Wednesday, September 24, 2003
Romney Derails Campaign Transit Pledge
After months of sending mixed signals, Willard Mitt yesterday rolled his wrist and approved the Greenbush commuter rail project. (source: Boston Globe, 9/23/2003)
The Fraud Governor claimed that his approval was based upon several defined factors. However, last year, the Fraud Candidate said "It’s time to have clear, objective criteria to evaluate all capital projects and rank them according to need. Let’s take the politics out of the process." (source: Romney2002.com, "Romney Healey Propose Commuter Bill of Rights," 9/3/2002)
Note that Fraudo did not say "evaluate all capital projects except Greenbush and rank them according to need." He said all projects.
Apologists for Team Reform will point that Romney’s Chief of Commonwealth Development, Doug Foy, recently said the administration and the legislature should formulate "a 25-year state transportation plan to create a list of transportation priorities to create a road map for transportation spending." (source: Boston Globe, 9/23/2003) But aside from the fact that Foy is presuming future legislatures and governors will allow themselves to be held hostage to a 25-year Master Plan, there is no getting around the fact that Romney pulled Greenbush out of the pile and gave it special consideration.
So why don’t the people of Fall River and New Bedford deserve special consideration? Can their rail spur be built, too?
It’s almost as if the process is being controlled by politics.
Gee.
Romney’s commuter bill of rights contained one other interesting line. He said his administration would have "a zero-tolerance policy for Big Dig-like cost overruns. We will insist upon top-of-the-line management for all transportation projects. Families in Massachusetts must live with their budgets and so should state government." (source: Romney2002.com, "Romney Healey Propose Commuter Bill of Rights," 9/3/2002)
The MBTA said the Greenbush project would cost $479 million dollars.
We’ll be watching.
After months of sending mixed signals, Willard Mitt yesterday rolled his wrist and approved the Greenbush commuter rail project. (source: Boston Globe, 9/23/2003)
The Fraud Governor claimed that his approval was based upon several defined factors. However, last year, the Fraud Candidate said "It’s time to have clear, objective criteria to evaluate all capital projects and rank them according to need. Let’s take the politics out of the process." (source: Romney2002.com, "Romney Healey Propose Commuter Bill of Rights," 9/3/2002)
Note that Fraudo did not say "evaluate all capital projects except Greenbush and rank them according to need." He said all projects.
Apologists for Team Reform will point that Romney’s Chief of Commonwealth Development, Doug Foy, recently said the administration and the legislature should formulate "a 25-year state transportation plan to create a list of transportation priorities to create a road map for transportation spending." (source: Boston Globe, 9/23/2003) But aside from the fact that Foy is presuming future legislatures and governors will allow themselves to be held hostage to a 25-year Master Plan, there is no getting around the fact that Romney pulled Greenbush out of the pile and gave it special consideration.
So why don’t the people of Fall River and New Bedford deserve special consideration? Can their rail spur be built, too?
It’s almost as if the process is being controlled by politics.
Gee.
Romney’s commuter bill of rights contained one other interesting line. He said his administration would have "a zero-tolerance policy for Big Dig-like cost overruns. We will insist upon top-of-the-line management for all transportation projects. Families in Massachusetts must live with their budgets and so should state government." (source: Romney2002.com, "Romney Healey Propose Commuter Bill of Rights," 9/3/2002)
The MBTA said the Greenbush project would cost $479 million dollars.
We’ll be watching.
