May 5, 2010: The Edward M. Kennedy Institute controversy

>> TONIGHT ON "GREATER BOSTON",
THE EDWARD KENNEDY INSTITUTE
FOR THE UNITED STATES SENATE.
SHOULD TAXPAYERS BE FOOTING
THE BILL?
PLUS NEWTON BUSINESSMAN STEVEN
GROSSMAN ON WHY HE WANTS TO BE
THE STAY'S NEXT TREASURER.
AND THREE SINGLE FRIENDS AND
THEIR MISSION TO BE MOMS.
THE COMPELLING STORY OF THREE
WISHES.

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GOOD EVENING.
MORE THAN A YEAR BEFORE
SENATOR TED KENNEDY DIED,
THERE WERE PLANS FOR THE
EDWARD M. KENNEDY INSTITUTE
FOR THE UNITED STATES SENATE.
A COMBINATION LIBRARY AND
EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION, WHERE
STUDENTS, TEACHERS, THE
GENERAL PUBLIC AND ANYONE
INVOLVED IN THE SENATE CAN
COME TO LEARN.
NONE OF THE FUNDING OF THE
PROJECT IS COMING UNDER
SCRUTINY.
WHILE THE BULK OF THE MONEY IS
COMING FROM PRIVATE DONATIONS,
THE BUILDING ITSELF WILL BE
BUILT WITH TAXPAYER MONEY.
TODAY IT'S A HUMBLE PARKING
LOT.
BUT SOON THIS CORNER OF U.
MASS BOSTON WILL HOUSE THE
EDWARD M. KENNEDY INSTITUTE
FOR THE UNITED STATES SENATE.
FOCUSING ON THE LEGISLATIVE
BODY WHERE KENNEDY SERVED FOR
46 YEARS.
U. MASS CHANCELLOR MOTLEY
CAN'T WAIT.

>> THAT BRAND, YOU KNOW, ON
OUR CAMPUS, AT THE UNIVERSITY
OF MASSACHUSETTS BOSTON, WILL
MAKE A DIFFERENCE, AND WE'RE
SO PROUD OF THAT.

>> BUT THE KENNEDY INSTITUTE
WON'T COME CHEAP.
$90 MILLION IS BEING RAISED
THROUGH PRIVATE DONATIONS, BUT
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS
FOOTING THE COST OF THE
BUILDING ITSELF, WHICH
CURRENTLY STANDS AT $60
MILLION.
MOTLEY SAYS THE GOVERNMENT
FUND HIGHER EDUCATION ALL THE
TIME.

>> WHEN WE AS A UNIVERSITY
RECEIVE ALL KINDS OF RESEARCH
DOLLARS TO DO ALL KINDS OF
THINGS THAT WE DO AS A NATURAL
PART OF BEING A PUBLIC
RESEARCH UNIVERSITY.

>> BUT DAVID TURK, HEAD OF
SUFFOLK UNIVERSITY'S BEACON
HILL INSTITUTE, SAYS TAXPAYER
FUNDING DEMANDS POLITICAL
BALANCE.
AND SAYS THE KENNEDY
INSTITUTES SHOULD REPRESENT A
RANGE OF VIEWS, NOT JUST
KENNEDY'S PASSIONATE
LIBERALISM.

>> IT WOULD BE MORE IN THE
SPIRIT OF TED KENNEDY FOR THIS
INSTITUTE TO EMBRACE A WIDE
RANGING DEBATE WITH PEOPLE
FROM ALL SIDES OF THE
IDEOLOGICAL SPECTRUM PRESENT,
RATHER THAN JUST TO PARROT
WHAT SOME OF US HAVE COME TO
SEE AS THE KENNEDY PERSPECTIVE
ON THINGS.

>> TO THAT END TURK HAS SOME
PROPOSALS FOR THE KENNEDY
INSTITUTES'S BOARD OF
DIRECTORS.

>> SCOTT BROWN SHOULD BE ON
THE BOARD, SO SHOULD JOHN
KERRY FOR THAT MATTER, MAYBE
TOMORROW COBURN.

>> EVEN ONE CONSERVATIVE WOULD
MAKE THINGS INTERESTING.
THE KENNEDY INSTITUTE
CURRENTLY HAS NINE DIRECTORS
INCLUDING KENNEDY IS WIDOW
VICKI.
AND ALL OF THEM SEEM TO BE ON
THE SAME POLITICAL PAGE.
JOINING ME NOW IS PETER MEADE,
PRESIDENT AND C.E.O. OF THE
EDWARD KENNEDY INSTITUTE FOR
THE UNITED STATES SENATE.
WELCOME, PETER.

>> THANKS, EMILY, GLAD TO BE
HERE.

>> I SUPPOSE THIS DEBATE WAS A
LITTLE PREDICTABLE, BUT WHY
NOT JUST FUND THE WHOLE THING
WITH PRIVATE DONATIONS?
YOU'RE RAISING $90 MILLION,
WHICH IS A HEFTY SUM TO BEGIN
WITH.
COULD YOU JUST PUG IT TOGETHER
AND HAVE THE BUILDING BIT WITH
--

>> I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT
WOULD HAVE TAKEN TO DO IT JUST
WITH PRIVATE FUNDS.
I WOULD REMIND YOUR AUDIENCE,
THIS IS A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY.
THIS IS AN INSTITUTE THAT'S
SERVING A PUBLIC PURPOSE.
IT REALLY ISN'T A LIBRARY AT
ALL.
SENATOR KENNEDY'S PAPERS WILL
GO TO THE KENNEDY LIBRARY.
WE'LL DIGITIZE THOSE PAPERS,
THEY WILL BE AVAILABLE.
AND TO DAVID TURK'S POINT, A
VERY GOOD ONE, WE HOPE TO DIJ
I TIZ EVERY SENATOR'S PAPERS
SO IF YOU'RE A RETIRING
SENATOR WE CAN TAKE YOUR
PAPERS, DIGITIZE THEM FOR YOU,
GIVE YOUR PAPERS BACK TO YOU,
GIVE YOU A COPY OF IT.
WE BELIEVE THAT THERE OUGHT TO
BE REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS
AND REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS
OF ALL STRIPE WHO ARE HERE AND
ARE REPRESENTED HERE.
THE CORE OF OUR BUILDING, OVER
80% OF IT, IS A REPRESENTATION
OF THE U.S. SENATE.
AND --

>> IT WILL BE BIT LIKE THAT?

>> YES, IT WILL BE BUILT LIKE
THAT.
AND AROUND THE, AND THE OTHER
PARTS OF IT, THE WALLS ON THE
OUTSIDE, MORE THAN A FOOTBALL
FIELD LONG, WILL HAVE EVERY
SENATE THAT'S EXISTED SINCE
THE FIRST TIME THE SENATE MET
IN NEW YORK, AND YOU CAN GO TO
THAT DISPLAY, PRESS A BUTTON,
HAVE INFORMATION SENT TO YOUR
E-MAIL, FIND OUT WHO THE
SENATORS WERE, WHAT POLITICAL
PARTY THEY WERE FROM.
AND WHAT THE ISSUES WERE AT
THAT TIME.
BY THE WAY, THE FIRST SENATE,
MORE THAN 2/3 OF THEM RESIGNED
BEFORE THEIR SIX YEARS WERE
OUT.
THEY ALL SAID THEY COULDN'T
AFFORD TO LIVE IN NEW YORK.
WE'RE ALSO GOING TO HAVE A
WALL WITH ALMOST 2,000 PEOPLE
WHO HAVE BEEN IN THE SENATE.
CAN YOU GO UP TO ANY ONE OF
THE PICTURES AND GO THROUGH
WHO THESE PEOPLE WERE, WHAT
THEY DID, WHAT WERE THE ISSUES
OF THEIR TIME.
WE'RE ALSO GOING TO HAVE A
PLACE WHERE YOU CAN GO TO A
SCREEN AND LOOK AT THE
SENATOR'S SEATS.
THE SEAT THAT SENATOR BROWN IS
NOW IN, SENATOR KENNEDY WAS
THERE, HIS BROTHER JOHN,
DANIEL WEBSTER, JOHN QUINCY
ADAMS.
IF YOU GO TO LAMAR ALEXANDER'S
SEE, THE SENATOR FROM
TENNESSEE, HE WAS PRECEDED BY
FRED THOMPSON, HOWARD BAKER,
AL GORE, CORDELL HULL AND
ANDREW JACKSON.

>> THIS DOESN'T SOUND COOL.
AND THE RESULTS WILL BE A
REPLICATE OF TED KENNEDY'S
OFFICE ITSELF?

>> IT'S FUNNY, VICKI KENNEDY
WAS TALKING TO PEOPLE ABOUT
THAT TODAY, AND IT WAS AT THE
TIME WHEN PEOPLE WERE TAKING
THE OFFICE DOWN.
AND IT JUST SEEMED LIKE THIS
WOULD BE, THIS WOULD BE
INTERESTING.

>> TO PUT ALL THAT STUFF WAS
THERE --

>> MOVE IT TO THE INSTITUTE.

>> WHEN YOU HEAR PEOPLE LIKE
DAVID TURK CRITICIZE IT AND
SAY IT'S GOING TO EMBRACE THE
PASSIONATE LIBERALISM OF
SENATOR KENNEDY, IS THAT
WRONG?

>> ABSOLUTELY, TOTALLY AND
COMPLETELY.
AND TO DAVID'S DEFENSE, WE
HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO GET
OUT AND SAY THIS IS WHAT IT
IS.
IT IS AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE
AT A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY.
WE HOPE TO GET IN PARTICULAR
YOUNG PEOPLE, IF I COULD, IF
YOU'RE A TEACHER AND YOU'RE
TEACHING HISTORY AND YOU'RE
BRINGING YOUR CLASS TO THE
INSTITUTE THIS WEEK, YOU MIGHT
BE AT THE END OF WORLD WAR I.
IF YOU GIVE US 10 OF YOUR
STUDENTS WE CAN LINE UP A
DEBATE ON THE SENATE FLOOR, IF
YOU WILL, AND GIVE THEM THE
POSITIONS THAT 10 SENATORS
TOOK IN THAT DEBATE.
AND IF YOU'RE HENRY CABOT
LODGE, YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE
POSITION THAT HENRY CABOT
LODGE TOOK IN THAT DEBATE, YOU
CAN'T GO OUTSIDE THE BOUNDS.
ONCE A YEAR WE'LL HAVE A
SUMMER SENATE PROGRAM WHERE
TWO SENATORS FROM EACH STATE
ARE SELECTED TO COME AND THEY
WILL DEBATE THE BILL OF RIGHTS,
THEY WILL DEBATE ISSUE FROM 80
YEARS AGO OR 100 YEARS AGO AND
THEY'LL DEBATE A CON TAEM
PRIMARY ISSUE.
BUT FOR US ONE OF THE EXCITING
THINGS ABOUT IT IS, FOR MANY
KIDS, THEY NEVER GET TO GO TO
WASHINGTON.
IF YOU LIVE IN A WELL HEELED
COMMUNITY, KID GET TO DO A
WASHINGTON TRIP.
MOST KIDS DON'T.
AND MOST KIDS WHO ARE AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS
DON'T GET TO DO THAT.
AND THIS IS BRINGING THE
WASHINGTON EXPERIENCE TO THEM.
AND HOPEFULLY EXCITING A WHOLE
NEW GENERATION ABOUT WHAT
HAPPENS IN AMERICAN POLITICS,
WHAT'S HAPPENED IN HISTORY,
AND GIVEN A COLONEL OF AN IDEA
THAT MAYBE YOU SHOULD GET
INVOLVED IN POLITICS.
MAYBE YOU SHOULD RUN FOR
ALDERMAN.

>> WHAT ABOUT HAVING, AGAIN,
GOING BACK TO TURK'S
SUGGESTION, HAVING SOME CROSS
POLLINATION ON THE BOARD OF
DIRECTORS AND CONSERVATIVE,
MAYBE A CONSERVATIVE SENATOR,
WOULD THAT BE --

>> I THINK YOU'LL SEE THAT.
I THINK SENATOR WARNER,
RETIRED SENATOR FROM VIRGINIA,
I THINK WE'RE LOOKING AT
HAVING RETIRED SENATORS RATHER
THAN ACTIVE SENATORS.
SO FOR SENATOR BROWN AND
SENATOR KERRY, IT MIGHT NOT BE
APPROPRIATE TO HAVE AN ACTIVE
SENATOR.
BUT THE RETIRED SENATORS, WE
HOPE TO, AS SENATOR SASSER AND
SENATOR WARNER, A DEMOCRAT AND
A REPUBLICAN, RETIRED FROM THE
SENATE BOTH SERVED WITH TED,
BOTH OF THEM ARE WORKING WITH
US ON AN ADVISORY BOARD AND
WE'LL HAVE A LOT OF FORMER
SENATORS AS PART OF IT.

>> YOU MAY BE RIGHT ABOUT THE
FACT THAT YOUR STORY HASN'T
GOTTEN OUT YET, BECAUSE I'M
RIVETED LISTENING TO YOU.
BUT IS IT NECESSARY TO PUSH
BACK ON THE FINANCING?
I GUESS YOU WHIPPED UP SOME
FRENZY RECENTLY WITH SOME OP
EDS OF

>> WE MISTAKENLY THOUGHT THAT
WE WOULD HAVE TIME TO GET OUR
BUILDING PLANS TOGETHER.
I'D LIKE TO COME BACK AND IT'S
PROBABLY THREE OR FOUR WEEKS
AND SHOW YOU WHAT THIS IS
GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
WE WERE HOPING THAT WE HAD
TIME TO GET TO THAT POINT,
WHERE WE COULD EXPLAIN WHAT
THE BUILDING WAS, WHAT THE
PROGRAMS WERE, HOW SOME OF
THEM MIGHT WORK AND ACTUALLY
SHOW PEOPLE WHAT THAT WOULD
BE.
WE DIDN'T.
AND THE VERY NATURE OF THE
WORLD IS IF YOU'RE ASKING FOR,
SEEKING OR GETTING PUBLIC
FUNDS, YOU EXPECT THAT THERE
WILL BE SOME SCRUTINY AND SOME
CONTROVERSY ABOUT IT.

>> PART OF IT WAS BECAUSE IT
WAS DONE AS EAR MARKS RATHER
THAN STRAIGHT FORWARD, YOU
KNOW.

>> YEAH.

>> THAT ISN'T YOUR FAULT, BUT
--

>> BUT I DO THINK, YOU KNOW,
THE DEFENSE BILL LAST YEAR HAD
1700 EAR MARKS.
I, YOU KNOW, THAT HAPPENS.

>> THAT'S THE WAY CONGRESS
APROVES CHUNKS OF PROJECTS,
WHETHER IT'S RIGHT OR NOT.

>> I FORGET WHAT IT IS, BUT IT
A SINGLE DIGIT, LIKE 1 OR 2%
OF THE BUDGET WITH EARMARKS.
BUT I THINK SENATOR KENNEDY'S
COLLEAGUES, FRANKLY, WERE
EXCITED ABOUT THE MISSION,
ABOUT TEACHING YOUNG PEOPLE
ABOUT HOW THE SENATE WORKED.
AND ALSO ABOUT REALISTICLY
PAYING SOME TRIBUTE TO HIM.

>> HOW BIG IS THIS, COMPARED
TO THE LIBRARY?

>> TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, OUR
BUILDING IS ABOUT 40,000
SQUARE FEET OF USABLE SPACE.
PRESENTLY BEFORE THE ANNEX IS
BUILT AT THE KENNEDY LIBRARY
IT ABOUT 115,000 SQUARE FEET,
IT'S SEVEN FLOORS TALL, OURS
IS TWO FLOORS TALL.
THE ARCHIVES, THE STATE
ARCHIVES THAT THERE ARE, ABOUT
120,000 SQUARE FEET AND AGAIN
OURS IS 40,000 SQUARE FEET.
AND THE SENATE CHAMBER AND THE
THINGS IN THERE ARE THE
SIGNIFICANT PART OF IT.

>> WHO WILL BE THE ARCHITECT
ON THIS

>> RAPHAEL DENOLI IS THE
ARCHITECT.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
ABOUT HIM THAT I THINK HE
UNDERSTOOD WHEN WHEN I'M ABLE
TO SHOW YOU THE PLANS, HE
UNDERSTOOD WHERE HE WAS.
I HAVE A FANTASTIC JOB AT THE
KENNEDY LIBRARY AND I'VE BEEN
THERE SEVERAL TIMES, I'M
INSPIRED EVERY TIME I GO IN
THERE OF I THINK HE GO A GOOD
JOB OF CAPTURING WHAT JOHN
KENNEDY WAS.
AND THE BALANCE OF OUR
BUILDING NEAR HIS BIG
BROTHER'S BUILDING IS REALLY I
THINK SOMETHING THAT AS AN
ARCHITECT RAPHAEL UNDERSTOOD
THAT.
I WAS AT THE SITE TODAY WITH
VICKI KENNEDY AND JACK WILSON
FROM U. MASS, AND WE WERE
COMMENTING ON THE SITE AND
VICKI SAID, DENOLI REALLY
UNDERSTOOD THIS, AND I THINK
HE DID.
SO WE'RE PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT
IT.

>> IT SOUNDS FANTASTIC, IT
SOUND COOL.
THANK YOU FOR COMING.
WHEN WE CONTINUE, FISCAL
FITNESS, ONE MAN'S PLAN TO
MANAGE THE STATE'S FINANCES.