EAST BOSTON SPEAKS OUT {INCOMPLETE} (TV)
Summary
This program presents a public-affairs forum held in
East Boston in 1970. Reporter Allen Lupo of the Boston
Globe reports from the auditorium of East Boston High
School, where local citizens have gathered to question
public officials about community issues. Moderator
Robert Coles opens the meeting and pays homage to the
late Senator Robert Kennedy. The first issue raised is
housing for the elderly. Fred Salvucci, director of the
East Boston City Hall, presents the topic. He notes
that the city is working on securing a site on which to
build new elder housing but explains that a lot of red
tape must be dealt with. He invites questions from the
audience. Anna DeFranza points out that money was
promised for senior-citizen housing a year ago; she asks
what happened to it. Salvucci responds that these
things take time and assures her that the city is
working on the problem. Salvucci also responds to
another citizen's query about the legal details of the
land acquisition. Joseph Porzio then asks why the
governor cannot acquire the needed land from the
Massachusetts Port Authority. Al Kramer, special
assistant to the governor, explains that such
acquisition is currently impossible but that legislation
is being introduced to change the situation. Anthony
Bruno asks why the governor does not stop the current
demolition of homes. Kramer states that the governor is
very concerned about this issue and is addressing it.
Bruno brings up an incident in which state-police
officers were called in by the Port Authority to deal
with pro-elder-housing protesters and asks that the
governor take responsibility for the bad feeling caused.
Kramer defends the governor, explaining that in many
cases his powers are limited. Another citizen asks
about the administration's position on the last open
land area in the region, recently acquired by Ramada
Inns, and Salvucci responds. Due to time constraints,
Coles moves on to the next topic, welfare. He
introduces Barbara Moure, a welfare recipient. A child
interrupts with a question about new schools, which
Coles promises to address later. Moure then discusses
the state of welfare in East Boston, including the
problems of overloaded case workers, the limitations of
food stamps, and discrimination within the system.
Daniel Kronan, the director of Boston Public Welfare,
makes a statement in response. He discusses the state's
recent takeover of the welfare system and expresses the
city's and the state's intention to address many of the
issues raised by Barbara Moure. Cole asks whether
anyone has any questions, and Lupo announces that the
program will return. The discussion ends abruptly at
this point.
(This program contains minor technical problems. This
represents the best copy of this program currently
available to the Museum.)
Cataloging of this program was made possible by the
Corporation for Public Broadcasting, 2000.
Details
- NETWORK: PBS WGBH Boston, MA
- DATE: November 30, 1969
- RUNNING TIME: 0:59:14
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:15721
- GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries; Talk/Interviews
- SUBJECT HEADING: Aged - Dwellings; Boston (Mass.); Public housing; Welfare
- SERIES RUN: WGBH (Boston, MA) - TV, 1970
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Robert Coles … Moderator
- Allen Lupo … Reporter
- Anthony Bruno
- Anna DeFranza
- Robert F. Kennedy
- Al Kramer
- Daniel Kronan
- Barbara Moure
- Joseph Porzio
- Fred Salvucci