Saturday, August 11, 2007

At-Large City Councilor Stephen Murphy May Step Down Next Week

At-Large City Councilor Stephen Murphy seems to have spent his years in office unsuccessfuflly trying to land any other job he could get. He appears to have finally gotten his wish. The Boston Globe reports that he is considering a job offer with the Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency, and could leave his job as City Councilor as early as next week. Yes, next week -- possibly leaving his job even sooner than A-B City Councilor Jerry McDermott.

If Councilor Murphy steps down, his job will be taken by the fifth-place vote-getter in the last At-Large City Council election in 2005: John Connolly, who is already in the race this year for one of the At-Large Council seats. Connolly would hold the job until January 2008, at which point whomever won the November 2007 election would move in (or keep the seat).

Quick background on John Connolly: son of former Secretary of the Commonwealth Michael Connolly; former school teacher, including at state-chartered school Boston Renaissance Charter School; attended Boston College Law School; currently practicing as an attorney with Schofield & Campbell (& Connolly?); married to Meg Kassakian Connolly, a graduate student at BC; resides in West Roxbury. The Boston Globe profiled him in 2005. Has a fully-functional website and a YouTube commercial from 2005 (thanks to Harry Mattison for this).

Why can't these guys just stay in their Council jobs a couple more months until the end of their terms?

3 comments:

Josh said...

Good Riddance Murphy. He's been a part-time councilor each and every term. It's time stop wasting the taxpayer money and time in trying to pretend your changing our city. Instead of fighting crime, beautifying our streets and strengthening our neighborhoods, you been spending time looking for jobs and pursuing condoms on cocktail drinks. Connolly would be good on the council at least better than Murphy, but again he is a political insider riding on the fame of his father(he was secretary of state by the way). Hogan, who has run before, looks like the next strongest candiate to knock off an incumbent if Connolly goes in. Maybe he could prove to be more accountable than Yoon, who's been selling this city to the BRA and developers and not showing up to meetings like his fellow councilor Arroyo. Maybe Hogan can be the hope we need. I read his answers to the questionaire he posted and he's not a bad guy. His site is there www.votemartyhogan.info. Check him out.

Michael Pahre said...

Josh:

I met with Councilor Sam Yoon just yesterday about issues of institutional expansion in Allston-Brighton. And I have seen members of his staff -- particularly Jacob Baker -- at neighborhood meetings. Your data about him appear to be inaccurate.

I published your comments despite their attempt to advertise for a particular candidate, which would normally have the comment rejected.

Josh said...

I apologize, if plugging a candidate is wrong, but my feeling toward voting is very simple, look at everyone. I do appreciate you posting my comment. I've done my research on Yoon and according to the newspapers Yoon doesn't show up to city council meetings which was third amongst all of the Councilors behind Jim Kelly, which we all know it was because of the cancer, and Councilor Arroyo. I'm not sure about neighborhood meetings I can't speak for that. I work too long of hours to attend any neighbor meetings. I can't support someone who doesn't show up for what he's elected for. My message was clear, I'm hoping everyone who reads this looks at every candidate. I haven't seen any websites on Matt Geary or Estrada yet. I saw the one for Wyatt in the Tab, which is another one to look at. The link is there on the tab's website. I'm looking for someone who has follow through on his promises. I just don't see anything Yoon has championed or followed through.