BOSTON—Despite lots of campaign rhetoric about supporting city neighborhoods, Republican Gov. Charlie Baker has killed plans to relocate the Department of Transportation headquarters building to Roxbury – a project that would have brought thousands of badly needed jobs to the neighborhood.

“It’s a huge disappointment for an area of the city that really needs and deserves some attention,” stated Rodney Singleton, cochairman of the Highland Park Project Review Committee, quoted in the Boston Globe about Republican Baker’s harmful decision. “As much as Governor Baker says he’s committed to our neighborhood, real commitment would say, ‘We’ll figure out how to get this done.’ ”

“Once again, Republican Gov. Charlie Baker has been exposed for paying only lip service to the needs of our cities. On the campaign trail he said one thing but now he is cutting development projects and jobs,” said Mass Dems Spokesman Pat Beaudry. “While abandoning plans to bring thousands of badly needed jobs to Boston’s neighborhoods is the latest example of Republican Baker’s lack of concern, it follows his decision to slash funding for youth jobs, gang violence prevention, substance abuse treatment and job training for chronically unemployed communities earlier this year.”

In one of his first actions in office, Republican Baker opted to slash many line items critical to improving city neighborhoods, including gang violence prevention funding, youth jobs funding, substance abuse funding and job training funding.

Shortly after Gov. Baker’s inauguration, the Massachusetts Democratic Party launched its #PromisesWatch campaign to hold the Baker administration accountable to its promises and pledges.

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