"Some people said we overreacted, but if we didn't do what we did and something went wrong, I would have my head on a platter," Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino told a political science class at Tufts yesterday.
He was referring to the city's response last week to a set of Cartoon Network advertisements that many feared were bombs, one of the many topics he covered while speaking with fourteen students in the class Theory and Practice of State and Local Government.
In addition to the bomb scare, the mayor also discussed various initiatives and plans that he has worked on.
One such initiative was the creation of a coalition, along with Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City, to stop the proliferation and use of illegal guns. "We're the only industrialized nation without a uniform gun policy," Menino said.
The mayor noted that the coalition is amassing support and currently envelops approximately 150 mayors from 45 states.
He also talked about the police force, saying that while some changes can be made on an official level, the public has a role in reducing crime too.
"The problem is not solely with the amount of cops, but rather families have to take responsibility for their kids," he said.
After-school programs for children should also be improved, he said, and better tailored to the interests and needs of the participants.
Menino also touched on taxes in response to a question posed by one of the students. He told the class that cutting taxes can have dangerous consequences. "Lowering taxes leads to a decline in the quality and availability of resources," Menino said.
In concluding his session with the students, Merino drew on his many years of experience to address qualities that he considers to be important in his profession. "In politics, loyalty, your name, and integrity are worth a lot," he said.
He encouraged students to spend a couple of years in politics, stressing the importance of youth in the political process. "Be idealistic. You can change the world, despite what others may say," he said.
The class' professor Tom Birmingham, who served as president of the Massachusetts Senate for 12 years, said that Menino's remarks will greatly increase his students' understanding of the complex nature of state government.
"For him to come here for an hour and 30 minutes and speak to a group of 14 students is of enormous value," Birmingham told the Daily.
He also said it is important to see "a public figure up close and personal."
Senior Brian Morrissey agreed. "For someone to have years of experience in politics to come and speak with us was greatly beneficial as the scope of the class is about the actual practices of local governments," he said.
