Cambridge Rejects Subsidies Proposal

The Cambridge City Council narrowly rejected a proposal yesterday to provide subsidies low-income and elderly rent control tenants if Question 9--the proposal which would eliminate rent control in Massachusetts--is passed by voters next week.

The otherwise uneventful meeting was interrupted by two unusual events: the entrance of an anti-rent control protester dressed in a six-foot chicken costume, and a sharp criticism by Cambridge's mayor of an editorial in yesterday's Crimson.

After a lengthy debate, the council voted 5-4 to reject Councillor Michael A. Sullivan's proposal to give checks to elderly and low-income tenants if Question 9 passed. The checks would have covered any differences in rent.

The council voted 8-1 on October 17 to oppose Question 9, which would affect Boston, Brookline and Cambridge, the only three cities in the state with rent-controlled housing.

The four councillors affiliated with the Cambridge Civic Association (CCA)--the city's liberal political group--sided against Sullivan's proposal, calling it financially unrealistic and premature.

"There are very few municipalities in the U.S. that run their own subsidy programs," said Councillor Kathleen L. Born. "It's very, very complex."

"I would want to know how we're going to fund this," she added.

"We're saying, eight days before the election, 'We have resources to help people out,'" said Councillor Jonathan S. Myers. "And we don't."

But the four non-affiliated council- lors, including Sullivan, argued the subsidy was a justifiable option if rent control is eliminated.

"This order is an effort to just give another alternative," said Vice Mayor Sheila T. Russell. "It's very important to the elderly and poor of the city."

Even William H. Walsh, the only councillor to favor the abolition of rent control, sided with Sullivan's proposal.

"It's asking the city to provide a subsidy to low-income tenants," Walsh said. "Why shouldn't the city look into that?"

But in an unusual move, Cambridge Mayor Kenneth E. Reeves '72, who has distanced himself from the CCA, sided with his political foes to oppose the Sullivan proposal.

The mayor said he had been told by City Manager Robert W. Healy that the plan, if it provided a subsidy of $7,500 to each eligible tenant, would bankrupt the city.

"In six months, we would spend $15 million, which is all we have in the bank," the mayor said.

Reeves cast the tie-breaking vote to defeat the proposal.

The debate, meanwhile, was interrupted by city resident Edward J. Kelleher, who entered the chamber in a white, feathered chicken outfit with a "Vote Yes on Question 9" sign and attempted to speak to the council.

Reeves, who chaired the meeting, ruled that Kelleher could not address the council, since the public-comment section of the meeting had already ended.

"You will remove yourselves from inside the public railing," Reeves told Kelleher and resident Mary T. Sullivan, who accompanied him. "Thank you."

"Rent control is not all that it's quacked up to be," quipped Mary Sullivan.

Mary Sullivan said she and Kelleher were independent anti-rent control protesters. But F. Patricia Callahan, president of the Small Property Owners of Boston Coalition, which opposes rent control, claimed the coalition was responsible for the protest.

"Politicians are ducking the plight of small property owners," Callahan punned.

The councillors did not think the protest was funny, even on Halloween.

"This is no joking matter," Councillor Timothy J. Toomey Jr. said. "I really take offense at the way these individuals have come to the council, the way they were dressed, making a mockery of the city council."

The subsidy debate was also interrupted by Reeves, who delivered a three-minute attack on local media coverage.

The Cambridge Chronicle reported two weeks ago that the mayor had declined to account for more than 275 expenses he charged on his city-issued MasterCard over a 13-month period. In an editorial yesterday, The Crimson called for Reeves to provide a full accounting of the expenditures or resign.

The staff editorial also called for Reeves to provide copies of his 1992 state income tax returns, after the state Department of Revenue announced last week that it had no record of them. Further, it noted that Reeves is the subject of a federal investigation because of a $30,000 overpayment made to the mayor by the Cambridge school committee.

Reeves responded that media coverage has been unfair and racially biased. "The Globe, the Chronicle, The Crimson and the Tab had a particular focus this past week," Reeves told the council last night.

He charged The Crimson with racial prejudice. "If any entry--if every credit-card entry--is dubious, then any Black man with a credit card is just dangerous," said Reeves, the city's first Black and first openly gay mayor.

In an interview in his office last night, Reeves repeated his refusal to provide an accounting for all the expenses.

"The Crimson should really study this editorial closely," the mayor said. "There are holes in its logic a mile long."

The mayor also criticized the newspaper for stating that he was "trivializing" issues of racism and homophobia in media coverage.

"If they think--living for 43 years as a Black man, who is also openly gay, in America--that I have to invent racism and homophobia in order to explain my expenditures, then that's sad," he said.

"Clearly, the mayor is grasping at straws," replied Stephen E. Frank '95, editorial chair of The Crimson, last night. "We've actually been quite supportive of his record on the council."

"We're merely asking him to explain his actions and produce evidence to support them. That shouldn't be a big deal, and his refusal to do so isCrimsonJohn C. MitchellMayor KENNETH E. REEVES '72 criticized a Crimson editorial at yesterday's City Council meeting.

"This order is an effort to just give another alternative," said Vice Mayor Sheila T. Russell. "It's very important to the elderly and poor of the city."

Even William H. Walsh, the only councillor to favor the abolition of rent control, sided with Sullivan's proposal.

"It's asking the city to provide a subsidy to low-income tenants," Walsh said. "Why shouldn't the city look into that?"

But in an unusual move, Cambridge Mayor Kenneth E. Reeves '72, who has distanced himself from the CCA, sided with his political foes to oppose the Sullivan proposal.

The mayor said he had been told by City Manager Robert W. Healy that the plan, if it provided a subsidy of $7,500 to each eligible tenant, would bankrupt the city.

"In six months, we would spend $15 million, which is all we have in the bank," the mayor said.

Reeves cast the tie-breaking vote to defeat the proposal.

The debate, meanwhile, was interrupted by city resident Edward J. Kelleher, who entered the chamber in a white, feathered chicken outfit with a "Vote Yes on Question 9" sign and attempted to speak to the council.

Reeves, who chaired the meeting, ruled that Kelleher could not address the council, since the public-comment section of the meeting had already ended.

"You will remove yourselves from inside the public railing," Reeves told Kelleher and resident Mary T. Sullivan, who accompanied him. "Thank you."

"Rent control is not all that it's quacked up to be," quipped Mary Sullivan.

Mary Sullivan said she and Kelleher were independent anti-rent control protesters. But F. Patricia Callahan, president of the Small Property Owners of Boston Coalition, which opposes rent control, claimed the coalition was responsible for the protest.

"Politicians are ducking the plight of small property owners," Callahan punned.

The councillors did not think the protest was funny, even on Halloween.

"This is no joking matter," Councillor Timothy J. Toomey Jr. said. "I really take offense at the way these individuals have come to the council, the way they were dressed, making a mockery of the city council."

The subsidy debate was also interrupted by Reeves, who delivered a three-minute attack on local media coverage.

The Cambridge Chronicle reported two weeks ago that the mayor had declined to account for more than 275 expenses he charged on his city-issued MasterCard over a 13-month period. In an editorial yesterday, The Crimson called for Reeves to provide a full accounting of the expenditures or resign.

The staff editorial also called for Reeves to provide copies of his 1992 state income tax returns, after the state Department of Revenue announced last week that it had no record of them. Further, it noted that Reeves is the subject of a federal investigation because of a $30,000 overpayment made to the mayor by the Cambridge school committee.

Reeves responded that media coverage has been unfair and racially biased. "The Globe, the Chronicle, The Crimson and the Tab had a particular focus this past week," Reeves told the council last night.

He charged The Crimson with racial prejudice. "If any entry--if every credit-card entry--is dubious, then any Black man with a credit card is just dangerous," said Reeves, the city's first Black and first openly gay mayor.

In an interview in his office last night, Reeves repeated his refusal to provide an accounting for all the expenses.

"The Crimson should really study this editorial closely," the mayor said. "There are holes in its logic a mile long."

The mayor also criticized the newspaper for stating that he was "trivializing" issues of racism and homophobia in media coverage.

"If they think--living for 43 years as a Black man, who is also openly gay, in America--that I have to invent racism and homophobia in order to explain my expenditures, then that's sad," he said.

"Clearly, the mayor is grasping at straws," replied Stephen E. Frank '95, editorial chair of The Crimson, last night. "We've actually been quite supportive of his record on the council."

"We're merely asking him to explain his actions and produce evidence to support them. That shouldn't be a big deal, and his refusal to do so isCrimsonJohn C. MitchellMayor KENNETH E. REEVES '72 criticized a Crimson editorial at yesterday's City Council meeting.