their impact on the environment with incentives and help from the city.”

The final aspect of Connolly’s green agenda is continued work on a shared bike program for Boston. “Shared bike programs operate successfully in various cities around the world, and I’d like to see the benefits of those programs happen here in Boston,” Connolly said.

The City of Boston issued a Request For Information (RFI) from qualified vendors and those with expertise in design, construction, and operation of a “third-generation” bicycle sharing program last year. A “third-generation” bike share program incorporates information technology with the shared bikes. The City has not yet released the results of the RFI.

“Through the budget process last year I helped secure a promise from the Administration to triple the number of hybrid vehicles being added to the City’s fleet,” Connolly said. “I hope that with my green agenda for 2009, I can continue to work toward making Boston the greenest and healthiest city in the world.”

In addition to his work as Chair of the Environment and Health Committee, Connolly also serves as Acting Chair of the Education Committee, and was recently appointed Chair of newly established Special Committee on a Livable Boston. Connolly’s efforts on the Education Committee have included work on innovative programs to reduce truancy and hold parents of truant students accountable. Connolly is a former teacher.

As Chair of the Special Committee on a Livable Boston, Connolly intends to conduct meetings in neighborhoods across the City to explore the impact of the recession on Bostonians, and to explore Boston’s ability to attract and retain people from all walks of life who want to make Boston home for a lifetime.

BOSTON, MA – It was announced today that City Councillor At-Large John R. Connolly will chair three City Council Committees this year: Education, Environment, Health and Human Services, and the newly created committee known as the Special Committee on a Livable Boston.a

Councillor John R. Connolly just completed his first year on the Council. He served as Chair of the Environment and Health Committee and Vice Chair of the Education Committee. He also served as a member on six other committees: City & Neighborhood Services, Economic Development & Planning, Government Operations, Post Audit & Oversight, Ways & Means, and Youth Affairs.

Last year, as Chair of the Environment and Health Committee, Councillor Connolly focused on helping to make Boston a greener and healthier city. His efforts included filing a hearing order to examine local and individual strategies and actions to reduce the causes of global climate change. He will be holding neighborhood summits in the upcoming year to raise awareness surrounding this issue. He also filed legislation promoting energy efficient light bulbs, also known as Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFL’s) and continues to work toward establishing a bike-share program in Boston. During the 2008 budget process Councillor Connolly pushed every city department to improve energy costs for facilities and vehicle fleets and, as part of the final budget for fiscal year 2009, Councillor Connolly secured a commitment from the administration to triple the number of hybrid vehicles to be added to the City of Boston fleet. In a yearend e-mail to constituents, Councillor Connolly noted, “This commitment promotes both environmental responsibility and sound fiscal policy. A sustainable city vehicle fleet will reduce carbon emissions and save your tax dollars through better fuel efficiency. Through measures like this, I truly believe we can make Boston the greenest and healthiest city in the world.”

As a former teacher and Vice Chair of the Education Committee, Councillor Connolly has made education a top priority. Last year Councillor Connolly filed an order for a hearing on the needs of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) and their families in the City of Boston. He met with parents of children with autism, educators and medical personnel who work with children diagnosed with ASDs. He plans to hold a hearing on the issue and promote some changes in programming offered by the city in 2009. Councillor Connolly also filed an order for a hearing on how to implement a chronic truancy intervention program that focuses on parental accountability and family engagement. Councillor Connolly is planning meetings with leaders in municipalities who have successfully implemented similar programs and he is advocating for a pilot program based on this model as part of Boston’s approach to truancy intervention.