John Tobin Boston City Councillor

West Roxbury Begins “Recycle More” Program

Team Tobin — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:50:48 -0400

The following is a press release from the Mayor's Office:

Residents will receive large wheeled-carts for all recycling

Beginning July 14, residents of West Roxbury will be the next neighborhood to participate in Mayor Menino’s “Recycle More” program. The Boston Public Works Department will be distributing a 95-gallon wheeled-cart to ...

Congratulations to the Bromley Heath Saints All-Star Cheerleaders: 2008 JAMFEST National Champions

Team Tobin — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 10:20:38 -0400

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Boston Youth Zone: June Resources and Opportunities

Team Tobin — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 10:22:45 -0400

BOSTON R.O.C.K.S!!!
Do you Have Plans for the Summer? Are you looking to play on a sports team, to participate in a summer camp or to find an event in Boston? Boston R.O.C.K.S!!!- Recreational Opportunities for City Kids: If you are looking for summer programs for youth ages 8-18, check ...

Busing for private pupils scrutinized

Team Tobin — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 13:31:01 -0500

Councillor Tobin weighs in on busing Boston students to private and parochial schools in today's Boston Globe:

The Boston public schools, facing a growing deficit that will lead to severe budget cuts, spend more than $2 million a year to bus students to private and parochial schools around the city, ...

Citywide Police Party Line

Robert Orthman — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 18:32:15 -0400

From the latest Boston Police Citizens Alert:

The Boston Party Line is now in service. The purpose of the Party Line is to give city residents a direct contact for reporting the occurrence of loud after hours parties. The telephone number is 617-343-5500. It will be answered 24 hours a day. The Boston Police recommed that residents take full advantage of this service as a means of preventing late night disorderly behavior and the increased possibility of crime and other incidents that such behavior entails.

Please click on the following link for complete details: http://www.citizenobserver.com/alert_crime.jsp?id=537870

Our office encourages every Boston resident to sign up for Citizen Observer, a valuable tool for the Boston Police to bring you the most up-to-date information near where you live or work.

The BPDNews blog is also a great way to stay tuned to the latest from the Boston Police.

Governor Patrick revealed his corporate tax changes today..

David Isberg — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 21:59:29 -0500

What do you think of Governor Patrick's tax changes? Let us know.

Boston's unofficial city councilor of cool ideas

Steve Garfield — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 11:45:41 -0500

Boston Globe Editorial, To Write a Mirror:

JOHN TOBIN is Boston's unofficial city councilor of cool ideas. His latest proposal is that Boston should have a poet laureate.

"Poetry is really a news story," Tobin says of how moments are captured in verse.

Tobin has been steeping in poems. He recalls memorizing Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "The Children's Hour" and reciting it in grade school. Last year, Tobin was asked to read poetry -- his own or someone else's previously published work -- at an event in Jamaica Plain. He read Joyce Kilmer's "Trees," ("I think that I shall never see/ A poem lovely as a tree. . . . ") to more than 120 people. Tobin has also been talking to Joe Bergin, a member of an organization of carpenter-poets featured in a Globe story by Bella English.

Tobin's conclusion: a poet laureate could add literary depth to the changing city, writing to celebrate events or mark solemn occasions.

How do I build thee? Let me count the ways, a Boston Globe article on carpenter poets by Bella English.

New media will transform the scope of politics

Steve Garfield — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 08:18:25 -0500

Lance Dutson, publisher of MaineWebReport.com, writes about John Tobin in the Bangor Daily News:

Boston City Council candidate John Tobin teamed up with pioneering video blogger Steve Garfield during his last election. Through the use of a $300 digital video camera and a $10-a-month hosting account, Tobin was able to connect with local voters in a way that would have required hundreds of thousands of dollars in television buys. His short, three-minute or so video clips on the streets of Boston introduced a face, a name and a voice to what usually remains simply an R or D on a voter’s ballot. This type of new media will transform the scope of politics over the next several years, and those who get to it first will end up with a dramatic advantage... Connecting through video blogging or other new social media methods allows a much more transparent and personal message to come across, one that is free of the absurdities of old-school marketing

Will Seattle Follow Boston's School Committee Model?

Robert Orthman — Thu, 23 Nov 2006 07:23:34 -0500

The City of Seattle, Washington is considering following the model of Boston and some other cities across the United States in granting the Mayor control of appointees to the city's School Committee. This past Monday, The Seattle Times wrote about Seattle Mayor's Greg Nickels efforts and looked back to Boston as the first city to do this, in the early 1990s. Councillor Tobin commented on Boston's results in the piece.

Boston City Councilor John Tobin, who leads the council's Education Committee, said he often gets calls from frustrated parents who can't contact School Board members.

"There's little room for debate and discussion" with the appointed board, he said. "I'd like to broaden it so there's more neighborhood representation."

Councillor Tobin has repeatedly sponsored efforts to increase the visibility and interaction of the public with the Boston School Committee, including resolutions unanimously passed by the City Council urging the School Committee to broadcast its meetings on local television. Councillor Tobin has also sponsored legislation to have School Committee members appointed by City Council district to ensure better city-wide representation and accountability. Currently, there are a number of Council districts with no representative on the Committee.

Reaching Out to the Cape on Meals Tax Proposal

Robert Orthman — Thu, 23 Nov 2006 07:12:17 -0500

This past Tuesday, the Cape Cod Times ran a story on Councillor Tobin's proposal to devote 1% of the state's 5% meals tax to local aid for the city or town in which the money was generated. Councillor Tobin recently sent letters out to 40 cities and town governments in the Commonwealth to explain his plan and seek support.

''If we are going to talk about the state being a partner with the municipalities, that includes us,'' [Tobin] said. ''We have to take a step back. We need friends. We need strength in numbers across the state to make that argument.''

Back in August, The Boston Globe ran an editiorial on this proposal as well.

Note: The full article is featured after the fold as the Cape Cod Times only grants free access to their articles for 7 days.