Congressmen Hear Testimony Against OEO Cuts for Boston

The Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) has been a successful program and should not be cut from the Federal budget, witnesses told a House subcommittee yesterday at a special Boston hearing.

The House Subcommittee on Equal Opportunity heard testimony in Faneuil Hall from Boston mayor Kevin H. White and Cambridge mayor Barbara M. Ackermann, and other community leaders.

been very successful in Boston and urged President Nixon to "come to Boston" to judge their efficiency.

Directly Tunneled Funds

"Eighty per cent of our Federal model cities funds have been tunneled directly to city housing," White said. "Only 8.9 per cent go for administrative costs--a national low."

He explained that if the OEO poverty programs were cut, the city could not provide money to maintain their services. "Our austerity budget program [of this year] goes as far as the city can," White said. "There is little more we can do for ourselves."

Ackermann told the committee that OEO exposed the poverty problems of the cities. "We know now that we can't get along without these programs," she said. "We never would have known without OEO."

Partnership

Umberto Cardinal Medieros testified that "some 54,000 who annually are served by OEO programs will be deprived of services." He added that the OEO programs have been a "healthy three way partnership between government, private institutions and private citizens."

The hearing was chaired by Rep. Augustus F. Hawkins (D-Calif.). Former Speaker of the House John C. McCormack and Rep. J. Joseph Moackley (D-Mass.) were also present as guests of the subcommittee.

Rep. William A. Steiger (R-Wis.), a member of the subcommittee, cautioned several witnesses that many of the services of the OEO are not being cut, but transferred to other programs.