Senator: Divide Massport in two

By John Laidler, 10/21/2001

As a state panel studies ways to overhaul the Massachusetts Port Authority,
an area lawmaker is offering his own proposal for solving the problems of
the embattled agency: splitting it in two.

State Senator Steven A. Tolman said last week he planned to file legislation
that would split Massport into two entities, the Massachusetts Airport
Authority and the Waterfront Authority.

The Airport Authority would oversee Logan, Hanscom, and Worcester airports,
while the Waterfront Authority would administer Massport's waterfront
facilities, said Tolman, a Brighton Democrat whose district includes
Watertown and part of Waltham.

Tolman said the security problems at Logan Airport brought to light after
the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks showed the need for having ''a refined
management team focused on the airport '' to help ''restore the public's
confidence in the air transportation. ''

''It's clear that the confidence isn't there now,'' Tolman said, noting the
security lapses that have occurred at Logan Airport even since Sept. 11.

Tolman, who was still working out the details of his proposal last week,
said drafting the bill would be an intricate task, since the legislation
creating Massport in 1956 was lengthy and has been amended many times.

He also conceded that gaining support for his ambitious breakup plan would
not be easy. But he said it was worth trying if for no other reason than to
''create dialogue on some of the issues and problems that we are faced
with.''

''It's clear something has to be done,'' he said. ''I'm not an [aviation
specialist]. But I don't think you have to be a rocket scientist to see
there are significant issues with what is going on at Massport.''

Massport spokesman Jose Juves said the agency would have no comment on
Tolman's bill.

Sarah Magazine, a spokeswoman for Acting Governor Jane M. Swift, also
declined to comment on the bill, saying, ''We haven't seen it yet.'' But she
said the task force appointed by Swift also was looking at the ''the
structure and governance of the Massachusetts Port Authority'' and the
governor has instructed that ''no option is off the table.''

''There is certainly a potential that they could come to a similar
recommendation'' to Tolman's, Magazine said.

Tolman said his bill would provide the two new agencies with the same
independent status that Massport enjoys. But he said it would include
provisions to prevent the kind of political patronage that many say plagues
Massport.

''I would want to see the [airports] run by aviation people, and not by
political appointees,'' he said.

This story ran on page W5 of the Boston Globe on 10/21/2001.
© Copyright 2001 Globe Newspaper Company.
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