Keller @ Large: Tito Jackson Says 'We've Been Sold A Bill Of Goods' On Mayor Walsh
BOSTON (CBS) -- Elections involving incumbents are always, at least in part, a referendum on that incumbent's performance.
City Councilor Tito Jackson, who has represented District 7 since 2011 and is now running for Mayor of Boston, isn't happy with the performance of Mayor Marty Walsh.
"We've been sold a bill of goods," Jackson said. "We thought Mayor Walsh was going to step forward and do what he said he was going to do with the Boston Planning and Development Authority, until he spent $600,000 to make it the BPDA. And he said that he was going to look out for working families around housing. In his administration, all we're building is luxury housing."
Jackson says that, as mayor, he would lead on affordable housing as well as providing a winning level of education to all students in Boston.
He also mentioned that he was the first city councilor to ask for the budget for the Olympic Games proposal Walsh pushed for--and noted that the organizers of the cancelled Indy Car race Walsh supported still have not paid back everyone who bought tickets.
"We need to have a mayor who is going to look at neighborhoods, look at communities, and look at real people who are struggling to be here in the City of Boston," Jackson said.
Jackson said he's "winning already" in the race against Walsh--because, he says, Walsh has adopted many of his progressive positions.
"I'm winning because Mayor Walsh last week said he now supports marijuana legalization--he didn't support it before," Jackson said. "He signed on to Question 2. He now is supporting a $15-an-hour minimum wage, which I put forward just this past Monday, and now he's on board."
The two also spoke about cuts to Boston Public Schools, and the possibility of bringing an Amazon corporate headquarters to Boston.
Boston voters will narrow the field of four mayoral candidates down to two in a preliminary election on September 26.
You can listen to Keller At Large on WBZ News Radio every weekday at 7:55 a.m. You can also watch Jon on WBZ-TV News.