Mar. 9, 2010 : Protesting library closures

 

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; 03/09/10 7:28 PM

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>> TONIGHT ON "GREATER BOSTON",

THE CONSOLIDATION CRUNCH

FACING BOSTON'S PUBLIC

LIBRARIES.

WHY CLOSING BRANCHES MEANS TO

CITY NEIGHBORHOODS.

PLUS REFORMING HEALTH CARE

FROM SOMEONE ON THE FRONT

LINES, ATHENA HEALTH C.E.O.

JONATHAN BUSH.

GOOD EVENING.

THE BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY HAS

A 3.6 MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET

GAP AND A PUBLIC RELATIONS

PROBLEM.

OFFICIALS SAY HARD TIMES MEAN

AS MANY AS 10 NEIGHBORHOOD

BRANCHES MAY HAVE TO CLOSE AS

THE SYSTEM MODERNIZES AND GETS

LEANER.

BUT NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY

LOVERS SAY THEIR BRANCHES HAVE

BECOME EVEN MORE IMPORTANT

DURING THESE TOUGH ECONOMIC

TIMES.

BOSTON LIBRARY OFFICIALS ARE

NOT SAYING YET WHICH

NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARIES THEY

MAY CLOSE.

BUT SUPPORTERS OF THE FANEUIL

BRANCH IN BRIGHTON ARE ALREADY

SIGNING PETITIONS TO KEEP IT

OPEN.

>> I THINK IT'S HORRIBLE TO

THINK THAT WE MAY BE LOSING

LIBRARY BRANCHES, ESPECIALLY

THIS ONE HERE.

>> I COULDN'T EXIST WITHOUT

THIS LIBRARY.

I USED TO BUY A LOT OF BOOKS,

NOW THE LIBRARY PROVIDES ME

WITH MY BOOKS.

>> OFFICIALS WANT TO

CONSOLIDATE AS MANY AS TEN OF

THE CITY'S 26 BRANCH

LIBRARIES.

THAT MEANS OLDER, SMALLER ONES

LIKE THE FANEUIL IN OAK SQUARE

COULD LOSE OUT TO NEWER

NEIGHBORS LIKE THE NEARBY

BRIGHTON CENTER BRANCH, WHICH

IS UNDERGOING A $4 MILLION

RENOVATION.

BRIGHTON STATE SENATOR TOLMAN

SAYS THE TIMING IS WRONG TO

CLOSE ANY BRANCHES.

>> WHERE DOES A PERSON GO WHEN

THEY'RE UNEMPLOYED AND THEY

DON'T HAVE A COMPUTER AND WANT

TO SEEK EMPLOYMENT?

NAY WANT TO PUT A RESUME

TOGETHER.

THEY GO TO THE LIBRARY.

>> TOLMAN SPOKE OUT AT A RALLY

AGAINST LIBRARY CUTS.

BUT THE HEAD OF THE BOSTON

LIBRARY TRUSTEES TOLD THE SAME

CROWD THAT LESS STATE FUNDING

MEANS THE CITY HAS NO CHOICE

BUT TO EITHER CUT BRANCHES OR

HOURS.

>> FOR FISCAL YEAR 2008, WE'VE

GOT JUST ABOUT $9.2 MILLION

FROM THE STATE.

FOR THIS COMING YEAR, IT LOOKS

LIKE WE WILL GET ABOUT $3

MILLION.

>> AND BOSTON LIBRARY

PRESIDENT AMY RYAN SAID

CLOSURES WILL BE CAREFULLY

CONSIDERED.

>> WE STILL ARE GOING TO HAVE

THE LIBRARIES THAT WE LF NOW

AND THAT WE'VE LOVED SINCE

CHILDHOOD.

BUT THEY NEED TO GET BETTER.

THE SYSTEM RIGHT NOW IS

FINANCIALLY NOT SUSTAINABLE.

>> MEANING MANY LIBRARY LOVERS

WILL HAVE TO LEARN TO LIVE

WITH LESS.

JOINING ME NOW IS AMY PATTEE

OF THE SIMMONS COLLEGE

GRADUATE SCHOOL OF LIBRARY

INFORMATION SCIENCE.

SUSAN FLANNERY, DIRECTOR OF

THE CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC LIBRARY.

AND TODD FEINBERG OF WRKO

RADIO.

WELCOME TO ALL OF YOU.

I THINK ONE OF THE BIG

QUESTIONS HAS BEEN TODAY AS WE

LOOKED AT THE ALLEY AT THE

STATE HOUSE, WHICH WAS THE

MASSACHUSETTS LIBRARY

ASSOCIATION, NOT JUST SPEAKING

ABOUT BOSTON, IS A LIBRARY A

NECESSITY OR A LUXURY?

>> A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH, I

THINK.

IT CAN BE A LUX YUR JUST

NECESSITY OR A NECESSARY

LUXURY.

FOR A L. US WE TAKE THE

LIBRARY FOR GRANTED.

WE HAVE COMPUTERS AT HOME, WE

HAVE INTERNET CONNECTIONS AT

HOME AND WE THINK WHAT ELSE DO

WE NEED.

WE MIGHT EVEN HAVE THE FREEDOM

AND THE MONEY TO GO OUT TO

BARNES AND NOBLE AND BUY

WHATEVER BOOK OPRAH IS TALKING

ABOUT.

BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE

WHO DON'T HAVE THOSE LUXURIES

WHO CAN'T NECESSARILY

PARTICIPATE IN THE PUBLIC

CONVERSATION OPRAH LEADS

AROUND THE LATEST BOOK, BUT

CAN FIND THAT BOOK IN THE

LIBRARY, WHO DON'T HAVE

COMPUTERS AT HOME, WHO CAN

ACCESS THAT INFORMATION AT THE

LIBRARY.

>> SUSAN, HOW HAS CAMBRIDGE

DEBT WITH THIS.

YOU HAVE A LOT OF BRANCHES

THERE TOO?

>> WE DO, WE JUST BUILT A

BRAND NEW MAIN LIBRARY, WHICH

HAS BEEN OVERWHELMINGLY

GREETED BY THE COMMUNITY AND

IS BEING USED AT UNPRECEDENTED

LEVELS.

WE DO HAVE SIX SMALL BRANCH

LIBRARIES IN THE CITY AS WELL.

BUT IN THE PAST YEAR THE FIVE

SMALLER BRANCHES HAVE CLOSED

ONE DAY A WEEK.

THEY'RE NOW OPEN FOUR DAYS A

WEEK INSTEAD OF FIVE.

AND THAT WAS A RESULT OF

DECLINING STATE REVENUES TO

THE CITY AND DECLINING TAX

REVENUES OF THE CITY, AND

EVERYBODY HAD TO TAKE A SMALL

CUT.

AND WE CHOSE NOT TO CLOSE ONE

BRANCH, BUT RATHER TO SPREAD

THE PAIN AROUND A LITTLE BIT.

FORTUNATELY FOR US, WE'RE

DIFFERENT THAN BOSTON, WE ONLY

HAD SIX LIBRARIES, SO THERE

WASN'T AS MUCH, YOU KNOW, AS

MANY CHOICES TO MAKE, IF YOU

WILL.

IT IS A LOT OF BRACHBLES.

WE HAVE SEVEN LIBRARIES IN SIX

SQUARE MILES.

THAT BEING SAID, WE CHECKED

OUT 1.1 MILLION ITEMS LAST

YEAR.

WE HAD OVER 100,000 HOURS OF

PUBLIC ACCESS COMPUTER USE.

WE'RE VERY, VERY BUSY.

THAT IS NOT TO SAY THAT THE

CUTS HAVE NOT BEEN DIFFICULT.

AND THAT WE HOPE SOME DAY WHEN

TIMES ARE BETTER WE CAN

REINSTITUTE SERVICE.

>> IT'S LIKE I'VE COME OFF AS

A SCROOGE ON ALL THIS, BECAUSE

I FEEL LIKE EVERYBODY HAS THIS

IDEA THIS EVERYTHING IS FREE,

OR CERTAIN THINGS THAT WE'VE

EARNED THE RIGHT TO HAVE BE

FREE.

EVE THAN LAST WEEK WHEN WE SAW

THE THING WITH THE REGISTRY,

PEOPLE ARE NOT WILLING TO PAY

UP ANOTHER FIVE BUCKS TO SHOW

UP IN PERSON.

BUT IS THERE ANOTHER WAY TO

FUND THE LIBRARY?

SHOULD THE STATE BE GIVING $9

MILLION INSTEAD OF 3 MILLION,

SHOULD THE CITY BE FILL IN THE

GAPS FOR EACH CITY, OR SHOULD

THERE BE ANOTHER WAY TO PAY

FOR THE LIBRARIES?

>> THERE ARE A LOT OF

DIFFERENT WAYS, THERE'S STATE

FUNDING, LOCAL FUNDING.

MANY COMMUNITIES HAVE PRIVATE

FUNDING FOR THEIR LIBRARIES.

LIBRARIES ARE WONDERFUL THINGS,

I DON'T THINK ANYBODY CAN

DISPUTE IT A WONDERFUL

RESOURCE.

YOU GO TO A LOT OF COMMUNITIES

AND IT MAY BE THE ONLY

BUILDING THAT PEOPLE CAN JUST

WALK INTO AND MAKE USE OF OF.

AND THAT'S AN IMPORTANT ASSET.

THE QUESTION IS THE FUNDING

QUESTION, AND I THINK ALSO HOW

IT FITS INTO THE OVERALL

SCHEME OF FUNDING OUR

GOVERNMENT IN GENERAL.

THE LIBRARIES ARE LEFT OVER

FROM ANOTHER TIME WHERE

COMMUNITIES DECIDE THEY WANT

TO HAVE A RESOURCE AND THEY

JUST DO IT.

AND THEY'RE RELATIVELY

INEXPENSIVE TO RUN.

WHEN YOU COMPARE IT TO SOME OF

THE OUTRAGEOUS EXPENSES WE SEE

ALONG WITH THE BUDGET CUTS FOR

LIBRARIES WE'VE SEEN HOW WE

HAVE UNSUSTAINABLE EXPENSES

FOR RETIREES IN GOVERNMENT

WORK.

AND FOR THE BENEFITS THAT

THOSE RETIRE HE'S GET AND FOR

THE BENEFITS OF PUBLIC

EMPLOYEES.

SO IN A SENSE THE LIBRARIES

ARE GETTING SQUEEZED OUT.

LEGITIMATE COMMUNITY RESOURCE

THAT DOESN'T HAVE THIS HUGE

LOBBYING WING THAT THE UNIONS

PROVIDE TO THE PUBLIC

EMPLOYEES.

SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT THE

FIGHT IS OVER.

I'D LOVE TO SEE THE SPOTLIGHT

PUT ON THE WASTED MONEY AND

THE FIXED COSTS THAT

COMMUNITIES CAN'T GET OUT FROM

UNDER.

>> IT HAS BEEN, AS YOU'VE SEEN

ALL LAST WEEK AND AGAIN TODAY,

WE SAW SOME OF THESE PENSION

ISSUES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

BUT I'M WONDERING, I WAS

TALKING TO SOMEBODY FROM

BOSTON TODAY, AND THEY WERE

SAYING THAT THERE'S BEEN NO

CONCERTED PUBLIC DRIVE TO TAP

INTO COMMUNITIES, DEPENDING

WHAT COMMUNITY YOU LIVE IN,

THIS WOMAN WAS FROM THE SOUTH

END, THE FENWAY LIBRARY BRANCH

AND SHE WAS SAYING NOBODY HAS

EVER TRIED TO DO NEIGHBORHOOD

FUND RAISING.

THAT THAT BE A SOLUTION?

>> I THINK MAYBE YOU'D BE ABLE

TO SPEAK MORE TO THIS, BUT I

THINK THAT BECAUSE OF THE WAY

THAT PUBLIC LIBRARIES ARE

FUNDED, THERE IS ONLY SO MUCH

THAT THEY'RE ALLOWED TO

ENDORSE.

>> I'M NOT SURE ABOUT FUND

RAISING, BUT CERTAINLY

POLITICAL ACTIVITY IS SOMEWHAT

CIRCUMSCRIBED BY OUR ROLE AS

PUBLIC EMPLOYEES, IT'S VERY

DIFFICULT TO USE YOUR ROLE AS

A PUBLIC EMPLOYEE TO ADVOCATE

IN THE POLITICAL REALM.

SO I THINK LIBRARIES DO RELY

ON CITIZENS TO SPEAK FOR THEM

TO A GREAT DEGREE.

BUT I WANTED TO GET BACK,

BOSTON IN FACT HAS A

FOUNDATION AND I BELIEVE THE

FOUNDATION DOES RAISE MONEY

FOR ALL OF ITS LOCATIONS, SO I

THINK THAT BOSTON PROBABLY

MORE THAN MOST LIBRARIES HAS

ACTUALLY PUT A SUBSTANTIAL

EFFORT INTO PRIVATE

FUNDRAISING.

>> THIS IS GOING TO BE A

HORRIBLE SUGGESTION.

WHY CAB WE HAVE A USER FEE

WHEN YOU GO INTO A LIBRARY?

IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH

THAT?

>> HOW ABOUT IF YOU SELL

LATTES.

IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENED,

LIBRARIES HAVE MISSED THE BOAT

AND THIS MAY BE STRUCTURAL IN

TERMS OF HOW THEY'RE FUNDED.

BUT YOU'VE GOT BARNES AND

NOBLE AND THOSE TYPES OF

STORES THAT ESSENTIALLY BEHAVE

LIKE LIBRARIES.

>> THAT WHAT I SAID TODAY, AND

--

STARBUCKS BEHAVES LIKE THAT.

>> I WANT TO GO BACK TO YOUR

ORIGINALY, ARE LIBRARIES A

LUXURY OR NECESSITY.

LIBRARIES WERE FOUNDED IN THE

19th CENTURY WHEN LITERACY WAS

NOT VERY COMMON AND WHERE

EDUCATION WAS NOT REQUIRED FOR

MOST JOBS.

WE'RE LIVING IN A WORLD NOW

WHERE NOT ONLY IS EDUCATION

AND LITERACY REQUIRED, BUT

HIGHER EDUCATION IS ESSENTIAL

FOR JOB SKILLS.

SO I WOULD ARGUE THAT

LIBRARIES ARE EVEN MORE

ESSENTIAL NOW THAN THEY WERE

IN THE 19th CENTURY.

>> WHEN BOOKS ARE BECOMING

REALLY FALLING INTOUSE AND

EVERYBODY CAN HAVE UNLIMITED

SUPPLIES OF BOOKS ON COMPUTERS

AND KINDLES NOW --

>> BUT WHO PAYS FOR THAT?

I THINK IN THE 19th CENTURY

PEOPLE DECIDED TO POOL THEIR

RESOURCES AND TO FUND

SOMETHING THAT NONE OF THEM

COULD AFFORD INDIVIDUALLY.

I WOULD ARGUE THAT WE'RE STILL

DOING THE SAME THING RIGHT

NOW.

AND IN THE COMMUNITIES IN THE

MIDWEST WHERE LIBRARIES ARE

FUNDED BY MILLAGE, WHERE THE

PUBLIC VOTES DIRECTLY ON THEIR

LIBRARY FUNDING AROUND CHICAGO

AND THE MIDWEST, YOU'LL FIND

LIBRARIES ARE FUNDED BETTER BY

THOSE PEOPLE WHO VOTE DIRECTLY

ON THEIR LIBRARY TAXES THAN

HOW WE DO IT HERE.

>> I THINK IT'S A FALLACY TO

CONSIDER THE BOOK OUT OF THE

PICTURE.

BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE

THE ABILITY TO LOOK AT

ELECTRONIC BOOKS, OR TO ACCESS

MATERIAL ONLINE.

BUT SO MANY MORE PEOPLE DO

NOT.

AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK

THAT WE CAN SAY, UNTIL WE'VE

GOT 100% COVERAGE, THAT

EVERYONE IS GOING THE WAY OF

THE ELECTRONIC BOOK.

WE ARE VERY, VERY PRIVILEGED

TO HAVE ACCESS TO THAT AND I'M

MAKING A BIG ASSUMPTION, IN

OUR LIVES, WHEN A LOT OF

PEOPLE DON'T.

I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO,

ESPECIALLY IN AN URBAN AREA,

LOOK AT THE OTHER ROLES THAT

THE LIBRARY IS PLAYING.

THE LIBRARY IS PICKING UP A

LOT OF SLACK AS FAR AS YOUTH

SERVICES, AS FAR AS DAY CARE

SERVICES FOR ADULTS, AND, YOU

KNOW, IF THE LIBRARY DID NOT

ALLOW ITS BUILDING TO BECOME A

RESTING PLACE FOR A LOT OF

FOLKS, IT WOULD BE A BIG

PROBLEM.

I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT

WHAT THE LIBRARY DOES WITH

REGARDS TO LENDING MATERIAL

AND PROVIDING INFORMATION.

BUT ALSO WHAT IT DOES AS FAR

AS MAKING ITSELF AVAILABLE AS

A COMMUNITY CENTER.

>> YOU WEREN'T KIDDING ABOUT

HAVING A COMMERCIAL VENTURE

ASSIGNED TO THEM.

IF THERE'S A WAY FOR THEM TO

MAKE MONEY.

>> SOME LIBRARIES DO HAVE

CAFES.

AND SOME OF THEM HAVE NOT BEEN

TERRIBLY SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE I

THINK THERE WASN'T ENOUGH

VOLUME OF BUSINESS.

NOT ENOUGH TRAFFIC MAYBE

COMING IN.

WE CERTAINLY HAVE VENDING

MACHINES IN OUR NEW LIBRARY

AND HOPE SOME DAY THAT WE WILL

HAVE A CAFE, BUT I DON'T THINK

THAT IS REALLY GOING TO FUND

WHAT THE LIBRARY DOES.

IN REGARD TO YOUR QUESTION

ABOUT TECHNOLOGY, I DON'T KNOW

WHAT A 2-YEAR-OLD WOULD DO

WITH A KINDLE.

WE HAVE PARENTS WHO COME IN

AND TAKE HOME 20 AND 30 BOX A

WEEK TO READ WITH THEIR

CHILDREN.

THAT IS A VERY ESSENTIAL PART

OF LITERACY DEVELOPMENT IN

YOUNG CHILDREN THAT CANNOT BE

REPLACED BY TECHNOLOGY.

>> THAT'S A GREAT POINT.

I THINK THE INTERESTING PART

OF YOUR QUESTION ABOUT WHAT

OTHER MODEL MIGHT WORK IS THAT

WHEN YOU HAVE INSTITUTIONS

LIKE LIBRARIES THAT ARE FUNDED

BY THE GOVERNMENT OR ARE

PERCEIVED AS PERMANENT THINGS

HAD LEFT OVER FROM THE 1900S,

THERE TENDS TO BE AN

INFLEXIBLE, THERE TENDS TO BE

A LACK OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP

THAT SAYS LOOK WE'RE FAILING,

HOW CAN WE GO ABOUT TURNING

THIS AROUND.

BECAUSE WE'RE BEING SURPASSED

BY STARBUCKS, WE'RE BEING

SURPASSED BY BARNES AND NOBLE.

HOW CAN WE GET ON THAT BAND

WAGON AND I THINK PEOPLE WOULD

BE EXCITED TO SEE MORE OF THAT

KIND OF STUFF HAPPENING.

>> ALL RIGHT, SOMETHING'S

GOING TO HAPPEN.

THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING HERE.

APPRECIATE IT.

>> THANK YOU.

>> WHEN WE CONTINUE, ON THE

FRONT LINES OF HEALTH CARE

REFORM, ATHENA HEALTH SQUO

JONATHAN BUSH.

BUT FIRST THIS MESSAGE FROM

WGBH.

>> YOUR SOURCE FOR LOCAL

INTELLIGENT CONVERSATION WILL

RETURN IN A MOMENT.

I'M RAY BROWN.

YOU KNOW THAT WHEN YOU TUNE IN

TO "GREATER BOSTON" YOUR MIND

WILL BE FILLED WITH TIMELY

RELEVANT INFORMATION THAT

DIRECTLY AFFECTS YOU AND YOUR

COMMUNITY.

THIS IS LOCAL INDEPENDENT

JOURNALISM AT ITS FINEST.

THE REPORTERS AND PRODUCERS ON

"GREATER BOSTON" HAVE ONLY ONE

MISSION, AND THAT IS TO

DELIVER THE NEWS WITHOUT SPIN.

THE REASON WE CAN PROVIDE THIS

SERVICE IS BECAUSE VIEWERS

LIKE YOU GIVE US THE FUNDS TO

PRODUCE "GREATER BOSTON".

THOSE SAME FUNDS HELP TO BRING

THE EMILY ROONEY AND THE CALI

CROSSLEY SHOWS TO 89.7 ON THE

RADIO DIAL.

SO DO SOMETHING RIGHT NOW THAT

WILL TRULY AFFECT AN ENTIRE

CITY.

ACTUALLY AN ENTIRE REGION.

SUPPORT "GREATER BOSTON" ON

WGBH WITH A GIFT IN ANY

AMOUNT.

PLUS FOR THE NEXT FEW MINUTES

YOUR GIFT WILL BE MATCHED

DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR UP TO $3,000

THINGS TO RUSSELL BREYER.

PLEASE CALL OR JOIN ONLINE

NOW.

>> THE "GREATER BOSTON" TEAM

HITS THE STREETS EVERY DAY TO

BRING YOU NEWS AND ANALYSIS OF

TOPICS THAT AFFECT US ALL.

PLUS JARED BOWEN GIVES US AN

INSIDERS LOOK AT THE RICH ARTS

AND CULTURE THAT OUR GREAT

CITY HAS TO OFFER.

PLEASE SUPPORT THEIR WORK WITH

AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE OF

"GREATER BOSTON".

WHEN YOU DO SO AT THE $60

LEVEL CAN YOU EXPERIENCE THE

ARTS YOURSELF WITH FOUR PASSES

TO THE FULLER CRAFT MUSEUM AND

A DVD COPY OF THE PBS SERIES

CRAFT IN AMERICA, SEASON 2.

YOUR $60 GIFT BREAKS DOWN TO

JUST $35 A MONTH, A MANAGEABLE

AMOUNT WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT

THAT WAY.

PLUS YOU CAN DOUBLE YOUR

SUPPORT THANKS TO RUSSELL

BREYER.

BUT YOU NEED TO CALL RIGHT NOW

AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS

OFFER.

1-800-492-111.

OR JOIN US ONLINE AT WGBH.ORG.

>> "GREATER BOSTON" AND WGBH

ARE ALL ABOUT STORIES, GIVING

PEOPLE TIME TO TELL THEIR

STORIES AND GIVING YOU THE

OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERSTAND

COMPLEX STORIES SO YOU CAN

MAKE DECISIONS FOR YOURSELF.

IF YOU MAKE AN INVESTMENT AT

WGBH WE CAN THANK YOU WITH A

STORY OF THE PEOPLE'S HISTORY

OF THE UNITED STATES, FROM THE

LATE HISTORIAN HOWARD ZINN.

IT TELLS THE STORY OF

AMERICA'S HISTORY THROUGH THE

EYES OF EVERY DAY WORKING

PEOPLE.

WHEN YOU INVEST AT WGBH YOU'RE

INVESTING IN THE QUALITY OF

YOUR COMMUNITY.

AND WITH YOUR $120 DONATION

WE'LL SEND ALONG A WGBH FLEECE

JACKET LIKE THE ONE I'M

WEARING.

PLEASE DO YOUR PART AND MAKE

AN INVESTMENT IN INDEPENDENT

JOURNALISM RIGHT NOW.

>> A GIFT IN ANY AMOUNT MAKES

YOU A SUPPORTING MEMBER AND AN

IMPORTANT PIECE OF THE

ECONOMIC PUZZLE AT WGBH.

OVER 50% OF OUR LOCAL

OPERATING BUDGET COMES FROM

THE COMMUNITY.

THAT MEANS THAT EVERY GIFT IN

EVERY LEVEL FROM EVERY VIEWER

IS IMPORTANT AND CRITICAL TO

THE CONTINUED SUCCESS OF THIS

PUBLIC TELEVISION STATION.

WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL GIVE

WHATEVER AMOUNT THAT FITS INTO

YOUR BUDGET.

IF IT'S $25, GREAT.

BUT IF YOU CAN AFFORD MORE, WE

CAN THANK YOU WITH A WGBH

FLEECE JACKET AVAILABLE IN

NAVY BLUE FOR MEN OR POWDER

BLUE FOR WOMEN.

SIZES SMALL THROUGH EXTRA

LARGE.

IT A SOFT AND COZY WAY TO

SUPPORT, SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR

WGBH.

AND IT'S AVAILABLE FOR A GIFT

OF $120 OR JUST $10 A MONTH.

CAN YOU AFFORD $10 A MONTH TO

SUPPORT ALL THE INDEPENDENT

JOURNALISM YOU FIND ON WGBH?

I HOPE SO.

>> WE'LL BE GOING BACK TO

"GREATER BOSTON" IN A FEW

SECONDS, AND THERE ARE ONLY A

FEW SECONDS LEFT TO DOUBLE THE

AMOUNT OF YOUR CONTRIBUTION.

THE VALUE OF YOUR CONTRIBUTION

RIGHT NOW, THANKS TO A MATCH,

A DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR MATCH FROM

OUR FRIENDS AT RUSSELL BREYER.

SO PLEASE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF

THAT DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR MATCH,

CALL US RIGHT NOW AT THAT

NUMBER YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN,

OR GIVE SECURELY ONLINE.

THANKS.