Teachers, City Leaders Plan March Against Service Cuts

The Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) will hold a rally March 28 in front of the state capitol to protest cuts in aid to cities caused by Proposition 2 1/2.

"This is not just a teacher's event or a public service employees event," Steve K. Wollmer, an MTA spokesman, said yesterday, adding that the rally will focus on how the tax cuts caused by the passage of Proposition 2 1/2 will effect every state resident. "I expect tens of thousands" of people to attend the demonstration and demand that the State legislature rescind some of the cuts brought about by the Proposition," Wollmer said.

For or Against

"This rally is both for people who voted for and against Proposition 2 1/2. It's for people to say 'I voted for lower taxes, not for destroying the cities,''' David Wylie, Cambridge city councilor, said yesterday.

The Coalition for Cambridge, a private organization established by several community leaders last year to protest Proposition 2 1/2, sent out 300 letters last week urging Cambridge community groups to participate in the march, Wylie added.

For All I Care

"The MTA can march on the State House, on City Hall, or into the sea for all I care." Barbara Anderson, the executive, director of Citizens for Limited Taxation, a pro-Proposition 2 1/2 organization, said yesterday.

"Any kind of march led by the teachers will be perceived as trying to repeal 2 1/2," instead of their stated purpose to protest cuts in city services," she added.

"We're having this rally because people want to control their own destiny and decide the kind of services we need and to talk out the good things we have here in Cambridge." Gerry McDonough, an organizer of the rally, said yesterday.

More than ten representatives of unions and public service employee organizations will speak at the rally. The event will end with representatives of 351 Massachusetts cities and towns nailing lists of service cuts to plywood replicas of the Boston State House-doors.

Cambridge officials expect that the city budget will be cut $14.7 million this year because of Proposition 2 1/2. Francis H. Duehay '55, mayor of Cambridge, ordered all city departments to cut their budgets by 25 per cent last year because of the Proposition, which was approved by a 2-1 margin in the state last November.

Proposition 2 1/2 cuts property taxes to 2 1/2 per cent of their market value and prohibits the state from increasing the taxes by more than 2 1/2 per cent thereafter. It also reduces the auto excise tax 60 per cent.

Cambridge community leaders plan to hold a public meeting at the Cambridge Public Library tomorrow night to discuss the details of the demonstration.