Same Mayor

TOMORROW BOSTON voters will make a familiar choice. Kevin H. White has been a mayor for 12 years and he's asking for four more. And for the third time, State Sen. Joseph F. Timilty is challenging the incumbent. The central question is who possesses the skills and intelligence to lead the city in the 1980s.

White's three terms in office have encouraged a growing confidence in the future of the city. The mayor has attracted large sums of federal money to Boston, which is in good, financial shape. Although White's recent failure to adequately address the issue of racism does not speak well for him, his past success in leading Boston through the worst of racial times is commendable. White runs Boston like a Russian noble ruling his estate--demanding service and giving favors in return. But, as other major American cities have floundered, his machine brand of politics seems to have kept Boston on its feet.

Timilty, on the other hand, has not proven that he could manage the complex issues City Hall must face. His record in the state senate--although strong on aid to the handicapped elderly--is mediocre overall. President Carter gave Timilty the chance to be a star when he named him chairman of the National Commission on Neighborhoods. But Timilty failed miserably. The Commission made no concrete recommendations, and Timilty drove away half of the Commission's members in the process. He has spent most of the campaign accusing White of mismanagement, neglecting to present his own coherent vision. If Boston is going to have a less-than-perfect mayor for the next four years, it might as well be the one who's proven he can run the city.