This is a better explanation of the Senate proposal than the Globe article
was. Massport and the Turnpike Authority would continue to be independent,
self-financing bodies -- they would not be mere departments of the executive
branch of government. The Senate sponsor calls the proposed reform "a
balance between coordination and independence" for each agency. The
secretary of transportation would develop a five-year intermodal
transportation plan to set priorities for all of the transportation
agencies, so clearly he or she would have a significant influence on
Massport's agenda. In addition, the secretary would enter into MOUs with
the transportation agencies, including Massport, "to identify and
consolidate areas of duplication and inefficiency." It is not clear to me
that any of this would give the executive branch actual control over
Massport where it counts -- for example, it's not clear whether, if the
proposed reform were to become law, a governor opposed to the Logan runway
or to the construction of new corporate jet hangars at Hanscom would have
the power to stop either of those projects. -- mpa

=============================
Lincoln Journal
Wednesday, May 19, 2004

Lawmakers call transportation overhaul plan significant

By Amy Lambiaso / State House News Service

The state's chief transportation agency would oversee all state roads, mass
transit systems, airports and ports, while toll payers would get a break on
their taxes under a Senate budget plan unveiled last week and quickly
embraced by the Romney administration.

The Senate plan would authorize the state's transportation secretariat to
head each of the state's five independent transportation agencies and direct
the secretariat to develop a statewide five-year plan to prioritize
transportation projects. Senate leaders predict such coordination will yield
"significant" savings by eliminating inefficiencies and staff duplication,
while maintaining each agency's independence. The plan's full details will
be released along with the rest of the Senate's budget proposal on
Wednesday.

At a press conference last week, Senate leaders said the plan creates a tax
deduction program of up to $750 per year for toll payers who spend more than
$150 a year on FastLane and mass transit. The deductions could collectively
save taxpayers $6.5 million, lawmakers said.

The plan also directs the Executive Office of Transportation - now known as
the Executive Office of Transportation and Construction - to enter into a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with each independent agency - the
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), the Massachusetts Port
Authority, the Massachusetts Aeronautics Commission (MAC), the Massachusetts
Turnpike Authority, and the newly-created Council of Regional Transit
Authorities, made up of the heads of each of the 15 RTA's - to identify and
consolidate areas of duplication and inefficiency.

Sen. Steven Baddour, D-Methuen, co-chairman of the Transportation Committee,
presented the plan to reporters with Senate Ways and Means Chairwoman
Therese Murray, D-Plymouth, calling it "a balance between coordination and
independence" for each agency.

"This is the most far-reaching reform proposal for transportation in
decades," Baddour said. "We're trying to coordinate and be consistent across
the board with every agency."

The Senate budget committee rejected Gov. Mitt Romney's proposal to merge
the turnpike authority with the Massachusetts Highway Department, which the
governor said would yield a one-time cash flow of $190 million and more than
$20 million in savings each year. But the Senate plan includes language for
each agency to share staff, equipment and other resources where appropriate.
Baddour predicted the plan will result in more savings than the merger
because it looks to combine resources of all transportation agencies, not
just the turnpike authority and the highway department.

Under the Senate plan, the state's agreement with the turnpike authority
would not begin until Dec. 31, 2005 when the $14.6 billion Big Dig is
scheduled to be "substantially complete." By keeping the authority as an
independent agency, the state avoids taking on its $2.5 billion in debt and
allows the turnpike to maintain oversight and maintenance of the turnpike
roads and Big Dig tunnels and roads while the construction project is
winding down, Baddour said.

Under the Senate plan, the current Turnpike Authority Chairman - Matthew
Amorello - would become the turnpike authority board's executive director
until his contract expires in 2007, with current Secretary of Transportation
Daniel Grabauskas chairing each of the five agency boards. Turnpike board
members would not be granted any annual compensation under the plan, saving
the authority $100,000 a year.

The plan also directs MassHighway to enter into a MOU with the Department of
Conservation and Recreation, with the highway department taking over
management, but not ownership of the former Metropolitan District Commission
parkways. Senators say the takeover will allow the state to receive federal
matching money for the maintenance while saving money and improving
efficiencies.

Conservation groups, who have previously fought the administration's
attempts to take over maintenance of MDC parkways, today said they would
want to see details of the plan to ensure the DCR was approving and
maintaining oversight of the state's operations.

"The parkways help define the nature of the greater Boston area," said
Christopher Hardy, legislative director for the Mass Audubon Society. "There
needs to be a greater understanding of how much is at stake here."

Gov. Mitt Romney and his administration team immediately embraced the reform
proposal, calling it "an important step toward eliminating waste and
inefficiency in government." In an interview, one of Romney's top advisers
said the plan was "very encouraging" and showed "significant progress on
reforming the transportation bureaucracy," said Secretary of Commonwealth
Development Douglas Foy.

"They seem to have accepted the notion of a consolidated transportation
agency," Foy said. "Over time, they appear to be moving toward merging Mass
Highway and the Turnpike Authority after the Big Dig's completion. But the
devils are going to be in the details on that one."

The Senate plan comes two weeks after House members widely rejected Romney's
merger plan and just several days after a coalition of business groups
issued a report expressing reservations about merging the major
transportation agencies. The House voted 111 to 44 to reject the merger.

Rep. Joseph Wager, who co-chairs the Transportation Committee and attended
the Senate press conference on Monday, said he was concerned with the
ability of the agencies to maintain their independence while under the
purview of the state secretariat. The independent authorities, each created
with an independent revenue source, must be able to raise sufficient
revenues separate from the political implications of Beacon Hill, Wagner
said.

"When those things become political, what you have is the taxpayers of the
commonwealth picking up a greater share of the burden than they should be
required to do," said Wagner, a Chicopee Democrat. "And you negate the
ability of an independent authority to carry out its financial mission. It's
a very fine line, and you need to walk that fine line in a correct and
proper way."

The House instead proposed the creation of the Massachusetts Transportation
Coordination Council to identify and improve the delivery of transportation
services, improve the cooperation of all agencies and maximize efficiencies.
The council would develop a plan to consolidate services, equipment and
other appropriate resources.

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