Menino-Why let the facts or his ignorance get in the way of a good story

I was at the City Year Celebration and March today for Martin Luther King day. Sonia Chang Diaz gave a great speech using the african proverb about moving your feet to inspire the "young hereos" to not just talk about change but to actually move your feet and change things.

Mayor Menino on the other hand was his usual self. He did inspire me a bit by saying that "You don't have to wait, you can lead today!" Maybe he is hinting that he is going to step aside for some more youthful leadership?

But, to inspire the kids he told them to look at Obama, that he "started off at a public housing development in Chicago and now he is President". That sure sounds nice but it isn't even remotely true. But then facts aren't always the Mayor's strong suit.

Wouldn't it be nice to have a Mayor who actually knew what he was talking about, or who had a fact checker look over his speeches? Obama was in Indonesia in private schools until he was 10, and then he lived in Hawaii and went to the most prestigious private school in Honolulu until he went to private colleges Occidental, and Columbia. Only after all of that did Obama go to Chicago to work as community organizer.

The fact is that only 1 in 8 kids who goes to the public high schools that Menino has provided will get any sort of college or associates degree. I do know that Tom is smart enough not to give that fact to the Boston youth in front of him.