02.28.2025

Troubling signs for Wu in mayoral race poll | Healey betting big on offshore wind as Trump looks to sink industry | Nukes needed to bring AI boom to Mass. | Wu backs down on “safest” city boast | Quick hits |

News tips? Story ideas? Email us at sbvanvoorhis@hotmail.com

Rhetorical retreat: Mayor Michelle Wu pulls back on boast that Boston is the nation’s “safest major city” in wake of Contrarian Boston story

By Colman M. Herman

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is walking back her exaggerated claim that Boston is the safest city in the nation.

First, some context.

As Contrarian Boston reported last week, Wu bragged to The Boston Globe last June: “We’re really proud that Boston is the safest major city in the country.”

Now fast forward to the end of last December. Wu announced a media event with Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox at police headquarters to “discuss crime statistics from the past year and highlight strategies that have made Boston the safest major city in the country.”

But as we reported, according to 2024 data collected by the Major Cities Chiefs Association, although Boston is one of the safest major cities in the country when it comes to violent crimes (homicide, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault), it is not the safest. Boston had 25.6 violent crimes per 10,000 residents, compared to 13.2 for Columbus,16.2 for El Paso, and 20.8 for Mesa, Arizona, all classified as major cities by the police chiefs.

The mayor must have read our story.

On Monday, Wu’s office issued a press release saying: “Tomorrow, Mayor Michelle Wu will host a media availability after meeting with faith leaders from across the city about their partnership with the City to make Boston the safest major city in the country.”

In other words, Wu’s goal to make Boston the safest city in the country is a work in progress.

Green mirage? Healey doubles down on green energy, even as Trump attempts to pull the plug on offshore wind projects

Gas and electric bills are soaring for businesses and consumers across the state.

So are the Bay State’s ambitious green energy goals part of the solution? Or are they part of the problem?

That’s the question, as Gov. Maura Healey vows to double down on offshore wind and other sources of green power.

In a speech Wednesday to Boston area business leaders, the governor blamed the spike in gas and electric bills on the fossil fuel industry.

Gone unmentioned? That Massachusetts has driven off a number of proposed natural gas pipeline projects over the years, which has created supply bottlenecks when winter hits and temperatures dip.