Renters Radio
Renters Radio
Renters Radio
Renters Radio is a weekly live-streamed podcast that discusses the most important issue facing Boston: The Rent is Too Damn High! We also go into local, national, and global news while critiquing the neoliberal hell world our generation finds itself inheriting. Hosted by Lauren Pespisa formerly of The Young Jurks and Evan George from Boston DSA.
10/19/2020: State Senator Jamie Eldridge
We interviewed longtime progressive state senator Jamie Eldridge, from Lauren's hometown of Acton-Boxboro, talking about his new Housing and Environment Revenue Opportunities (HERO) Coalition Bill, Universal Basic Income, Criminal Justice Reform, with a few hard hitting questions from Evan about WHY the MA state house hasn't done anything lately! 
Oct 26, 2020
1 hr 13 min
10/5/2020: State Rep Mike Connolly on the COVID19 Housing Stability Act
Lauren and Evan take a call from State Rep Mike Connolly, friend of the show, sponsor of the COVID19 Housing Stability Act here in the MA state house. We discuss the eviction moratorium (soon to expire), the importance of the Housing Stability Act and debunk some myths the landlords have been throwing around to stop this bill! This is a big month for housing, with a whole #WeekOfAction coming up, so stay tuned! #MAPoli #HousingForAll
Oct 8, 2020
1 hr 5 min
Renters Radio 9/14/2020 - Police Budget Hearings
Evan does a deep dive into the latest Boston City Council Police Budget Hearings
Sep 20, 2020
37 min
Renters Radio 9/14/2020 - Harm Reduction
We sit down and have a call with harm reduction specialist Angie Ní Mháille to talk about Operation Clean Sweep, Methadone Mile and how our city is failing when it comes to the opiate crisis in Boston. 
Sep 18, 2020
44 min
8/5/2020: State of the State House Special
We catch up with hot-take master, super canvasser Jonathan Cohn to bring us up to speed on the state of the state house in Massachusetts. We go through the recent police reform and housing votes, and the failures of Mass Democrats to pass real changes at the state level. Featuring a call from fellow podcaster Scamwell Tarly from “We Need Some Milk”!
Aug 6, 2020
1 hr 43 min
7/13/2020: Special Guest Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu
Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu was brave enough to dawn her mask and join Lauren and Evan in-studio for a detailed discussion on her latest op-ed, the city council budget, abolishing the BPDA and defunding the police! 
Jul 14, 2020
1 hr
6/26/2020: Post-Apocalyptic Budget
Lauren and Evan, after a long, apocalyptic hiatus, come together again, united by one issue...rage at the Boston City Councils failure to seize the moment and reject Mayor Marty Walsh's budget. We go into each city councilors statement about why they voted the way they did, vent about feeling betrayed, and take around 5 calls! You don't need us to tell you how much the world has changed the past couple months. If you need us, we'll be on the streets with the protestors. Black Lives Matter, Defund the Police and stay strong, Boston. 
Jun 27, 2020
1 hr 51 min
3/9/20: Sexy Taxes and the End of the World
Evan George brings us a hearty portion of sexy taxes this week, diving into the transportation bill and the gas tax. Lauren gives us a few more Suffolk Downs updates, and Rod Webber makes it into the studio to give us stories from the campaign trail, court cases and conspiracy theories. We'll be back next week if coronavirus doesn't kill us all!
Mar 11, 2020
1 hr 51 min
2/24/20: Debunking Jon Gruber and catching up with Rod Webber
Evan George takes us to rent-control school, taking down MIT Economist Jon Gruber’s arguments against rent control point by point. Lauren Pespisa chimes in with a deep dive into why no one should be giving Jon Gruber a platform in the first place. Also a call from friend of the show Rod Webber - who almost gets arrested while filling us in on the presidential campaigns in South Carolina. Donate to his legal defense fund: https://www.gofundme.com/f/baselvandal Also a dedication to WAAF, one of the last local rock stations left in Boston that got bought out and went off the air last week. Our hearts go out to all the local DJs and music we grew up on. Corporate buyouts SUCK!
Feb 25, 2020
1 hr 40 min
Renters Radio 2/17: Gabriela Cartagena from P.U.E.B.L.O, Suffolk Downs, and Souza-Baranowski Prison Violence
Lauren and Evan are back with a Suffolk Downs Update from our caller Gabriela Cartagena of P.U.E.B.L.O. She fills us in on the fight for affordable housing in East Boston, go to https://www.reclaimboston.org/mayor_walsh_suffolk_downs_petition to demand an emergency meeting with Marty Walsh! We also talk about the ongoing violence against the men incarcerated at Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center, and the disturbing stance the guards and warden have taken on it. 
Feb 18, 2020
1 hr 31 min
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