'I Will Fight,' Mayor Walsh Pledges in Fiery Finish to State of the City

BOSTON, MA — What could be Marty Walsh's final rendition of the annual State of the City address culminated in a burst of passion and thunderous applause, as Boston's mayor pledged to fight for the city and its values through "a time of uncertainty."

"At a time when cities must lead, Boston is a leader of cities. Whatever happens nationally, I will fight for our values," said Walsh, without mentioning President-elect Donald Trump by name. "I will fight for our families. I will fight for our seniors and our children, for our veterans, our immigrants, and those with disabilities. I will fight for good jobs, public schools, and affordable housing, for racial justice and equal rights. And I will never stop fighting for recovery."

The declaration followed Walsh's pledge to keep Boston's doors open to immigrants.

"We don't just welcome immigrants in Boston, we help them thrive, and we won't retreat an inch," said Walsh, the self-described "son of immigrants who needed a second chance."

"This is the city that made me who I am," he said.

It was the final State of the City address in Walsh's first term, a defiantly forward-looking speech that spoke at once to claims from his newly announced 2017 challenger and to an impending Republican president seen by many as hostile to the principles of a deep blue city in a dark blue state.

Also in his speech Tuesday, Walsh outlined a series of new initiatives he hopes to implement including:

• Filing legislation this week that will provide free pre-kindergarten to every four-year-old in Boston, funded through a surplus in the convention center fund, courtesy the city's tourism tax (his second attempt to get the idea off the ground);
• Investing $1 billion in Boston's school buildings, part of the pending, 10-year "Build BPS" plan (op-ed);
• "Cutting edge traffic light technology" based on new signals Walsh said will "adapt to traffic in real-time and work together to keep it moving"; and
• Returning library services to the Chinatown neighborhood, by providing services such as computer access, book-checkouts and educational support at the China Trade Center.

As is the norm in these annual speeches, Walsh devoted considerable time to recapping the achievements of his first four-year term, from free community college tuition to City Hall's Boston Winter installation. He also laid the groundwork for his reelection.

"We've made historic progress, and we're just getting started," he said. "Together we’ve built the foundation. Now we’re ready to soar."

If Walsh's unspoken challenge to Trump was heavy-handed, the speech's rebuttal to his mayoral challenger took a considerably lighter touch.

Last week, City Councilor Tito Jackson announced his intention to run this November.

In challenging Walsh, Jackson has struck to the left and taken a populist tact. In his campaign debut, he depicted two Bostons, a city divided along fault-lines of wealth and race.

Walsh repeatedly, in his State of the City, emphasized the reach of his vision for the city and his administration's economic and other efforts so far.

"We're bringing opportunity to the entire city," Walsh said, speaking of tax cuts.

"This should be a city for everyone," he said, referring to housing affordability.

Notably less mentioned was a business story once hailed as a coup. Walsh mentioned General Electric's decision to relocate its headquarters to Boston only once, and almost in passing. In his nascent campaign, Jackson has lashed out early and hard against a tax incentives package for GE championed in part by Walsh.

Walsh's detractors followed Tuesday's speech with a flurry of criticism spread through Twitter hashtag #MartyLostMeWhen.

The mayor has said he looks forward to debating Jackson on the issues, and defending his record.

Image via City of Boston