Opinion

This fall’s municipal elections were historic given the unprecedented number of women of color who sought local office in Massachusetts. We are now witnessing an opening of the electoral process to a more diverse pool of candidates in Boston and beyond, writes Ann Bookman, Delia Rodriguez-Masjoan and Ileana Cintrón. 

The Founding Fathers, though they may have foreseen something of today’s political mayhem, most certainly did not embrace it as necessary to democracy, argues Ted Gup. 

Bio-medical firms across the country are working on solutions that would allow obese Americans to control their own appetites without having to undergo more complicated bariatric surgery, writes Dr. Scott Shikora, director of the Center for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. 

Priscilla Stone and Laurie Black of The School for International Training Study Abroad urge college students studying abroad to consider less traditional locations. 

The Massachusetts gun laws need to be revamped, writes Jim Wallace of the Gun Owners Action League of Massachusetts.  

Kevin Washington, CEO and president of the YMCA of Greater Boston, describes what the Y is doing to combat bullying. 

A new program called “100% Talent: The Boston Women’s Compact’’ will help close the wage gap, write Victoria A. Budson of the Harvard Kennedy School, Cathy Minehan of Simmons College, and Alison A. Quirk of State Street Corporation.  

Dr. Katherine Gergen Barnett calls for integrating mental health care into primary care. 

Nichols College president Susan West Engelkemeyer addresses the growing crisis in confidence over the value of a college education and the even faster growing trajectory of college tuiton and student debt. 

Boston Foundation president Paul Grogan and UMass Boston chancellor J. Keith Motley urge the next Boston mayor to help studets not only get into college but also complete college.  

Alex Pearlman responds to the stereotyping of millennials as unmotivated and unemployable. 

Boston’s ambitious and innovative after-school programs can help close the opportunity gap, writes Daniel Johnson, executive director of 826 Boston. 

Greg Selkoe and Malia Lazu of Future Boston call for renewed civic engagement in Boston.  

The next Boston mayor needs to focus on the established small businesses that can truly grow jobs, revenue, and our neighborhoods, write Jean Horstman, CEO of Interise, and Glynn Lloyd, CEO of City Fresh Foods in Roxbury. 

Massachusetts House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo urges passage legislation that limits the amount of mandatory flood insurance for Massachusetts homeowners. 

Focusing on early education will help close the achievement gap, writes Dianne Luby, interim CEO of Horizons For Homeless Children. 

Partnerships are the next best hope for discovery in medical care, writes Sandra Fenwick, president and CEO of Boston Children’s Hospital.  

Chelsea City Manager Jay Ash urges the Legislature pass a bill that would catalyze private investment in pro-growth Gateway Cities. 

Boston City Council candidate Jack Kelly offers his ideas for dealing with drug and alcohol addiction in order to make all of Boston’s neighborhoods healthier and safer. 

Former US Representative Patrick Kennedy writes about The Kennedy Forum, a new initiative that will unite the mental health community in common purpose. 

Lesley College president Joseph B. Moore explains why the college has lowered its tuition and reduced aid by a proportionate amount. 

Integration will help Massachusetts achieve its “triple aim’’ goal in health care reform, predicts Lynn Nicholas, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Hospital Association. 

UMass President Robert L. Caret unveils his bid to raise $1 billion. 

Six months after the Marathon bombings, Boston Medical Center surgeon Jeffrey Kalish writes that the tragedy provided valuable lessons for caregivers to improve care for future trauma victims.  

The Affordable Care Act helps coordinate care for the severely mentally ill with the creation of "One Care,’’ writes Robert J. Master, CEO of Commonwealth Care Alliance. 

College loan default rates can be lowered by reaching out to borrowers before they get in trouble, writes Paul Combe of the American Student Assistance. 

Boston mayoral candidates need to spell out their education plans, boldly and in detail, writes Evelyn Frankford of University of Massachusetts Boston. 

Elaine Weiss of the Broader, Bolder Approach to Education and former Boston Public Schools superindent discuss Massachusetts’s success using Race to the Top funding, compared to other states that have not seen the same level of success. 

Mark Sokoll, president and CEO of the Jewish Community Centers of Greater Boston, analyzes a Pew Research Center survey on American Jews and finds there is little cause for alarm.  

Executive planner Barry Koslow argues that nonprofit executive pay is not out of hand.