Scratched

One mayor quits

For much of last week, the mercurial but besieged mayor of 16 years once again had the spotlight entirely to himself. As rumors swirled through a breathless Boston that Kevin White, 53, would soon announce whether he would run for a fifth consecutive term, White holed up in a Manhattan hotel. On Thursday evening he finally put the speculation to rest. With his old characteristic flair, the telegenic mayor announced in a taped, five-minute television broadcast that he was stepping down. "There comes a time in the life of every man and any city when change is appropriate," White said. "And that time has come for me."

The last survivor of a wave of young, reformist big-city mayors elected in the 1960s, White initially brought an adventurous spirit to his aging, industrial home town. Armed with ambitious plans to build a "worldclass city," he sparked a downtown renaissance. It seemed too good to last, and it was. Bloody street clashes in the 1970s over court-ordered school busing were followed in 1980 by necessary but ineptly handled budget slashes. His reputation as a slick manager damaged, White went on the defensive. He indulged in a regal life-style that earned him the epithet "King Kevin."

Damaging evidence of corruption in the mayor's powerful political machine followed. In recent months a widening net of federal probes has led to the conviction or indictment of seven White aides on charges of fraud and extortion. Although White has not been accused of any wrongdoing, the scandal scratched away at his image: a survey by Pollster Pat Caddell in April showed that 79% of Boston voters wanted new leadership in city hall.

White's abrupt exit gladdened the hearts of ten already announced candidates. Inevitably, however, the battle for succession will be fought under the long shadow of King Kevin. This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so viewer discretion is required.