By: Ben Linares

People have lost faith in politicians. I’m with them. How can we trust and respect those who want our vote but can’t actually seem to fix anything? In today’s twisted world of politics, it’s hard to actually find a good politician. When we finally do find one, it’s even harder to say goodbye to that person. No matter what political party you affiliate with, Democrat, Republican or Independent, there is no arguing the fact that Thomas Menino was a remarkable politician. He served his city valiantly for twenty years and will go down as one of the brightest and certainly one of the strongest men to ever occupy the mayor’s office. Boston under Menino has grown to be one of America’s flagship cities and will continue to because of the tireless efforts of the mayor and his staff.

In 1993, when Menino took office, for every 100,000 citizens of Boston there were 1,957 violent crimes. In 2011 there were 845. He has opened seven new public schools and has improved education for Boston’s 57,000 public school students. He played a key role in the development of Boston’s seaport district and the subsequent development of over 1,000,000 square feet of convention space. He used his political might to put that square footage to good use when Boston held the 2004 Democratic convention. He improved healthcare for poor citizens with the creation and implementation of the Boston Medical Center and has always, since day one, stood up for the rights of those in the LGBTQ community.

To me, creating a diverse community is an important job of any one in public service. Mayor Menino has done an outstanding job in this regard. Since 1993, the Hispanic population in Boston has grown almost 7 percent, the Asian population, almost 4 percent. 53 percent of Boston’s communities are ones of color. Boston has become a world class city with world class people. Of course, there were some setbacks like the great “Filene’s Hole,” but all of these setbacks will lead to growth and will help the next mayor, whoever he may be, succeed in areas Menino could not. However, after twenty years of public service, I give this mayor a standing ovation. I hope that the next mayor governs in his own way and does things differently but he should definitely look up to Menino as a great example. Farewell Mayor Menino, your dedication and courage will be missed.