A Mormon in the White House? by Hugh Hewitt

Author:Hugh Hewitt
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Regnery Publishing
Published: 2010-08-26T00:00:00+00:00

The Big Dig

On July 10, 2006, the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority killed Milena Del Valle.

The MTA didn’t intend her death, of course, but when twelve tons of concrete fell from the roof of the “Central Artery/Tunnel Project,” the $14 billion-plus public works boondoggle commonly known as “The Big Dig,” the MTA’s recklessness and gross mismanagement had killed.

The MTA had long been a cesspool of cronyism and incompetence. Romney’s 2002 gubernatorial campaign was waged in part on the need to bring the independent agency under the control of the governor, but the legislature had repeatedly rebuffed his demands. Even when the roof of the tunnel sprang leaks in 2004, the state’s old guard, entrenched in the statehouse and on the top court, refused to listen to Romney’s urgent demand for change. Romney demanded the resignation of Matthew Amorello, the chairman and CEO of the MTA, and when he refused to resign and the legislature refused to act, Romney appealed to the Supreme Judicial Court to give him the authority to remove Amorello, whom Romney accused of “mismanagement and financial irresponsibility.” The court refused to hear the case, and Amorello stayed put.

Then tragedy struck, and suddenly the Massachusetts legislature realized that the Big Dig was no longer merely a source of lucrative contracts that reeked of cronyism and corruption, but a potential public safety nightmare and political sinkhole.

“It’s hard to view Monday’s catastrophe as an accident,” Romney declared after Milena Del Valle’s death. Romney immediately sought and received authority from the legislature to conduct a safety audit of the tunnel and $20 million to conduct it. The legislature passed the law on July 14. “I’m happy to take blame if I have responsibility,” Romney declared. “I have a great deal of confidence in the team of state leaders and workers to make me feel that I can sleep at night.” Romney successfully forced Amorello out two weeks later.

Shortly thereafter, Romney retained an engineering firm to conduct the “stem to stern” safety review, and formed a five-member panel of experts on engineering, transportation, and construction materials to oversee all Big Dig assessments. “We have many challenges ahead,” Romney declared, “but I’m confident we have the right team in place to conduct a thorough review.”

The Big Dig wasn’t fixed by the time Romney left the Massachusetts statehouse, and it is doubtful whether the audit will ever be completed.

But Romney’s response to a tragedy and a public safety crisis illustrates how he can be expected to act as president when the inevitable crisis arises: to demand authority and to act, but only with the advice of the best experts available on the issue at hand.

The Big Dig is a monument to the worst features of government, and its consequences have been both tragic and wildly expensive. Expect Romney to discuss it early and often on the campaign trail.

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