A new program in Boston will allow undocumented immigrants and children as young as 11 to have a say in how the city spends millions of dollars.
In 2021, Bostonians voted to approve the creation of the Office of Participatory Budgeting. Participatory budgeting is exactly what it sounds like: giving voters the opportunity to have a say in how a portion of the city’s budget is spent.
“Her decision-making has become as childish as this latest stunt.”
This year, the office’s purpose will finally be put into action as part of far-left Democratic Mayor Michelle Wu’s proposed 2025 budget.
Wu and her team plan to come up with a list of 15 community projects by September, and then in January voters will choose one of the following: Online or in person The five of them will receive a share of the $2 million allocated for OPB expenditures. While $2 million sounds like a lot, it’s actually just a fraction of the city’s overall budget. In 2024, the city’s overall budget will be $4.2 billion.
The concept of participatory budgeting originated in Brazil over 30 years ago, but in Boston it began as a result of the “Youth-Led Participatory Budgeting Initiative.” OPB website Staying true to its roots, any Boston resident age 11 or older can vote on the OPB ballot in January.
While it may be unsettling to have kids who still have five years before they can get their driver’s license help decide city spending decisions, at least many of them are U.S. citizens. To make matters worse, illegal immigrants will also be allowed to take part in Boston’s participatory budgeting. New York Post The report was likely made to help OPB in its mission of “achieving.”[e] Embed[] “Incorporating equity and inclusion into City practices.”
Boston’s participatory budget voting process has become so much of a fuss that even some prominent Democratic leaders have expressed concern, notably City Councilman Ed Flynn, who “unequivocally and vehemently opposed the voting process,” arguing that voters would find “letting kids decide how taxpayer money is spent” “insensitive, inconsequential and completely inappropriate.”
“At a time of great fiscal uncertainty, including a study warning that the city could lose $500 million in annual revenue due to remote work policies and declining commercial property values, and subsequent proposals for higher tax rates on commercial property, it is more important than ever to demonstrate to Boston taxpayers that we take our fiscal responsibility seriously,” Flynn said in a letter to Boston Tax Commissioner Renato Castello.
Other members of the City Council agreed with Flynn, but perhaps for different reasons. Erin Murphy expressed concerns about the process Union Bulletin The outlet did not say what Murphy’s objections were, the paper reported.
City Councilman John Fitzgerald, who does not list his party affiliation in either his city biography or campaign website, worries that participatory budgeting will give residents a bigger say in spending than the city council.
Paul Craney of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance thinks the whole idea is ridiculous. “Mayor Wu will do almost anything to grab headlines and attention, even abdicating his responsibilities as mayor and appointing non-children and non-citizens to make budget decisions with our tax money,” Craney told The Blaze News.
“Her decision-making is becoming as childish as this latest stunt.”
Democratic Party Members Liz BredonBut he’s much more optimistic about giving young people the right to vote. “I really think this is a great opportunity to increase civic engagement,” Bredon says. “I’m hopeful that we’ll see even more civic engagement in the future.”
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