Senator Steven Baddour and Representative Joeseph Wagner Joint Chairpersons of the Massachusetts Legislative Committee On Transportation taking state citizens on another ride without accountability and oversight on proposed Gas Tax, Massport, Turnpike and Tunnel increases? Who will win their approval Special Interests or Massachusetts Citizens?
January 12, 2009
The citizens want to see all our roads and bridges repaired, Gas Tax, Massport, Turnpike, and Tunnel reforms done right by the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Transportation headed by State Senator Steven Baddour and Representative Joseph Wagner
However, the tenure of both chairman has seen the Massachusetts Transportation Infrastructure failures continuing with almost a total lack of direction. Their leadership thus far has produced little or nothing in oversight accountability only to witness no direction that has led to more waste, fraud, and abuse.
There is an almost total lack of trust that what the committee does eventually do will be approved by the special usual self interests and solve the crisis.
Simply stated, the committee lacks the tools for any proper independent analysis by not having the required civil and structural engineers, economists, and financial analysts to truly determine where past monies, tolls, and federal funds went and who is responsible. There can be no future planning until we honestly know where we have been, where we are,and want to go on our transportation spending infrastructure.
The citizens must stop being fooled into being slaughtered that any new Gas Tax, Tunnel, or Turnpike Tolls will be done right.
The past facts and lack of oversight of the shoddy constructed Big Dig going from $2.3 Billion to $23 billion with the most poorest monitoring by the committee and hired private profiteering overseers that made the project the biggest dysfunctional expensive transportation project ever in the world. The turnpike mess continues with the ethically questionable newly appointed Jim Aloisi as Secretary of Transportation. He was there on the Turnpike payroll and as a private Special Interest Lawyer lobbying with which is an insult of which Senator Baddour and Representative Wagner are not outraged! Big Dig partner Parsons who managed the project being given a new Massport contract Chairs Steven Baddour and Joe Wagner were powerless to stop is a further outrage! Can this leadership team be entrusted with confidence to even consider further Gas Tax or Toll Increases and plan for the Massachusetts Infrastructure future.
The Transportation Committee must solve the almost daily revelations of Turnpike and Tunnel indiscretions before allowing more picking of the citizens pocketbooks. The Transportation Committee must honestly state where all previous Gas Taxes, Tolls, and Federal Funds went before asking for more.
The path that Senator Steven Baddour and Representative Joseph Wagner must decide....be statesmen profiles in courage or go along with the Special Self Interests to get along for more of the same inefficiency, waste, fraud and abuse that will cause the transportation crisis to continue.
Hopefully,both Senator Baddour and Representative Wagner will change course and do what is right for all Massachusetts Citizens and Transportation Infrastructure. Let us hope.
