Annissa Essaibi-George

At-Large (Challenger)

 

On January 16, 2015, when asked about her position on the Olympic bid, Annissa Essaibi-George said to “put [her] down as wanting to participate in the process/study/conversation.”

 

On April 25, 2015, Ms. Essaibi-George provided the following statement to No Boston 2024:

 

“As you know, the process for Boston2024 bid for the Summer Olympics has been fluid and at times there have been significant events that will continue to shape my position. Boston is a world class city and always needs to be looking at exciting opportunities that promote our city. I've been attending meetings and hearing from folks coming from all sides of the issue.  I support a binding referendum so that Bostonians can have their voices heard.  I also believe that Boston2024 needs to do more to make transparency a priority.  The rights of Massachusetts taxpayers and fiscal health of our City and Commonwealth must continue to be the determining factors in any decisions that are made regarding the Olympics.”

 

At the JP Progressives Candidate Forum on June 3, 2015, Annissa Essaibi-George noted that the idea of hosting the Olympics is attractive but that the “shameful” lack of transparency has made her skeptical. She noted that each time Boston 2024 rolls out new plans, there are new costs, and she thinks about how far that money could go in classrooms like hers. She expressed concern for taking public or private land for Games, calling the prospect “frightening,” and she expressed concern about the lack of knowledge about who is going to own the the land after the Games.