He’s the invisible man of Boston Metropolis Corridor.
Councilor Ed Flynn – a thorn within the facet of the Wu administration – is being canceled by the progressives working the town. He can’t get a invoice handed, a listening to scheduled and even his photograph faraway from the foyer.
And in a brand new low, Council President Ruthzee Louijeune snubbed Flynn throughout this week’s State of the Metropolis festivities, unintentionally, she claims, forgetting to introduce him when she introduced all the remainder of the town councilors.
It’s downright Stalinesque, like when the Soviets used to chop folks out of photographs.
The State of the Metropolis is an enormous deal to elected officers. It’s one of many few occasions councilors get to see their names talked about on dwell TV with out it following a narrative on corruption.
So when Louijeune didn’t utter Flynn’s title as she rattled off the names of all 11 of the opposite councilors, Flynn, a 24-year veteran of the U.S. Navy, was left quietly steaming.
It exhibits that the progressive regime led by Louijeune and Mayor Michelle Wu could be simply as cutthroat because the previous regimes that used to run Metropolis Corridor.
Louijeune mentioned in a press release to the Herald on Friday that she didn’t notice she “inadvertently omitted” Flynn’s title till after the speech.
“This was a complete mistake,” she mentioned. “I have apologized to Councilor Flynn personally and acknowledged him in the ensuing social media posts. I want to express my respect and gratitude for Councilor Flynn’s service to the Boston City Council.”
It nonetheless appears curious that Louijeune couldn’t keep in mind Flynn earlier this week.
Louijeune and Flynn, the son of former Mayor Ed Flynn and the main conservative on the council, have clashed repeatedly within the chambers this 12 months, with the president repeatedly shutting him down or ignoring his requests.
Flynn tried to go a provision forming an ethics committee to supervise the council after corruption expenses have been filed in opposition to Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson, and it was despatched to die a quiet demise.
Flynn additionally despatched a letter to the Inspector Common asking him to research the shortage of transparency round Wu’s tax plan, and it was equally shelved.
When Flynn wished the Wu administration to nominate a “rat czar” to deal with the town’s huge rodent drawback, it was additionally dismissed as a stunt by the administration.
And after Flynn requested Louijeune to take away his photograph from the council foyer to protest his remedy, Louijeune dismissed him like a father or mother telling a toddler to be quiet.
Louijeune informed the Boston Globe earlier this 12 months that Flynn, who preceded her as council president, is making an attempt to undermine her authority.
“He prefers to put things on letters and communications with me on X than actually speaking to me as a colleague,” she mentioned. “Instead of being an elder statesman that councilors can turn to for advice and guidance, he instead wants to play the role of antagonist.”
Elder statesman? Even that sounds dismissive like Flynn is a few doddering previous man. He’s solely 56. Louijeune is 38.
And Flynn is meant to be an antagonist. Ought to he as a substitute be like one of many different subservient councilors in Michelle Wu’s again pocket?
The folks of South Boston and Chinatown who elected him need him to be a watchdog, not a lapdog.
When Louijeune took over as council president, Metropolis Corridor observers questioned how she would deal with the reasonable to conservatives who was once in cost. Now we all know. It’s disrespectful to Flynn, a hard-working elected official whose household legacy has served the town properly. He has his faults like most elected leaders, like typically being an excessive amount of of a publicity hound.
Metropolis council presidents have little or no authority below the town constitution besides to run the council conferences, appoint committee members and be appearing mayor if the actual mayor will not be round. They’re no higher than different councilors.
Flynn declined to remark for this column however you could be certain he observed not being known as on the State of the Metropolis.
