Council Reaction
The city council met twice this week to discuss the legislature's compromise. The council voted Wednesday to publicize the new act on cable television and to make a pamphlet for citywide distribution, according to Reeves.
Council reaction to the compromise was mixed. "It's terrible," Reeves said yesterday. "The governor simply sat down with the real estate industry and decided what the policy for the city of Cambridge will be."
"It's not democracy, it's not good government and it's going to have a terrible impact on the city in general," the mayor added. "People have money to buy a ballot issue and rush it down everyone's throats."
Question 9, the state ballot referendum to abolish rent control, was passed by a 51 to 49 percent margin on November 8.
Vice Mayor Sheila T. Russell supported the compromise. "The voters have spoken, and they won," Russell said.
She said too many tenants had grown accustomed to subsidized rents. "It's become a way of life with people, and now it's over," Russell said.
The council had considered giving rent subsidies to tenants, but determined that the idea would be impossibly costly. Reeves said a subsidy for low-income tenants, after rent control expires, would cost $15 million for only six months and bankrupt the city.
Despite the mayor's resolve, area residents are divided on rent control. Many say they will be glad to see the system go.
"I'm a landlord and I voted against it," said Kevin W. Burr. "I live in East Boston where there is no rent control and it's totally different there. Rent control just helps the rich people get richer."
Some said Cantabridgians need to come to grips with the results of November's election.
"I'm part of the homeless and am about to move to the YMCA," said a man who would identify himself only as J. Price. "If you have a well-paying job you should be able to pay for full rent. The people of Cambridge voted it out. It's kind of screwed up. Now that they found out how it was, they start squawking about it."