October 7, 2025 • 37 mins
Two Boston City Councilors, Councilor Liz Breadon, and Councilor Ruthzee Louijeune are pushing for government run grocery stores in Boston to address food insecurity, especially in areas of Boston considered a "food desert" with a lack of grocery options. How would the program work? Who can apply for or access the grocery stores if approved and would this open up job opportunities for people in Boston? We discussed all the details with Boston City Councilor Liz Breadon!
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Well, Dan Watkins, that means the Mariners and Blue Jays
for the American League. Pennant our guest two of the
original thirty two or whatever it is. Wow, goodbye Tigers
and goodbye Yankees. Well, welcome back everybody, our number two
here on a Tuesday night. Delighted to be joined by
Boston City Council Liz Britton councilor welcome to Nightside.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
How are you good evening?
Speaker 4 (00:32):
Pleased to be with you.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Pleased to be with you as well. You are a
district councilor you represent District nine I believe, which is
primarily Brighton and Austin, but you may have other constituencies,
do you, Lappo?
Speaker 4 (00:47):
Yeah, No, primarily Austin. Brighton is District.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Nine, Yes, okay, great. So I noticed the article, a
couple of articles in the newspapers today that you and
the City Council President Rouzie Lui Juan are talking about
government run grocery stores, kind of a hot topic, and
I'm just wondering, how do you envision government run grocery stores.
(01:12):
I understand the concern that grocery prices are seem always
go up, they never go down, and people, you know,
want to be able to eat well and have access
to grocery stores. How would this work? Would there be
like one location somewhere in Boston. How do you envision this?
Speaker 3 (01:30):
I just want to listen well to be clear.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
Then I think what we're proposing is a hearing to
discuss the possibility of publicly owned grocery stores and to
address food and Security Council Presidents Luis And also finds
a hearing order almost simultaneously with the one we five,
and it's to look at just the various alternative models
(01:58):
for food access in grocery stores, because we're finding in
the city of Boston there's a proportion of our residents
who food insecure, especially our elders and folks on effected income,
and you know across the country that are places before
they have established a model of a publicly funded grocery store.
(02:21):
And it may be that the grocery store to make
it that little bit more affordable for folks who need
that support. It may be something like a support for
rental relief or tax relief or whatever. So the conversation
is really to have a hearing order to explore these
different models that we might be able to implement in
(02:42):
the city of Boston.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Yeah, the only big one I know that they've talked
about something like that in New York, the Democratic potential
nominee and Damie has talked about that. But I did
a little research, and the most successful one was one
summer we're in Kansas, a little town that didn't have
a grocery store, and I guess the residents were having
(03:08):
to drive and a pretty long distance both ways, and
they said, well, it's easier to have a a grocery
store run.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
By the town.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
I don't know logistically how it would run. Would how
when you say a grocery store, I think about Roach
Brothers and Hanerford and Market Basket and all of those,
you know, great grocery stores that when you're able to
get to there's pretty much everything that you want. All
(03:40):
of us would like to see the prices a little lower.
Would you folks have to establish a sort of a
city department which would in effect staff a grocery store.
And then also, or is it too early to even
contemplate that.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
I think it's too early to even a contemplate. This
is really just the start of the conversation. We have
a non not for profit grocery store in the city.
They had one in Central Square and Cambridge, and I
think they had a few in the city of Boston
called Daily Table, but they have ceased operations. And we
(04:15):
do have co ops cooperatives, and that's another model for
grocery stores. You know that we used to have a
co op here in Austin on Cambridge Street and and
folks would volunteer and they would get they would get
a discount if there were volunteers and members, they would
(04:35):
get a discount on their on their grocery built anything
that they bought in the store. So I think there's
many different models, and I think it's it's really just
the beginning of the conversation. I think in this moment,
folks are really we've seen a lot of increase in
the cost of food in recent years. We have inflation,
(04:58):
we have the impact of parents. Now more recently, we
have the impact of the tens of farm workers. Farmers
and producers are having a harder time. And the other
thing that we're very cognizant off is that the government
is cutting food programs like supplemental nutritional Assistance program, the
(05:18):
SNAP program, and we're anticipating that that's going to impact
tens of thousands of folks in the Greater Boston area
moving forward. So I think it's almost like we're anticipating
more challenges, and I think this is an opportunity to
bring in stakeholders and folks who work in this space,
like Food Justice and Grow Boston and the Boston Public
(05:43):
Health Commission, and they be folks from the Greater Boston
Food Bank, just to talk about food security and how
we might develop a model for a publicly funded grocery
store and it might be just something to help reduce
the overhead that we could be more competitive. But it's
(06:03):
not a dumb daily.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
At this moment, no, that I understand. So so you
basically are saying anything is potentially possible. Is there any
country in the world that that you I know that
that you grew up in Ireland and if I hadn't
done the research, I would have known it anyway. But
is there any country in the world that that has
(06:26):
has undertaken some idea like this? I mean I'm unfamiliar.
I mean I know a lot of the communist countries. Uh,
go you go to Russia or North Korea. The prices
aren't bad, but there's but there's no food to buy
in many, many times.
Speaker 4 (06:46):
To your point earlier, we have a lot of really
high quality grocery stores in the city of Boston. Some
areas don't have grocery stores and no spaces. We call
those food deserts. We have one here in Austin Brighton
and Ook Square, there isn't there isn't a grocery store
then walking distance. But we across the city there's there's
(07:07):
areas where, yeah, there people don't have access to an
affordable grocery store. And I know I am presently from
the expression of food aparthite, because you know, you might
live across the street from a really wonderful grocery store
like a Ghoas Brothers or a Whole Food, but if
you're on a fixed low fixed income, you can't afford
(07:28):
to buy your groceries there.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Well, yeah, I guess that is true in some cases,
but might not It be simpler to say, Okay, if
there are people on fixed income, particularly say elderly people
in Boston over a certain age, we could provide them.
If the feds are cutting back on their wik programs
(07:53):
or their food stamp programs. Boston could innovate and have
some money and and give the equivalent of Boston Wick
in Boston food stamps to Boston you know, verified Boston residents.
Speaker 4 (08:07):
Yeah, well, we're doing some of that already because you know,
we we do how we do get vouchers for food farmers' markets.
We get those gad vichers from various like philand Tropic efforts,
or we asked our local institutions for money for food
vouchers to support residents being able to buy and fresh,
(08:32):
fresh vegetables and produce at the farmers market. You know,
that's even that's even another.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Sort of model of what we could do.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
And as I said at the outset, it's really just
a discussion about all the different options and how we
might be able to beef up some of those options
or or or look at some more innovative ways to
dealing with the with the problem.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Yeah. Well, I just finished by saying that we have
that wonderful facility, the Greater Food Bank, that that is available.
I would hope that maybe they could do something like that,
get involved in it. And when you talk about farmer's markets,
one of the problems living here in the Northeast over
which none of us have any control. That farmers markets
(09:16):
pretty much close up sometime after Thanksgiving and they don't
open up until, you know, maybe April or May at
the earliest. We don't have that twelve month growing season
like they do in other parts of the country. Well, well,
we'll follow you on this. I'm a bit of a skeptic.
I'm in all honesty is you probably figured out. But
I very much appreciate you coming on tonight and explaining
(09:39):
where we were in the process. Thank you so much,
Council Libert, thank you and thank you for your Interestaniel's
that's okay, I answered, I I'm I'm. I also share
with you in Irish citizenship. I want you to know
so my family from a little town called Mallow on
the Blackwater.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
So I don't know.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
I think you're from the other side of the divide
if I'm not.
Speaker 4 (10:05):
If I recall from I'm from the North, I'm from.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
Country, yes, right, I know.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Twenty six of the six I know. Thank thank you great.
I've been. I've been to the North, as the TV
reported to both Derry and to Belfast on a couple
of occasions, and it's a it's a fascinating situation over there.
Thank goodness that that's that peace has I think taken
hold in Ireland. Many people felt it would never occur,
(10:33):
but it did. And let that be a lesson to
other countries around the world that peace is sometimes actually possible.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Yes, indeed, thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Thank you, Thank you too as well. All right, and
we come back and want to hear from all of you.
I think it's interesting. I am not someone who wants
to see the government run food store. It seems to
me that if the government wants to collect taxes and
make some subsidies available to people, that's fine, that's okay.
(11:11):
But we live in a country where there are options,
and there are a lot of people out there. I
go to grocery stores all over the place, go to Walmart,
go to Market Basket, I go to Roach Brothers, I
go to Shaw's. Don't go to Wegmans much, to be
(11:33):
honest with you. The Wegmans that is near where I live.
It's just very difficult to get in and get out of.
But putting all of that aside, I don't have a
lot of faith in that the government can run much
of anything. Beyond a police department and a fire department
and in an EMT service. So we'll see. I'd love
to know what you think. Would you be inclined?
Speaker 3 (11:55):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
If you have a government run grocery store for people
who need help, do you prevent other Bostonians from shopping there.
There's a legion of questions that that are in my mind.
And I didn't want to hector the councilor because she
made it very clear that this is in the discussion stages.
(12:19):
But I'm sure there are people who have figured it
out and figured out that somehow that there might be something,
some profit to be made in a nonprofit if you
get my drift, So going to open it up. Do
you think the government, whether it's the federal government, the
state government, or the City of Boston should run grocery stores?
(12:40):
And again, Liz Britten left open the possibility that they
did not necessarily have to run them, but maybe they
could expedite things. I find it very sad that in
this country, where we have so much, that there are
people who needed assistance food, because it seems to me
(13:03):
that there are lots of programs that have been instituted
over the years to help people, and I I hate
to think that there's anyone who's going to bed hungry
at night. I realized there are people who live in
the streets, and they probably are. But oftentimes the folks
(13:24):
in the street are there by a choice. It's it
may be a choice that's impacted by some sort of
mental judgment or lack thereof, but there is a choice
involved there. I'm talking about moms and kids. Why is
it that they do not have between wick and food
(13:46):
stamp programs or whatever, all the different programs, as well
as the charities that are that exist the Boston, the
Great Boston Food Bank, a wonderful organization. Six one, seven
two ten thirty six seven nine three one ten thirty.
Let's talk about it. Come back here on night Side.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
Okay, so we're talking about these food these grocery stores.
Uh Mindami the socialist in New York. He's he's made
a big point of that. I mean he intends to
uh to have I mean, it's it's gonna be a disaster.
And I think what he's proposing, I think what we're
(14:28):
talking about we're talking about here in Boston and hopefully
people will realize that you gotta I think I think
you got to take it a little slow, but the
need can be great. So let's let's go to phones
and we go to Frank in East and Frank, you've
been waiting. I'm gonna let I'm gonna get you in
here before the ninetys.
Speaker 5 (14:47):
Go right ahead, Frank, Thanks Dan, Thanks.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (14:51):
You know, I think that the government involvement in ways
they can get involved in ways in which they don't
have to directly run the store, by giving tax incentives,
other things, benefits to these commercial operators who know how
(15:12):
to run a store, and and give them incentives to
come into those food deserts. In addition, I think there
is an opportunity to to help those people who really
need it by either you know, subsidies another kind of
(15:32):
EBT card that is done by the the city and
they subsidize that. But direct involvement running a store, no way.
You don't want the government to do that.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Well, the only the only exception, the only exception I think,
and you might agree with me, is if they brought
rd ET out of retirements.
Speaker 6 (15:55):
I would agree with you that he.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
Might do that at this point as a way to well,
to have uh, you know, to extend his legacy. But
I don't know. I just think that the government, I
think the government that governs least govern's best. I've always
believed that, and that Look, we need a police department,
we need roads, and we need fire department, we need
(16:18):
e mts, we probably need we do need health inspectors.
There are certain things that only government can do. But
when when they get into the food business, I look
every family, Do I think that there are families who,
either because of disabilities or size of families may need
some help. Yeah, but let's let's find those identify those people,
(16:40):
and I would think that that local charities could could
probably make those families' lives a lot easier than in
getting a bureaucratic government involved in it.
Speaker 5 (16:51):
In my opinion, Yeah, I'd agree with you. There are
too dam However, one of the things, one of the
reasons I wanted to call in was because some of
the cuts from the government recently against some of those
food programs really hurt farmers. The staff program, as the
(17:13):
counselor said, and there's some additional ones where the farmers
could sell food to the schools, directly that has all
been cut, and that is devastating both to farmers and
to the nutrition of students of kids that are out there.
And I don't know why they thought there was an
(17:34):
opportunity to get some savings out of that, because that's
going to come back to haunt us.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Yeah. And I also don't understand why this administration, who
had a lot of support from farm organizations in the
heart land. It's almost as if as opposed to using
a scalpel, they want to use a meat cleaver to
cut programs. Start making decisions and say, Okay, this program
is a waste that hasn't worked, It hasn't provided what
(18:04):
it said it would provide, you get rid of it.
But a program like you just described, I mean, you know,
the farmers are the backbone of America. I mean farmers
and truckers. If we eliminated farmers and truckers would all
starve to death. Those are people we I'm serious when
I really am serious when I say that, I really
(18:24):
mean that.
Speaker 7 (18:25):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
And we to alienate those constituencies I think is suicidal
for any any president, particularly this president. Frank all great points,
Thanks very much. I wish you'd call more often. That
was a great call.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 5 (18:40):
I've called a couple of times.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
I'll call again.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
Yeah, please make it You're thoughtful, you bring your a game,
and that's what I want to hear from callers. Thanks again,
Talk to you soon. Okay, here comes the news at
the bottom of the hour. We will be right back
here on nights Side. We will talk about this till
at least I want to talk about it until ten o'clock.
The only lines that are open right now, and you
can open up. You can close him up by calling
six one, seven, nine, three, one, ten thirty Night.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
Side with Dan Ray. I'm telling you Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
All right, So we're talking about food and whether or
not Boston is going to potentially again. The city councilor
emphasized that this is in the conversational stages. But look,
I suspect this is something that they very well might
(19:32):
be thinking about more seriously. They certainly are thinking about it.
In New York Joe and Lynn, Joe, how would you
like to have a city run grocery store in Lynn?
Speaker 8 (19:43):
Well, that's terrible, No, I wouldn't. The government can't do
anything right. And I want to say, let's say a
prayer for mister dumouse. He was very nice to me
when he thanked me for complimenting. And let's get get
him his job back, because I heard him on the
news and they said he said the fabric will go down.
But we don't need to lose any fabric. We don't
don't need a government store. We need good people that
know how to run a business and help people. And
(20:06):
that's right that you agree with me on that.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
Well, my preference always is to unless it's absolutely necessary,
to keep the government out of it, because the government
tends to grow, and as the government grows, it becomes
inefficient in.
Speaker 8 (20:21):
Cho bireoucracy, which it doesn't have to be.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
Well, you need a police department, you need a US Army,
you need a navy, you need you need military, and
you need roads, certain things that only the government can do.
Fire departments you can't have in the city of Boston
or a city like Lynn, a volunteer fire department. But
there are enough grocery stores, I think. And if there
(20:46):
are individuals who for whatever reason are having problems maybe
physically getting out of their house, how do you go shopping?
You obviously have a physical limitation I.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
Have no site.
Speaker 8 (20:59):
I have to go with a rite or I go
to the store and I ask someone for help, but
they know me at market Basket. Now, sometimes I get
people that aren't so good, but I educate them.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
I do it myself. Sometimes it's hard to believe me.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
I have a friend of mine who orders groceries every
week from Roach Brothers. Have you have you ever thought
about that?
Speaker 3 (21:25):
My understanding, there is no Roach Brothers around here.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
Okay, Well, I don't know what grocery stores.
Speaker 3 (21:31):
Are in lind but I've been shopping market Basket.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
Okay, do either of them provide uh there? You know,
do they provide the option that you could order over
the phone and they would.
Speaker 8 (21:43):
Know they only provided peapod net changes online. I enjoyed
going out, but if you had to order the phone, No,
and I wish they would that would be perfect.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
Okay, Well again, it's that's the sort of innovation that
companies should should be.
Speaker 8 (21:55):
Thinking about instead of government stores. Because you know, I
hearing about bureaucracy and things get messed up like this
and that, Well, then.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
You're going to have people who have to get their
relatives highed, and you know that's you know, and Again,
there's things that that only government can do, and there
are things that government should not do. Now, if they
are going to, let's say, look and make a determination
that food stamps have been cut back, and they can
they can make it up for people here in Boston,
(22:25):
that's great.
Speaker 8 (22:26):
I agree.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
I'm assuming that the ride works in Boston, and so
that if people were of a certain age or there
are situation, maybe they could expand the ride so that
if there are people who have I don't know, you know,
three kids and and they don't have a car, maybe
the city can subsidize the ride with them. There certainly
(22:47):
should be a way the idea of opening up store
grocery stores. There are some great grocery stores in North Korea.
By the way, the prices are unbelievably low.
Speaker 3 (22:57):
Trust me, there's no so other than that.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
It's great. But it's good to know that. You know,
bananas are nine cents a pound. You know, it'd be
nice if they had some bananas to sell you. Yes,
we have none.
Speaker 8 (23:12):
Is getting worse with bureaucracy. That's sorry, interrupt, but I
can't wait for you to do the show on it
because it's getting a mess. But anyway, they're good to
me at market Basket, and sometime I give him a tip.
Speaker 3 (23:21):
You don't have to, but I do want.
Speaker 8 (23:23):
They're good.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
Why, that's nothing, There's nothing.
Speaker 8 (23:26):
Wrong with that earned it. They treat me right. There
are some places that I've had bad experience and they
get no tip.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
But yeah, well that's the same way at a restaurant.
If you go to a restaurant and you've served well,
you should overtip. If you're not served well, you should
undertip if you're going.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
To take at all. Simple and that same prayer for mister.
Speaker 8 (23:43):
I hope we can get him this job back, and
I hope you'll have him on the air.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
I'd love to have him on the air, but I
don't think he's ever been on the air. I had,
Joe Schmidt, I had.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
They're fired, you know I've said that.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
But what I'm saying is they were his his right
hand guys, and you would think that I I'd love
to bring him on to the program and have my
listeners talk to him and say to him, hey, you
did a great job. We don't know how it's going
to work out. I'm not looking at forment revolution, but
this these microphones are open here to Arthur Demulis any
(24:15):
night he wants to.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
Come on one thing, damn before I go.
Speaker 8 (24:18):
He called me himself when I complimented, just to show
you how good he was. Another favorite told you I
forgot my toilet paper. One of the managers brought it
here to me. I called him and complimented. I was surprised.
I got to call mister m Joe, the Demullais market coming.
We'd like to talk to you, and this.
Speaker 3 (24:36):
Is Arthur T. And then we talked how are you?
He says, I'm very good. I work very hard.
Speaker 8 (24:39):
So I'm glad you compient. I'm glad you called me
the first time the CEO has ever called me.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
Well, you know, I'm a talk show host, Joe, and
I think you can testify that I call my listeners.
People call me with issues and concerns all the time.
I dealt with a woman last week. I'm not going
to tell you how I helped her, but I did
help because I feel that I have a little bit
of a platform here and I know how the system
(25:06):
can work. And if I can take away a little
bit of frustration for some one of my listeners, I
hope they appreciate it. But Noil, you certainly appreciated what
mister Demulis did for you, so that's great.
Speaker 8 (25:19):
Maybe I'll be in touch with someday. I got some
news for you and some think. All right, we'll talk
to you all.
Speaker 2 (25:23):
Don't overwhelm me now, Joe. Remember I'm not here as
I'm not here as years we'll get Yeah, well, if
you get to Mulis for me, I'll give you a
production credit. Okay, thanks, Joe, talking to you soon. I
have a great night. Good okay, one of my most
interesting callers, that's for sure. We will take a quick
break here one line at six one, seven, two, five, four,
(25:44):
ten thirty. One line at six one, seven, nine three one,
ten thirty, and we can easily take this into the
next hour if you want, or we will change topics
at the top of the tent at the beginning of
the ten right after the ten o'clock news. It's up
to the callers to decide where we go these topics.
I simply throw them out there, and I'm always looking
for topic ideas. I keep saying. The successive night Side
(26:07):
is good guests, good topics, ad callers, and stir back
on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (26:14):
After this, you're on night Side with on Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
Let's go down to Texas, San Antonio, Texas, and our
friend Dave is down there. Dave, I don't know that
they have any government run grocery stores in Texas. I
suspect not.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
No, we don't. And I believe it's a sore on
this on capitalism's rear end that have such a thing,
and it's a pimple that just got to be popped
and then cured and erased and gotten rid of.
Speaker 2 (26:44):
Well do you think we need them? Well, I'm not
sure if you're saying we need it or or.
Speaker 3 (26:49):
We don't need you don't need you don't need that.
Speaker 9 (26:52):
And I find it not only don't we need it,
it damages our efforts to develop a pure run capitalistic America.
This socialism is a constant thorn in the side of
the capitalistic venture and we we have to we have
(27:13):
to eliminate it or or else it's going to destroy
the philosophy. And then when we when we in this
country finally said well I'm the socialists, they're going to
find out that social.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
Well you're going to find out in New York Money. Yeah,
you're going to find out in New York that the
average New Yorker is going to support support a socialist.
I mean, they they elected Deblasio a few years ago,
and Adams kind of brought New York City back a
little bit, but he's out of the race now. I
guess Cuomo is the great, the great hope for for
(27:49):
New York City. I think Mandami will be a disaster,
but you know it's up will be and well they
sell you know, it's like he's going to give everybody
free this for that and if you're not. It's funny
during the day, Dave, I haven't said this before recently,
but I'm going to say it recently Tonight. During the day,
I flip around and I watch CNN, I watch MSNBC,
(28:11):
and I watch Fox because those are the only and
then I watch local news here in Boston. At noontime,
I watch four and I watch five because I want
to know what's going on and I don't want to
be caught by surprise and find out that that I've
missed a big story. Anyway, when I flip on four
and five, on seven, the major news network news across
(28:34):
the channels across the country during the day, it's like
you feel your brain cells are dying. You know, it's
some gab fest with some group talking about nothing of
any value, and you realize that the IQ of the
average American is a heck of a lot lower than
(28:55):
what it is on this talk show or any talk
show left or right. People who listening and calling to
talk shows, they have opinions. Maybe they're right, maybe they're wrong,
but they have opinions. Most of these folks who are
watching TV during the day, I mean, I'd rather watch
the kid programming for two and three year olds then
because it's the same, it's adult it's it's adult kids program.
(29:17):
Oh now we're going to.
Speaker 10 (29:18):
Talk about whether or not Taylor Swift is gonna get
engaged to the football player. So let's go to our panel. Now,
what do you folks think? Do you think the Taylor's
gonna get Yeah, oh she is engaged, right ha ha.
It's it's it's stultifying, it's mind numbing. What goes on
for entertainment during the day, and those are the people
who who elect politicians.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
It's fighting. Yeah, all right, my man, thanks for weighing in.
As always, Thanks Dave, talked to you soon, good night,
bye bye. Let me go to Mike and Quinsy might
gonna get you and two more in go right ahead, Mike.
Speaker 7 (29:55):
Hey, this is Mike and Quinsy.
Speaker 2 (29:57):
How you doing, Dan, I'm doing just great, Mike. I
think already established that. But you go right ahead.
Speaker 7 (30:05):
For the most part, I think businesses should be private,
but I've seen situations where, especially if there's a void,
that the government can move in and be extremely helpful.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
Give me an example, if you would.
Speaker 7 (30:27):
The Tennessee Valley Association, the TVA.
Speaker 2 (30:31):
Yeah, that was nineteen thirty six, if I'm not mistaken,
got anything.
Speaker 3 (30:34):
More recent than that.
Speaker 7 (30:35):
Still it's still going strong.
Speaker 3 (30:37):
Oh.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
I know that it provided electricity to an entire section
of the country. But that's I think that's close to well,
at least ninety years, eighty nine years to be exact.
Give me a more recent example.
Speaker 7 (30:52):
That's right, But the TVA is an example of the
government moving in.
Speaker 2 (31:00):
Yeah. Well, you could say the Hoover Dam too. I mean,
obviously we weren't. We weren't going to get a bunch
of people out there in the four corners of the
Great West and build the Hoover Dam. We understand that
the roads I mentioned roads across America. We can't have
roads across America built by people in little towns, those
big projects. We can't have a military or an air
(31:21):
force that's privately owned. I get all of that, and
the TVA is a great example. Give me something recently
that I mean. I think the Food and Drug Administration
is legitimate. But let me ask you you live in Quincy.
How many grocery stores are in Quincy? Would you say? Approximately?
Speaker 11 (31:35):
Oh?
Speaker 7 (31:35):
Many?
Speaker 2 (31:36):
How many? What's money mean? By many?
Speaker 7 (31:38):
Three or four or eight or nine, twelve.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
Ten to twelve? Okay? Do you think that there would
be a spot in Quincy where you could need a
Quinsy run grocery store.
Speaker 7 (31:48):
No, but Oaks Square is an interesting uh uh place?
Speaker 2 (31:55):
Very familiar with Oak Square, very familiar.
Speaker 7 (31:57):
I worked at Oak Square for eleven years, but quite
a long time ago.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
But let me ask you this. Do you remember Johnny's
the Fruit and Vegetables in Oak Square?
Speaker 3 (32:10):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (32:10):
Yeah, I used to go there like two or three
times a week, the best best fruit and vegetables at
the best best prices anywhere, any and best quality.
Speaker 7 (32:20):
There was a sub shop there that sold it was
a sub that had they called it Thanksgiving.
Speaker 3 (32:31):
Or someone that was optim Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
No, absolutely, Hey, Mike, I got to get a couple
more in. Thanks for We haven't talked about the TVA
in a long time. There's there's also the r e A.
Speaker 3 (32:42):
The the.
Speaker 2 (32:44):
What is that electrification agency? The rural That's that's how
my last name is spelled Oria, the Rural Electrification Agency.
I'd like to think that they named the agency after me,
but I know they didn't.
Speaker 7 (32:57):
I just think if there's some places like drug stores
in certain places in Boston, uh, it seems like they
don't they don't want to do business.
Speaker 2 (33:12):
Uh. Well, if you're getting robbed every night and and
you you can't you can't hire people, that's a problem too.
Speaker 11 (33:20):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (33:20):
You know that you need more policing in some areas
to keep those stores open. That's a factor. You know
that that's that is that is a factor that deals
with food, food deserts. That's for sure. Hey, I got
to run, Mike. Thank you much for your call. I
appreciate you. Let me keep rolling here real quickly, and
I'm going to go to Scott and Quincy. Scott, You've
got to be quick for me. I want to get
one more in as well. Go ahead, Scott.
Speaker 3 (33:42):
Well, Dan good Show.
Speaker 2 (33:44):
Thank you.
Speaker 11 (33:44):
You know what I think when it comes to this
thing with providing food and supply to our underprivileged people,
is instead of giving out EBT cards and things like that,
for the most part, we should leverage the power of
our Amazons, our Walmarts, our targets, our food chain and
(34:08):
have personally prepared packages of foods and supplies tailored to
their metabolic, cultural, age, height, weight, et cetera, sent to
their homes, you know, monthly or weekly, and that way
the government could ensure that they're getting the right nutrition
(34:29):
and the correct products rather than you know what you
see people putting in their grocery basket.
Speaker 2 (34:35):
Okay, that's going to take that's going to take a
big lift by the government to basically prepare food for individuals.
But that's a thought. That's a thought. Maybe there are
people who need that. It's almost as if you're preparing
you know, for just individuals. I don't know, I'd like that.
If they want to do it for me.
Speaker 11 (34:54):
For free, well you just contract with Walmarts, send them
some monoch those threes every month that an average family
of four would need, you know, right.
Speaker 2 (35:05):
Well, that's that's an idea. We'll put that into into
the idea machine, and next time we talk about that,
I'll mention that you called and suggested that and see
what people have to say. Good show, Thanks appreciate it.
Let me go to Steve in Bridgewater. Steve, a little
less than two minutes for you. You called in late,
but the microphone is yours. Go right ahead, Steve.
Speaker 6 (35:27):
Yeah again. You know, I was just listening to what
you been talking about here. Basically I agree that could
could I ask.
Speaker 2 (35:34):
You, Steve, are you on like some sort of a
headset or I'm sorry, my my, my.
Speaker 9 (35:40):
My.
Speaker 6 (35:42):
Lips weren't close enough to the mind.
Speaker 2 (35:44):
Now it's much better. It's amazing how how that works.
Go right ahead, Steve, excellent, go ahead.
Speaker 6 (35:49):
Yeah, there's an except. There's an exception to the rules.
In New Hampshire state liquor stores they'll do all run
by the state. And I get in them, they have
working liquid, they have guses.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
Yep. Yeah, well maybe maybe that's what they should do. Boston, good,
that's a state. They probably do it efficiently. I don't
know that Manchester or Portsmouth should have city run liquor stores.
That's what we're talking about here. We're talking about city
run grocery stores.
Speaker 6 (36:20):
So you know, right, I know that, but in that case,
it's still the government. That's my you know, my my planting.
It's still the government doing it, whether it's the city
or the state.
Speaker 2 (36:29):
That's true. Yeah, we could have the government do everything.
I mean, if you if you think about it, we
could have the government open up hardware stores, we could
have them open up barbershops, beauty beauty parlors, and then
the government could run everything. I don't want to go
down that road, but I understand the point you're making,
and it was a good one, Steve. I appreciate you. Carl,
Thank you much, my friend. Talk soon and call earlier
(36:51):
so I give you more time. Okay, thanks, all right,
we are done for this topic. As a matter of fact,
I had forgot. At ten o'clock, we're going to change topics.
I will have Robins with me. We're going to talk.
Today is the second anniversary, sad anniversary of the massacre
of innocent Israeli citizens, men, women and children by Hamas
(37:11):
two years ago. Today. We will talk about that for
at least an hour, maybe longer. If you're interested in
the issue, feel free to join the conversation Jeff Robbins
on the other side
It's night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Well, Dan Watkins, that means the Mariners and Blue Jays
for the American League. Pennant our guest two of the
original thirty two or whatever it is. Wow, goodbye Tigers
and goodbye Yankees. Well, welcome back everybody, our number two
here on a Tuesday night. Delighted to be joined by
Boston City Council Liz Britton councilor welcome to Nightside.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
How are you good evening?
Speaker 4 (00:32):
Pleased to be with you.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Pleased to be with you as well. You are a
district councilor you represent District nine I believe, which is
primarily Brighton and Austin, but you may have other constituencies,
do you, Lappo?
Speaker 4 (00:47):
Yeah, No, primarily Austin. Brighton is District.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Nine, Yes, okay, great. So I noticed the article, a
couple of articles in the newspapers today that you and
the City Council President Rouzie Lui Juan are talking about
government run grocery stores, kind of a hot topic, and
I'm just wondering, how do you envision government run grocery stores.
(01:12):
I understand the concern that grocery prices are seem always
go up, they never go down, and people, you know,
want to be able to eat well and have access
to grocery stores. How would this work? Would there be
like one location somewhere in Boston. How do you envision this?
Speaker 3 (01:30):
I just want to listen well to be clear.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
Then I think what we're proposing is a hearing to
discuss the possibility of publicly owned grocery stores and to
address food and Security Council Presidents Luis And also finds
a hearing order almost simultaneously with the one we five,
and it's to look at just the various alternative models
(01:58):
for food access in grocery stores, because we're finding in
the city of Boston there's a proportion of our residents
who food insecure, especially our elders and folks on effected income,
and you know across the country that are places before
they have established a model of a publicly funded grocery store.
(02:21):
And it may be that the grocery store to make
it that little bit more affordable for folks who need
that support. It may be something like a support for
rental relief or tax relief or whatever. So the conversation
is really to have a hearing order to explore these
different models that we might be able to implement in
(02:42):
the city of Boston.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Yeah, the only big one I know that they've talked
about something like that in New York, the Democratic potential
nominee and Damie has talked about that. But I did
a little research, and the most successful one was one
summer we're in Kansas, a little town that didn't have
a grocery store, and I guess the residents were having
(03:08):
to drive and a pretty long distance both ways, and
they said, well, it's easier to have a a grocery
store run.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
By the town.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
I don't know logistically how it would run. Would how
when you say a grocery store, I think about Roach
Brothers and Hanerford and Market Basket and all of those,
you know, great grocery stores that when you're able to
get to there's pretty much everything that you want. All
(03:40):
of us would like to see the prices a little lower.
Would you folks have to establish a sort of a
city department which would in effect staff a grocery store.
And then also, or is it too early to even
contemplate that.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
I think it's too early to even a contemplate. This
is really just the start of the conversation. We have
a non not for profit grocery store in the city.
They had one in Central Square and Cambridge, and I
think they had a few in the city of Boston
called Daily Table, but they have ceased operations. And we
(04:15):
do have co ops cooperatives, and that's another model for
grocery stores. You know that we used to have a
co op here in Austin on Cambridge Street and and
folks would volunteer and they would get they would get
a discount if there were volunteers and members, they would
(04:35):
get a discount on their on their grocery built anything
that they bought in the store. So I think there's
many different models, and I think it's it's really just
the beginning of the conversation. I think in this moment,
folks are really we've seen a lot of increase in
the cost of food in recent years. We have inflation,
(04:58):
we have the impact of parents. Now more recently, we
have the impact of the tens of farm workers. Farmers
and producers are having a harder time. And the other
thing that we're very cognizant off is that the government
is cutting food programs like supplemental nutritional Assistance program, the
(05:18):
SNAP program, and we're anticipating that that's going to impact
tens of thousands of folks in the Greater Boston area
moving forward. So I think it's almost like we're anticipating
more challenges, and I think this is an opportunity to
bring in stakeholders and folks who work in this space,
like Food Justice and Grow Boston and the Boston Public
(05:43):
Health Commission, and they be folks from the Greater Boston
Food Bank, just to talk about food security and how
we might develop a model for a publicly funded grocery
store and it might be just something to help reduce
the overhead that we could be more competitive. But it's
(06:03):
not a dumb daily.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
At this moment, no, that I understand. So so you
basically are saying anything is potentially possible. Is there any
country in the world that that you I know that
that you grew up in Ireland and if I hadn't
done the research, I would have known it anyway. But
is there any country in the world that that has
(06:26):
has undertaken some idea like this? I mean I'm unfamiliar.
I mean I know a lot of the communist countries. Uh,
go you go to Russia or North Korea. The prices
aren't bad, but there's but there's no food to buy
in many, many times.
Speaker 4 (06:46):
To your point earlier, we have a lot of really
high quality grocery stores in the city of Boston. Some
areas don't have grocery stores and no spaces. We call
those food deserts. We have one here in Austin Brighton
and Ook Square, there isn't there isn't a grocery store
then walking distance. But we across the city there's there's
(07:07):
areas where, yeah, there people don't have access to an
affordable grocery store. And I know I am presently from
the expression of food aparthite, because you know, you might
live across the street from a really wonderful grocery store
like a Ghoas Brothers or a Whole Food, but if
you're on a fixed low fixed income, you can't afford
(07:28):
to buy your groceries there.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Well, yeah, I guess that is true in some cases,
but might not It be simpler to say, Okay, if
there are people on fixed income, particularly say elderly people
in Boston over a certain age, we could provide them.
If the feds are cutting back on their wik programs
(07:53):
or their food stamp programs. Boston could innovate and have
some money and and give the equivalent of Boston Wick
in Boston food stamps to Boston you know, verified Boston residents.
Speaker 4 (08:07):
Yeah, well, we're doing some of that already because you know,
we we do how we do get vouchers for food farmers' markets.
We get those gad vichers from various like philand Tropic efforts,
or we asked our local institutions for money for food
vouchers to support residents being able to buy and fresh,
(08:32):
fresh vegetables and produce at the farmers market. You know,
that's even that's even another.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Sort of model of what we could do.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
And as I said at the outset, it's really just
a discussion about all the different options and how we
might be able to beef up some of those options
or or or look at some more innovative ways to
dealing with the with the problem.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Yeah. Well, I just finished by saying that we have
that wonderful facility, the Greater Food Bank, that that is available.
I would hope that maybe they could do something like that,
get involved in it. And when you talk about farmer's markets,
one of the problems living here in the Northeast over
which none of us have any control. That farmers markets
(09:16):
pretty much close up sometime after Thanksgiving and they don't
open up until, you know, maybe April or May at
the earliest. We don't have that twelve month growing season
like they do in other parts of the country. Well, well,
we'll follow you on this. I'm a bit of a skeptic.
I'm in all honesty is you probably figured out. But
I very much appreciate you coming on tonight and explaining
(09:39):
where we were in the process. Thank you so much,
Council Libert, thank you and thank you for your Interestaniel's
that's okay, I answered, I I'm I'm. I also share
with you in Irish citizenship. I want you to know
so my family from a little town called Mallow on
the Blackwater.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
So I don't know.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
I think you're from the other side of the divide
if I'm not.
Speaker 4 (10:05):
If I recall from I'm from the North, I'm from.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
Country, yes, right, I know.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Twenty six of the six I know. Thank thank you great.
I've been. I've been to the North, as the TV
reported to both Derry and to Belfast on a couple
of occasions, and it's a it's a fascinating situation over there.
Thank goodness that that's that peace has I think taken
hold in Ireland. Many people felt it would never occur,
(10:33):
but it did. And let that be a lesson to
other countries around the world that peace is sometimes actually possible.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Yes, indeed, thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Thank you, Thank you too as well. All right, and
we come back and want to hear from all of you.
I think it's interesting. I am not someone who wants
to see the government run food store. It seems to
me that if the government wants to collect taxes and
make some subsidies available to people, that's fine, that's okay.
(11:11):
But we live in a country where there are options,
and there are a lot of people out there. I
go to grocery stores all over the place, go to Walmart,
go to Market Basket, I go to Roach Brothers, I
go to Shaw's. Don't go to Wegmans much, to be
(11:33):
honest with you. The Wegmans that is near where I live.
It's just very difficult to get in and get out of.
But putting all of that aside, I don't have a
lot of faith in that the government can run much
of anything. Beyond a police department and a fire department
and in an EMT service. So we'll see. I'd love
to know what you think. Would you be inclined?
Speaker 3 (11:55):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
If you have a government run grocery store for people
who need help, do you prevent other Bostonians from shopping there.
There's a legion of questions that that are in my mind.
And I didn't want to hector the councilor because she
made it very clear that this is in the discussion stages.
(12:19):
But I'm sure there are people who have figured it
out and figured out that somehow that there might be something,
some profit to be made in a nonprofit if you
get my drift, So going to open it up. Do
you think the government, whether it's the federal government, the
state government, or the City of Boston should run grocery stores?
(12:40):
And again, Liz Britten left open the possibility that they
did not necessarily have to run them, but maybe they
could expedite things. I find it very sad that in
this country, where we have so much, that there are
people who needed assistance food, because it seems to me
(13:03):
that there are lots of programs that have been instituted
over the years to help people, and I I hate
to think that there's anyone who's going to bed hungry
at night. I realized there are people who live in
the streets, and they probably are. But oftentimes the folks
(13:24):
in the street are there by a choice. It's it
may be a choice that's impacted by some sort of
mental judgment or lack thereof, but there is a choice
involved there. I'm talking about moms and kids. Why is
it that they do not have between wick and food
(13:46):
stamp programs or whatever, all the different programs, as well
as the charities that are that exist the Boston, the
Great Boston Food Bank, a wonderful organization. Six one, seven
two ten thirty six seven nine three one ten thirty.
Let's talk about it. Come back here on night Side.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
Okay, so we're talking about these food these grocery stores.
Uh Mindami the socialist in New York. He's he's made
a big point of that. I mean he intends to
uh to have I mean, it's it's gonna be a disaster.
And I think what he's proposing, I think what we're
(14:28):
talking about we're talking about here in Boston and hopefully
people will realize that you gotta I think I think
you got to take it a little slow, but the
need can be great. So let's let's go to phones
and we go to Frank in East and Frank, you've
been waiting. I'm gonna let I'm gonna get you in
here before the ninetys.
Speaker 5 (14:47):
Go right ahead, Frank, Thanks Dan, Thanks.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (14:51):
You know, I think that the government involvement in ways
they can get involved in ways in which they don't
have to directly run the store, by giving tax incentives,
other things, benefits to these commercial operators who know how
(15:12):
to run a store, and and give them incentives to
come into those food deserts. In addition, I think there
is an opportunity to to help those people who really
need it by either you know, subsidies another kind of
(15:32):
EBT card that is done by the the city and
they subsidize that. But direct involvement running a store, no way.
You don't want the government to do that.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Well, the only the only exception, the only exception I think,
and you might agree with me, is if they brought
rd ET out of retirements.
Speaker 6 (15:55):
I would agree with you that he.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
Might do that at this point as a way to well,
to have uh, you know, to extend his legacy. But
I don't know. I just think that the government, I
think the government that governs least govern's best. I've always
believed that, and that Look, we need a police department,
we need roads, and we need fire department, we need
(16:18):
e mts, we probably need we do need health inspectors.
There are certain things that only government can do. But
when when they get into the food business, I look
every family, Do I think that there are families who,
either because of disabilities or size of families may need
some help. Yeah, but let's let's find those identify those people,
(16:40):
and I would think that that local charities could could
probably make those families' lives a lot easier than in
getting a bureaucratic government involved in it.
Speaker 5 (16:51):
In my opinion, Yeah, I'd agree with you. There are
too dam However, one of the things, one of the
reasons I wanted to call in was because some of
the cuts from the government recently against some of those
food programs really hurt farmers. The staff program, as the
(17:13):
counselor said, and there's some additional ones where the farmers
could sell food to the schools, directly that has all
been cut, and that is devastating both to farmers and
to the nutrition of students of kids that are out there.
And I don't know why they thought there was an
(17:34):
opportunity to get some savings out of that, because that's
going to come back to haunt us.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Yeah. And I also don't understand why this administration, who
had a lot of support from farm organizations in the
heart land. It's almost as if as opposed to using
a scalpel, they want to use a meat cleaver to
cut programs. Start making decisions and say, Okay, this program
is a waste that hasn't worked, It hasn't provided what
(18:04):
it said it would provide, you get rid of it.
But a program like you just described, I mean, you know,
the farmers are the backbone of America. I mean farmers
and truckers. If we eliminated farmers and truckers would all
starve to death. Those are people we I'm serious when
I really am serious when I say that, I really
(18:24):
mean that.
Speaker 7 (18:25):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
And we to alienate those constituencies I think is suicidal
for any any president, particularly this president. Frank all great points,
Thanks very much. I wish you'd call more often. That
was a great call.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 5 (18:40):
I've called a couple of times.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
I'll call again.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
Yeah, please make it You're thoughtful, you bring your a game,
and that's what I want to hear from callers. Thanks again,
Talk to you soon. Okay, here comes the news at
the bottom of the hour. We will be right back
here on nights Side. We will talk about this till
at least I want to talk about it until ten o'clock.
The only lines that are open right now, and you
can open up. You can close him up by calling
six one, seven, nine, three, one, ten thirty Night.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
Side with Dan Ray. I'm telling you Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
All right, So we're talking about food and whether or
not Boston is going to potentially again. The city councilor
emphasized that this is in the conversational stages. But look,
I suspect this is something that they very well might
(19:32):
be thinking about more seriously. They certainly are thinking about it.
In New York Joe and Lynn, Joe, how would you
like to have a city run grocery store in Lynn?
Speaker 8 (19:43):
Well, that's terrible, No, I wouldn't. The government can't do
anything right. And I want to say, let's say a
prayer for mister dumouse. He was very nice to me
when he thanked me for complimenting. And let's get get
him his job back, because I heard him on the
news and they said he said the fabric will go down.
But we don't need to lose any fabric. We don't
don't need a government store. We need good people that
know how to run a business and help people. And
(20:06):
that's right that you agree with me on that.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
Well, my preference always is to unless it's absolutely necessary,
to keep the government out of it, because the government
tends to grow, and as the government grows, it becomes
inefficient in.
Speaker 8 (20:21):
Cho bireoucracy, which it doesn't have to be.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
Well, you need a police department, you need a US Army,
you need a navy, you need you need military, and
you need roads, certain things that only the government can do.
Fire departments you can't have in the city of Boston
or a city like Lynn, a volunteer fire department. But
there are enough grocery stores, I think. And if there
(20:46):
are individuals who for whatever reason are having problems maybe
physically getting out of their house, how do you go shopping?
You obviously have a physical limitation I.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
Have no site.
Speaker 8 (20:59):
I have to go with a rite or I go
to the store and I ask someone for help, but
they know me at market Basket. Now, sometimes I get
people that aren't so good, but I educate them.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
I do it myself. Sometimes it's hard to believe me.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
I have a friend of mine who orders groceries every
week from Roach Brothers. Have you have you ever thought
about that?
Speaker 3 (21:25):
My understanding, there is no Roach Brothers around here.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
Okay, Well, I don't know what grocery stores.
Speaker 3 (21:31):
Are in lind but I've been shopping market Basket.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
Okay, do either of them provide uh there? You know,
do they provide the option that you could order over
the phone and they would.
Speaker 8 (21:43):
Know they only provided peapod net changes online. I enjoyed
going out, but if you had to order the phone, No,
and I wish they would that would be perfect.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
Okay, Well again, it's that's the sort of innovation that
companies should should be.
Speaker 8 (21:55):
Thinking about instead of government stores. Because you know, I
hearing about bureaucracy and things get messed up like this
and that, Well, then.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
You're going to have people who have to get their
relatives highed, and you know that's you know, and Again,
there's things that that only government can do, and there
are things that government should not do. Now, if they
are going to, let's say, look and make a determination
that food stamps have been cut back, and they can
they can make it up for people here in Boston,
(22:25):
that's great.
Speaker 8 (22:26):
I agree.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
I'm assuming that the ride works in Boston, and so
that if people were of a certain age or there
are situation, maybe they could expand the ride so that
if there are people who have I don't know, you know,
three kids and and they don't have a car, maybe
the city can subsidize the ride with them. There certainly
(22:47):
should be a way the idea of opening up store
grocery stores. There are some great grocery stores in North Korea.
By the way, the prices are unbelievably low.
Speaker 3 (22:57):
Trust me, there's no so other than that.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
It's great. But it's good to know that. You know,
bananas are nine cents a pound. You know, it'd be
nice if they had some bananas to sell you. Yes,
we have none.
Speaker 8 (23:12):
Is getting worse with bureaucracy. That's sorry, interrupt, but I
can't wait for you to do the show on it
because it's getting a mess. But anyway, they're good to
me at market Basket, and sometime I give him a tip.
Speaker 3 (23:21):
You don't have to, but I do want.
Speaker 8 (23:23):
They're good.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
Why, that's nothing, There's nothing.
Speaker 8 (23:26):
Wrong with that earned it. They treat me right. There
are some places that I've had bad experience and they
get no tip.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
But yeah, well that's the same way at a restaurant.
If you go to a restaurant and you've served well,
you should overtip. If you're not served well, you should
undertip if you're going.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
To take at all. Simple and that same prayer for mister.
Speaker 8 (23:43):
I hope we can get him this job back, and
I hope you'll have him on the air.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
I'd love to have him on the air, but I
don't think he's ever been on the air. I had,
Joe Schmidt, I had.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
They're fired, you know I've said that.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
But what I'm saying is they were his his right
hand guys, and you would think that I I'd love
to bring him on to the program and have my
listeners talk to him and say to him, hey, you
did a great job. We don't know how it's going
to work out. I'm not looking at forment revolution, but
this these microphones are open here to Arthur Demulis any
(24:15):
night he wants to.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
Come on one thing, damn before I go.
Speaker 8 (24:18):
He called me himself when I complimented, just to show
you how good he was. Another favorite told you I
forgot my toilet paper. One of the managers brought it
here to me. I called him and complimented. I was surprised.
I got to call mister m Joe, the Demullais market coming.
We'd like to talk to you, and this.
Speaker 3 (24:36):
Is Arthur T. And then we talked how are you?
He says, I'm very good. I work very hard.
Speaker 8 (24:39):
So I'm glad you compient. I'm glad you called me
the first time the CEO has ever called me.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
Well, you know, I'm a talk show host, Joe, and
I think you can testify that I call my listeners.
People call me with issues and concerns all the time.
I dealt with a woman last week. I'm not going
to tell you how I helped her, but I did
help because I feel that I have a little bit
of a platform here and I know how the system
(25:06):
can work. And if I can take away a little
bit of frustration for some one of my listeners, I
hope they appreciate it. But Noil, you certainly appreciated what
mister Demulis did for you, so that's great.
Speaker 8 (25:19):
Maybe I'll be in touch with someday. I got some
news for you and some think. All right, we'll talk
to you all.
Speaker 2 (25:23):
Don't overwhelm me now, Joe. Remember I'm not here as
I'm not here as years we'll get Yeah, well, if
you get to Mulis for me, I'll give you a
production credit. Okay, thanks, Joe, talking to you soon. I
have a great night. Good okay, one of my most
interesting callers, that's for sure. We will take a quick
break here one line at six one, seven, two, five, four,
(25:44):
ten thirty. One line at six one, seven, nine three one,
ten thirty, and we can easily take this into the
next hour if you want, or we will change topics
at the top of the tent at the beginning of
the ten right after the ten o'clock news. It's up
to the callers to decide where we go these topics.
I simply throw them out there, and I'm always looking
for topic ideas. I keep saying. The successive night Side
(26:07):
is good guests, good topics, ad callers, and stir back
on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (26:14):
After this, you're on night Side with on Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
Let's go down to Texas, San Antonio, Texas, and our
friend Dave is down there. Dave, I don't know that
they have any government run grocery stores in Texas. I
suspect not.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
No, we don't. And I believe it's a sore on
this on capitalism's rear end that have such a thing,
and it's a pimple that just got to be popped
and then cured and erased and gotten rid of.
Speaker 2 (26:44):
Well do you think we need them? Well, I'm not
sure if you're saying we need it or or.
Speaker 3 (26:49):
We don't need you don't need you don't need that.
Speaker 9 (26:52):
And I find it not only don't we need it,
it damages our efforts to develop a pure run capitalistic America.
This socialism is a constant thorn in the side of
the capitalistic venture and we we have to we have
(27:13):
to eliminate it or or else it's going to destroy
the philosophy. And then when we when we in this
country finally said well I'm the socialists, they're going to
find out that social.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
Well you're going to find out in New York Money. Yeah,
you're going to find out in New York that the
average New Yorker is going to support support a socialist.
I mean, they they elected Deblasio a few years ago,
and Adams kind of brought New York City back a
little bit, but he's out of the race now. I
guess Cuomo is the great, the great hope for for
(27:49):
New York City. I think Mandami will be a disaster,
but you know it's up will be and well they
sell you know, it's like he's going to give everybody
free this for that and if you're not. It's funny
during the day, Dave, I haven't said this before recently,
but I'm going to say it recently Tonight. During the day,
I flip around and I watch CNN, I watch MSNBC,
(28:11):
and I watch Fox because those are the only and
then I watch local news here in Boston. At noontime,
I watch four and I watch five because I want
to know what's going on and I don't want to
be caught by surprise and find out that that I've
missed a big story. Anyway, when I flip on four
and five, on seven, the major news network news across
(28:34):
the channels across the country during the day, it's like
you feel your brain cells are dying. You know, it's
some gab fest with some group talking about nothing of
any value, and you realize that the IQ of the
average American is a heck of a lot lower than
(28:55):
what it is on this talk show or any talk
show left or right. People who listening and calling to
talk shows, they have opinions. Maybe they're right, maybe they're wrong,
but they have opinions. Most of these folks who are
watching TV during the day, I mean, I'd rather watch
the kid programming for two and three year olds then
because it's the same, it's adult it's it's adult kids program.
(29:17):
Oh now we're going to.
Speaker 10 (29:18):
Talk about whether or not Taylor Swift is gonna get
engaged to the football player. So let's go to our panel. Now,
what do you folks think? Do you think the Taylor's
gonna get Yeah, oh she is engaged, right ha ha.
It's it's it's stultifying, it's mind numbing. What goes on
for entertainment during the day, and those are the people
who who elect politicians.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
It's fighting. Yeah, all right, my man, thanks for weighing in.
As always, Thanks Dave, talked to you soon, good night,
bye bye. Let me go to Mike and Quinsy might
gonna get you and two more in go right ahead, Mike.
Speaker 7 (29:55):
Hey, this is Mike and Quinsy.
Speaker 2 (29:57):
How you doing, Dan, I'm doing just great, Mike. I
think already established that. But you go right ahead.
Speaker 7 (30:05):
For the most part, I think businesses should be private,
but I've seen situations where, especially if there's a void,
that the government can move in and be extremely helpful.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
Give me an example, if you would.
Speaker 7 (30:27):
The Tennessee Valley Association, the TVA.
Speaker 2 (30:31):
Yeah, that was nineteen thirty six, if I'm not mistaken,
got anything.
Speaker 3 (30:34):
More recent than that.
Speaker 7 (30:35):
Still it's still going strong.
Speaker 3 (30:37):
Oh.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
I know that it provided electricity to an entire section
of the country. But that's I think that's close to well,
at least ninety years, eighty nine years to be exact.
Give me a more recent example.
Speaker 7 (30:52):
That's right, But the TVA is an example of the
government moving in.
Speaker 2 (31:00):
Yeah. Well, you could say the Hoover Dam too. I mean,
obviously we weren't. We weren't going to get a bunch
of people out there in the four corners of the
Great West and build the Hoover Dam. We understand that
the roads I mentioned roads across America. We can't have
roads across America built by people in little towns, those
big projects. We can't have a military or an air
(31:21):
force that's privately owned. I get all of that, and
the TVA is a great example. Give me something recently
that I mean. I think the Food and Drug Administration
is legitimate. But let me ask you you live in Quincy.
How many grocery stores are in Quincy? Would you say? Approximately?
Speaker 11 (31:35):
Oh?
Speaker 7 (31:35):
Many?
Speaker 2 (31:36):
How many? What's money mean? By many?
Speaker 7 (31:38):
Three or four or eight or nine, twelve.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
Ten to twelve? Okay? Do you think that there would
be a spot in Quincy where you could need a
Quinsy run grocery store.
Speaker 7 (31:48):
No, but Oaks Square is an interesting uh uh place?
Speaker 2 (31:55):
Very familiar with Oak Square, very familiar.
Speaker 7 (31:57):
I worked at Oak Square for eleven years, but quite
a long time ago.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
But let me ask you this. Do you remember Johnny's
the Fruit and Vegetables in Oak Square?
Speaker 3 (32:10):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (32:10):
Yeah, I used to go there like two or three
times a week, the best best fruit and vegetables at
the best best prices anywhere, any and best quality.
Speaker 7 (32:20):
There was a sub shop there that sold it was
a sub that had they called it Thanksgiving.
Speaker 3 (32:31):
Or someone that was optim Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
No, absolutely, Hey, Mike, I got to get a couple
more in. Thanks for We haven't talked about the TVA
in a long time. There's there's also the r e A.
Speaker 3 (32:42):
The the.
Speaker 2 (32:44):
What is that electrification agency? The rural That's that's how
my last name is spelled Oria, the Rural Electrification Agency.
I'd like to think that they named the agency after me,
but I know they didn't.
Speaker 7 (32:57):
I just think if there's some places like drug stores
in certain places in Boston, uh, it seems like they
don't they don't want to do business.
Speaker 2 (33:12):
Uh. Well, if you're getting robbed every night and and
you you can't you can't hire people, that's a problem too.
Speaker 11 (33:20):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (33:20):
You know that you need more policing in some areas
to keep those stores open. That's a factor. You know
that that's that is that is a factor that deals
with food, food deserts. That's for sure. Hey, I got
to run, Mike. Thank you much for your call. I
appreciate you. Let me keep rolling here real quickly, and
I'm going to go to Scott and Quincy. Scott, You've
got to be quick for me. I want to get
one more in as well. Go ahead, Scott.
Speaker 3 (33:42):
Well, Dan good Show.
Speaker 2 (33:44):
Thank you.
Speaker 11 (33:44):
You know what I think when it comes to this
thing with providing food and supply to our underprivileged people,
is instead of giving out EBT cards and things like that,
for the most part, we should leverage the power of
our Amazons, our Walmarts, our targets, our food chain and
(34:08):
have personally prepared packages of foods and supplies tailored to
their metabolic, cultural, age, height, weight, et cetera, sent to
their homes, you know, monthly or weekly, and that way
the government could ensure that they're getting the right nutrition
(34:29):
and the correct products rather than you know what you
see people putting in their grocery basket.
Speaker 2 (34:35):
Okay, that's going to take that's going to take a
big lift by the government to basically prepare food for individuals.
But that's a thought. That's a thought. Maybe there are
people who need that. It's almost as if you're preparing
you know, for just individuals. I don't know, I'd like that.
If they want to do it for me.
Speaker 11 (34:54):
For free, well you just contract with Walmarts, send them
some monoch those threes every month that an average family
of four would need, you know, right.
Speaker 2 (35:05):
Well, that's that's an idea. We'll put that into into
the idea machine, and next time we talk about that,
I'll mention that you called and suggested that and see
what people have to say. Good show, Thanks appreciate it.
Let me go to Steve in Bridgewater. Steve, a little
less than two minutes for you. You called in late,
but the microphone is yours. Go right ahead, Steve.
Speaker 6 (35:27):
Yeah again. You know, I was just listening to what
you been talking about here. Basically I agree that could
could I ask.
Speaker 2 (35:34):
You, Steve, are you on like some sort of a
headset or I'm sorry, my my, my.
Speaker 9 (35:40):
My.
Speaker 6 (35:42):
Lips weren't close enough to the mind.
Speaker 2 (35:44):
Now it's much better. It's amazing how how that works.
Go right ahead, Steve, excellent, go ahead.
Speaker 6 (35:49):
Yeah, there's an except. There's an exception to the rules.
In New Hampshire state liquor stores they'll do all run
by the state. And I get in them, they have
working liquid, they have guses.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
Yep. Yeah, well maybe maybe that's what they should do. Boston, good,
that's a state. They probably do it efficiently. I don't
know that Manchester or Portsmouth should have city run liquor stores.
That's what we're talking about here. We're talking about city
run grocery stores.
Speaker 6 (36:20):
So you know, right, I know that, but in that case,
it's still the government. That's my you know, my my planting.
It's still the government doing it, whether it's the city
or the state.
Speaker 2 (36:29):
That's true. Yeah, we could have the government do everything.
I mean, if you if you think about it, we
could have the government open up hardware stores, we could
have them open up barbershops, beauty beauty parlors, and then
the government could run everything. I don't want to go
down that road, but I understand the point you're making,
and it was a good one, Steve. I appreciate you. Carl,
Thank you much, my friend. Talk soon and call earlier
(36:51):
so I give you more time. Okay, thanks, all right,
we are done for this topic. As a matter of fact,
I had forgot. At ten o'clock, we're going to change topics.
I will have Robins with me. We're going to talk.
Today is the second anniversary, sad anniversary of the massacre
of innocent Israeli citizens, men, women and children by Hamas
(37:11):
two years ago. Today. We will talk about that for
at least an hour, maybe longer. If you're interested in
the issue, feel free to join the conversation Jeff Robbins
on the other side
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