It's been a year since the death of Boston Mayor Tom Menino, Boston's longest-serving chief executive. His successor, Marty Walsh, will preside over two minutes of silence at 2:30 this afternoon at City Hall Plaza. Read our complete coverage of Menino's death and his legacy. Below, in a journalistic coup, Emily Rooney interviews Menino one last time.
It never really mattered to the media whether an issue directly affected the city of Boston or its residents — reporters always wanted to know what Hizzoner, longtime Boston Mayor Tom Menino, thought. Now, on the anniversary of his death, what would the down-to-earth Menino would have thought about news events this year?
Let's start with Deflategate.
Rooney: So, Mr. Mayor, did Tom Brady and the Patriots cheat — did No. 12 deflate footballs to gain an edge?
Menino: I don’t believe that.
Rooney: Neither did we Mr. Mayor — just checking. How about the Boston 2024 Olympics bid, was that a good idea?
Menino: How dumb is that?
Rooney: I know, I know, you’ve always said that — but don’t you think the Boston group could have gotten the job done?
Menino: You get things done if someone watches you every minute of the day.
Rooney: Yeah, right again, no one was allowed to watch them. So what’s your take on presidential politics — do you like Hillary?
Menino: I have a lot of admiration for Clinton, of course.
Rooney: And what about Donald Trump — what do you make of his run?
Menino: That really is wrong.
Rooney: But he is doing so well in the polls — how do you figure that?
Menino: I haven’t got the answer now, but I’m going to work on that answer.
Rooney: There was a horrible story in our city this summer. A two-year-old girl was murdered and tossed away like garbage. No one knew who she was.
Menino: Sometimes it gets you. It gets you real hard.
Rooney: And gun violence, Mr. Mayor — it escalated across the nation this year with more and more mass shootings.
Menino: It’s all about the guns and it’s unbelievable when you think about it.
Assault weapons, why?
Rooney: And I know you are not a big fan of the death penalty, but in June, a jury decided to give Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev the death penalty.
Menino: Sometimes decisions aren’t the most popular.
Rooney: And finally, it will sadden you to learn that the Red Sox finished in last place. Does that make you think twice about the sweetheart deal you cut them on Yawkey Way?
Menino: It’s been a great great partnership seriously.
Rooney: You know Mr. Mayor, we’d have to agree. Thank you for your time. And might I add — we miss you.
