Last January, Donald Trump’s Inaugural Address outlined a dark vision of a broken, weak America. That same week, however, an outpouring of protest by pink-hat-wearing women, men, and children in Washington, and in communities from Anchorage to Antarctica, signaled that democracy is alive and well — and as raucously opinionated as ever. The Globe’s editorial page aimed to hold Trump accountable, but also pushed for pragmatic, focused solutions to issues getting in the way of local or regional progress.
Boston’s mayoral election
The Globe’s editorial board — and many other observers — hoped that Marty Walsh’s reelection campaign would be so hard fought that it would frame a larger citywide discussion over the performance of Boston’s public schools. But that challenge never gelled. His opponent, former city councilor Tito Jackson, had a compelling life story, promised a scandal-free administration and, admirably, made income inequality a central part of his platform. But both candidates acknowledged that the city still fails its schoolchildren on many measures. In 2017, the Globe advocated for diversifying the teaching force, reexamining entrance requirements for exam schools, and rebooting the Metco program, which places urban students in better-performing suburban schools. But much work remains; the Globe will continue to push Walsh to use the power of his mandate to lift the quality of education for Boston public school students.
Our competitive edge
When Boston pitched itself as the logical home for Amazon’s second headquarters, it didn’t need gimmicks like Tucson’s 21-foot cactus. We urged Beacon Hill not to give away the store in terms of tax breaks and incentives, but also noted that the influx of talent, prosperity, and intellect that Amazon could bring to the city will be assets in the race to meet the challenges that will face the next generation of Bostonians, including housing costs, congestion, and sea level rise. To enhance our region’s competitiveness, we called on legislators to reform a number of outdated laws and tackle corruption in important industries like fishing. We urged a more reasonable approach to regulation of the burgeoning marijuana industry, and will continue to advocate for the resulting legislation, which by and large aligned with our position. Boston, we opined, should be a city of experiments: with mass transit, with the arts, with new approaches to policing, like licensing and body cameras. But we also wrote that for all of its achievements, Boston is held back by pervasive racism, which takes an immeasurable toll on its most important asset: the talent and vision of its people. We urged the renaming of Yawkey Way, a reminder of the racist past ownership of the Red Sox; we will continue to advocate for that in 2018.
Reduce economic inequality
Concerned that Boston is becoming a city that is rigidly stratified by income, we analyzed some of the root causes of unemployment and homelessness. We advocated for bold criminal justice reforms — including a worthy experiment with a service-rich cellblock for young men. We pushed for longer-term programs for those addicted to opioids, and intend to continue our advocacy for a medical approach to addiction instead of policies that focus only on punishment. Finally, we took a deep dive into the fiscal woes of the University of Massachusetts Boston, a research university in the heart of the city that has been shackled by decades of mismanagement. We support the resulting efforts to put some reforms in place and will continue to advocate for a strong UMass Boston, one that fulfills its potential for low-income students.
Cities and states step up
Donald Trump campaigned on a promise to appeal Obamacare and pass a tax bill. A climate change denier, he cut funding for science and imposed bans on immigration. But a major shift is taking place, a kind of reverse federalism that finds local government stepping up to provide resources in the face of Trump’s slash-and-burn policies. We urged US Senator Susan Collins of Maine to live up to the legacy of the late Margaret Chase Smith, who stood up to the smears and bigotry of fellow Republican Joseph McCarthy. And on health care, Collins delivered: She cast a courageous vote that was crucial in preserving the Affordable Care Act. But on the tax bill, she buckled. She ultimately supported the Republican overhaul, saying it contains proposals she wanted on retirement savings and medical expenses — even though the bill removes a penalty charged to people without health insurance. Closer to home, we advocated for Massachusetts to lead on clean water regulations, and applauded the state’s innovative approach to eliminating greenhouse gases through participation in a regional coalition that bypasses Washington.
Fresh voices, reader engagement
The op-ed pages added three new contributing columnists in 2017: Margery Eagan, a WGBH radio host and former Boston Herald writer, gives her take on life and faith; Diane Hessan, an entrepreneur and author, writes regularly about her weekly conversations with Clinton and Trump voters; and Richard North Patterson, a novelist, attorney, and political commentator, writes about foreign and domestic policy.
Other contributors included researcher Amy Cuddy on how stereotypes divide and conquer women; Henry Louis “Skip’’ Gates, Harvard professor, historian, and filmmaker, on race relations; feminist icon Gloria Steinem on why women marched in Washington; novelist Dennis Lehane on alleged abuse by football player Adrian Peterson; and former State Department official Anne-Marie Slaughter, now president and CEO of New America, on a novel approach to fighting extremism.
Finally, it’s safe to say that Globe columnists Jeff Jacoby and Michael A. Cohen agree on very little. But both write free weekly online newsletters that deliver more of their unvarnished opinions directly to readers who sign up. Jacoby’s Monday morning “Arguable’’ newsletter offers a conservative’s-eye view of politics and serves up a few pet peeves. Cohen’s new “Truth and Consequences’’ newsletter drops on Thursdays. For an idea of his take on the Trump administration, consider this: The artwork over his newsletter features a dumpster fire. Readers can sign up for either (or both!) at www.bostonglobe.com/newsletters. “This Week in Opinion,’’ a recap that arrives on Sundays, sums up the best of our editorials and op-ed pieces. All told, these newsletters reach more than 150,000 of our subscribers.
Thomas Jefferson famously said that if given a choice between democracy or newspapers, he’d pick newspapers. That might have been a bit of hyperbole tailored for a revolutionary age, but the mission remains: to prompt a smart and vital conversation over the coming year, where factual, accurate reporting underpins strong opinions.
