10 O'Clock News | Rent control demonstration

Byron Rushing addresses a rent control demonstration at Boston City Hall

Rent control demonstration
Original Airdate: 12/15/1982

Length: 00:18:33
Item Type: newstape - original footage

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Full Description

1:00:04
Visual: Byron Rushing (State Representative) speaks into a microphone. He says that working class and poor people need to fight for their rights as tenants. The crowd claps. Rushing says that voters must vote against politicians who do not support rent control; that rent control must be brought to the ballot as a city-wide referendum. The crowd claps.
Shots of the crowd ouside of City Hall.
A white woman addresses the crowd, saying that it is not a good idea to classify tenants as elderly, disabled or low-income; that those classes of tenants will have difficulty finding apartments.
Shots of two older men in the crowd. One of them is wearing a button which reads, "Rent Control: Continue and Strengthen it. Ban condominium conversion evictions." Shot of the button.
Pat Burns (Catholic Connection) addresses the crowd. Burns talks about Sojourner House, which is a shelter for homeless families. Burns says that the Catholic Connection supports rent control in order to stop the increasing number of homeless families.
Shot of a man holding a rent control sign reading, "No rent control plus no condo ban equals no housing."
Shots of the crowd listening to Burns. Several crowd members are holding pro-rent control signs.

1:02:23
V: The white woman addresses the crowd as they move into the City Hall building.
Shots of the crowd as they enter City Hall. One woman holds up a sign reading, "Landlords get the money. Tenants get the shaft."

1:03:33
V: Boston City Councillors Ray Flynn, Michael McCormack, Christopher Ianella and Maura Hennigan confer in the chambers of the Boston City Council. Frederick Langone (Boston City Council) confers with a woman on the floor of the chambers. Langone sits down in his chair, with his cigar in his mouth. The gallery of the chambers is filled with observers. Many observers wear pro-rent control buttons. Albert "Dapper" O'Neil (Boston City Council) joins the group of councillors.

1:05:51
V: Hennigan sits in her chair on the floor of the chambers. She flips through some papers on the table in front of her. Flynn sits down in his seat. Langone lights his cigar. Terence McDermott (Boston City Council) is sitting in his seat on the floor of the chamber. Albert "Dapper" O'Neil (Boston City Council) sits in his seat. The clerk calls the roll of city council members. Ianella brings the meeting to order.

1:08:28
V: The clerk reads appropriation orders and requests submitted by Kevin White (Mayor, City of Boston) for the approval of the council. The council discusses and votes on orders from the mayor concerning the Public Works Department and the Public Facilities Commission.
Shots of McDermott; of McCormack; of Langone; of audience members in the Council gallery.
The clerk calls the council roll for a vote on the order concerning the Public Facilities Commission. Shot of Bruce Bolling (Boston City Council).
The clerk reads a request from the mayor concerning the financing of a bond for the Winthrop Printing Company.

1:12:03
V: Shots of audience members in the gallery; long shot of the floor of the Council Chamber from the gallery. Audio is muffled.
Langone discusses a proposed law concerning the cleanliness of dumpsters in the city.
More shots of audience members.

1:15:45
V: Councillors conduct business on the floor of the Chamber. Langone talks about housing.
Shots of Christy George (WGBH reporter); of Bolling, Flynn and Hennigan; of Bolling; of Flynn; of Joseph Tierney (Boston City Council).
The Council continues to conduct business. Langone talks about building affordable housing instead of high-priced condominiums.

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