Boston Elects an “Urban Populist” Mayor

For the first time in 16 years, Boston has a new mayor, former South Boston State Representative and City Councilor Ray Flynn, and he has become a cynosure of hope for many. Flynn’s record, however, is not such as to warrant great expectations. During the busing crisis a decade ago, for example, then State Representative Flynn introduced a bill to abolish compulsory public education, hoping thus to relieve South Boston of the necessity of complying with a federal court order to integrat...