Sheriff Kearney to Face Tough Fight for Mayor

This is the third in a series of articles profiling Boston's mayoral candidates.

Dennis J. Kearney '72 likes to talk tough, has a tough handshake, and has, since 1977, held one of the toughest jobs in the city of Boston, sheriff of Suffolk Country.

The youthful Harvard College and Kennedy School grad will announce his candidacy for mayor of Boston on April 24 at Faneuil Hall and will, as even he admits, face a tough battle against six other challengers and incumbent Kevin H. White, who has said he will soon decide whether to seek a fifth term.

In an interview last week, Kearney outlined a broad series of changes he will make in city government if he is elected come November, and described the strategy he will use to try to break out of the pack of contenders for the throne of King Kevin.

Issues

The four most important issues this year, Kearney says, are crime prevention, integrity and honesty in government, education, and municipal finance and taxation.

*On the issue of crime, Kearney asks, "How is it we've gone to foot patrols only in an election year? This is too important an issue to be politicized." He would like to make fire and police protection a priority in public spending and add police to the force.

*To clean up City Hall, Kearney says he will install an office of internal affairs--much like a similar department he says cleaned up a sheriff's office plagued by corruption in the mid-seventies. In fact, it was the resignation of then-sheriff Thomas Eisenstadt in 1977 due to charges of corruption and misuse of office that brought Kearney to the Suffolk Country Courthouse in the first place.

*To aid the ailing public school system, which has been reeling since court imposed busing made national headlines in 1975. Kearney proposes the development of a city-wide core curriculum (probably not based on Dean of the Faculty Henry Rosovsky's creation), giving parents "flexible assignment" in the choice of schools, and using "the power of the purse to attract back to the school system those students who have an option."

*To alleviate the city's dependence on property taxes for revenue. Kearney proposes tapping other sources, such as a hotel or parking tax encouraging the state to pick up some of the costs, and "aggressively selling and attracting employers who will create jobs."

Tactics

Kearney aides promise a media blitz coupled with an aggressive personal campaign starting at the end of the month and focusing on September's open primary--which will narrow the field down to two contenders.

Though aides admit that their man has not been the most visible candidate nor extremely successful in fundraising. Kearney insists that he measures up well next to his competitors. And to prove how tough he is he says he will disclose where his funds come from and "force others to disclose their campaign funding--either put up or shut up."

Kearney does concede, however, that it will be difficult to emerge as a clear favorite in such a large field, which has at least three other strong contenders in addition to White. "There is a pack mentality that exists in a race like this," he explains, adding. "There are no clear means by which anyone can test the substance of any one candidate. The one way you [distinguish yourself] is by providing the best total package.

Chicago Repercussions

Kearney predicts that Black Rep. Harold Washington's victory in last week's well-publicized Chicago mayoral election will encourage an increased minority voter turnout that will benefit state Rep. Melvin H. King, the only Black in the Boston field. But he doubts that the Hub will replay the Chicago scenario. "Boston is a different city than Chicago in terms of demographics," he explains, adding, "I don't have any reason to believe that this campaign will take on those racial dimensions."