Well, after all this time Senator Steve Baddour has joined us as a member of the world of blogs. I urge all of you to visit the Senator’s new blog site, but I am very hopeful that both Jules Gordon and Bob Leblanc will visit there often! You can visit the Senator by clicking on this link.
Senator Baddour and Senate President Murray jointly penned an op-ed piece in today’s Globe, and the transportation piece made a couple of important points. First the Senate pair talk of the potential for a new transportation agency.
First, the Senate will consider the advantages and drawbacks of creating a new, unified surface transportation agency for Massachusetts that would combine some or all of the financing and administration for the Turnpike, MassHighway, the MBTA, and regional transportation authorities. Such a combination would likely require additional sources of revenue, even with the benefit of new administrative efficiencies, but we would quantify those needs and evaluate potential sources.
Secondly the pair write of the potential for some sort of public-private partnership to take over some of our toll roads.
The Senate will also consider the feasibility of developing and engaging a public-private partnership to assume the functions of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority. Before we create yet another public entity to continue collecting tolls inside Route 128, wouldn’t it make more sense for the state to evaluate the possibilities of a public-private partnership to perform this function and absorb some of the financial risk and deferred maintenance obligations of the Big Dig?
Neither proposal gives much detail, and the pair seem to rule out new revenues without “reform”. I am sure the bloggers will give some pretty strong views on what constitutes “reform.”
We must insist on reform before revenue. Unfortunately, we cannot tell Massachusetts tax-, toll- and fare-payers that their money is being well-spent right now, and we should not rest until we can deliver that assurance.
Good luck to Steve on his entry to blogging! One question for him??? Where is my #@#@@ link on your blog?
Bill Manzi.com 
It’s about time that Manzi had a little competition in the Blogosphere. Go Steve!
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Well, Mr Mayor upon your advice and as a sign of the respect due the office of State Senator I did attempt to access Sen Baddour’s new blog..however the process is far from the user friendly approach that you have employed.
Many years have passed since the gentleman was first appointed to this important post, yet we are still talking about reform.
I certainly hope that the interest in abolishing local/regional transit authorities has not been fostered by any animus to the expert Executive Director of the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority.
The simple fact is that these local regional transit operations are lean and efficient across the Commonwealth.
They represent what is right about transit managment in this state and always have been.
I suspect that the reason is that these agencies are controlled by local officials like yourself Mr Mayor and not statehouse influences.
I have served as Chair of our MVRTA and as a member of the MBTA ADvisory Board.What is needed is a real managment study of the MBTA and change beyond any interest in getting patronage jobs in the agency from the planning operation to the MBTA police leadership.
Newspaper op ed comments are nice, and wrapping the wonderful Senate President into it is a fine cover or touch, but how can there be much confidence in the sincerity of reform when so many years have passed with the same old problems only becomming worse.
One piece of advice..leave the well managed and locally controlled transit authorities alone, now matter how one’s efforts to influence or control have failed.
That would be picking a fight destined to failure and real close scrutiny.
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Your Honor,
I hope you don’t think by my visiting Senator Baddour’s site you will have relief from my admonitions.
I’ll just have two places to aim my invectives.
The war widens.
To begin with,I noticed they are talking about a grand system, but old ideas. Yoou wrote “Such a combination would likely require additional sources of revenue (taxes .ed), even with the benefit of new administrative efficiencies, but we would quantify those needs and evaluate potential sources”.
I have faith they will raise taxes, but absolutely know they will not apply any efficiencies.
I have an idea. How about a rule, NO RELATIVES CAN BE HIRED. Also it’s a right to work environment. Don’t forget that the unions represent less than 17% of labor. Give the other guy a chance.
Well, I see political slithering coming up.
I happen to believe super agencies are tough to manage and are more corruptible than a group of smaller agencies. The governor can assign an overseeing committee to coordinate transportation.
Oh well, it will remain a mess.
Jules
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Your Honor,
Bob makes sense in his entry. Keep the management local as possible.
Huge has not done much for education.
Jules
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It all boils down to real reform vs. fake reform. No question that the system is a mess, and it is even worse than you might believe. I will post the Romney transportation commission findings in a separate piece coming shortly.
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Your Honor,
I truly believe the mess is worse than I can imagine. I’ve live in Massachusetts for 70 years.
Jules
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Your Honor,
Ive been to the Baddour website. I read the obfuscation. Same old, Same old.
Guarantee: More taxes, poor management, lots of politics.
Anyone want to bet otherwise.
Jules
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