St. Patricks Day Parade: Yoon can't remember his campaign promises

Bay Windows did a good analysis this week of the St. Patrick's Day parade. To sum up, the Mayor and I will not give money to the bigoted group that runs the parade and excludes gays, Michael Flaherty and Sam Yoon will. Both the Mayor and I will be there to meet people and enjoy the great day of the Irish, but we won't support that organization.

Most interesting to me was Sam Yoon's actions and response. When we were both running for City Council in 2005 we were invited, along with District Council candidate Susan Passoni, to a Leather District community meeting moderated by Chris Betke. The last question of the night was a yes/no question: Knowing that the South Boston Parade excludes gays will you march in the parade if you are elected?

Sam Yoon: NO
Susan Passoni: NO
Kevin McCrea: I might march, and if I did I would invite all my gay and lesbian friends to march with me.

After the meeting my wife and Shirley Kressel who was there observing the forum were berating me for not answering "NO", which was clearly what the gay friendly audience wanted to hear. I told them "the reason you are supporting me is because I am honest, and I am not going to pander to an audience, we need politicians who are honest not just who tell people what they want to hear."

So imagine my surprise when after Sam was elected to the council and I was looking at the St. Patrick's Day section in the newspaper and it talked about Sam Yoon at the St. Patrick's Day Parade! I did some research into it, and discovered that when Sam answered that question saying he wouldn't march in the parade he had ALREADY marched in the St.Patrick's Day Parade!

So when Bay Windows called me this week about my thoughts on the St. Patrick's Day Parade I was very eager to see what Sam was going to say about him promising not to participate. His answer:

Yoon, who won election to the City Council in 2005, also participated in the LDNA candidate forum and, according to McCrea, pledged not to participate in the parade because of the anti-gay policy. In an interview with Bay Windows this week, Yoon said he remembers being asked about the parade but does not recall his answer, and said he did march in that year’s parade.


As Dana Carvey's Church Lady would say "How Convenient". Well Susan Passoni, Shirley Kressel, my wife, Chris Betke, and I were all there and we remember Sam Yoon promising not to march in the parade.

When Joan Vennochi says in today's Globe: But Patrick must still convince voters to trust him, when they have little reason to trust any Massachusetts politician.


I think of Sam Yoon promising one group of people exactly what they want to hear, and then going out and doing the complete opposite. It doesn't really give one a reason to trust him. As the youngest candidate in the field it is a shame that his memory is failing him at such a tender age. I'm feeling good that as the oldest announced candidate in the field I can still remember my campaign promises, but even more importantly I abide by them.