Hennigan ad says city is unprepared
By Cristina Silva, Boston Globe
November 1, 2005
In the perilous world that mayoral challenger Maura
A. Hennigan paints in a new television commercial, Mayor Thomas
M. Menino is poised to allow biological weapons in the city, and
earthquakes, flooding, and terrorist attacks are imminent.
''Unprepared," which is scheduled to began
airing today on cable and major broadcast networks, pans across
a city skyline and a voice says: ''Real threats gather on the
horizon -- epidemics, natural disasters, terrorist attacks,"
and asserts that Boston is unprepared.
''And now Tom Menino wants to put biological weapons
in your backyard," the voice continues as an unflattering
image of the mayor appears and the words ''Bio Hazard" in
large red letters flash across the screen.
It is a reference to Boston University Medical Center's
plans to build a bioterrorism laboratory in the South End. The
laboratory, which Menino supports, would study anthrax, the Ebola
virus, and other deadly biological agents. Researchers would develop
defenses against attacks with biological weapons.
Menino has said the lab would bring jobs to the
city and aid in the fight against terrorism.
The ad also accuses Menino of failing to develop an adequate emergency
response plan.
Jacque Goddard, a Menino campaign spokeswoman, said Boston regularly
reviews its emergency plans with the federal government.
''Councilor Hennigan is not talking about what she
will do for the city. She is frightening people," Goddard
said. ''It's never good to frighten people. It's good to give
people the facts."
Hennigan said the ad was meant to make voters aware
of emergency preparedness issues. If elected, Hennigan said, she
would call on international and national experts during the first
six months of her administration to help create a fail-safe disaster
plan. ''These are serious issues that need to be addressed immediately,"
she said. ''That's what being a mayor is all about."