Big Dig's red ink engulfs state

Boston Globe ^ | July 17, 2008 | Sean P. Murphy

[Daffynition]

Massachusetts residents got a shock when state officials, at the peak of construction on the Big Dig project, disclosed that the price tag had ballooned to nearly $15 billion. But that, it turns out, was just the beginning.

Now, three years after the official dedication of the Central Artery/Third Harbor Tunnel, the state is reeling under a legacy of debt left by the massive project. In all, the project will cost an additional $7 billion in interest, bringing the total to a staggering $22 billion, according to a Globe review of hundreds of pages of state documents. It will not be paid off until 2038.

Contrary to the popular belief that this was a project heavily subsidized by the federal government, 73 percent of construction costs were paid by Massachusetts drivers and taxpayers. To meet that obligation, the state's annual payments will be nearly as much over the next several years, $600 million or more, as they were in the heaviest construction period.

Big Dig payments have already sucked maintenance and repair money away from deteriorating roads and bridges across the state, forcing the state to float more highway bonds and to go even deeper into the hole.

Among other signs of financial trouble: The state is paying almost 80 percent of its highway workers with borrowed money; the crushing costs of debt have pushed the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, which manages the Big Dig, to the brink of insolvency; and Massachusetts spends a higher percentage of its highway budget on debt than any other state.

The scope of the debt has not previously been calculated, much less publicly disclosed, by the state's political leaders, including Governor Deval Patrick and his senior transportation officials. The Globe confirmed its calculations in interviews with the state's financial analysts. [snip] ...

[Daffynition]

Staggering.

[RexBeach]

If you like incompetence, you’ll love Massachusetts.

That should be the new state motto.

I wonder how one writes that in Latin?

[libs_kma]

Maybe if MA keeps voting for Kennedy and Kerry they will get this all fixed.

[Dutchboy88]

Unbelievable that a state which seems so against the victory in Iraq because of the price tag, can turn and blow so much money on a project that benefits so few.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

I wonder how one writes that in Latin?

Novos Ordo Seclorum

[Daffynition]

Si vos amo incompetence , vos mos diligo Massachusetts.

Good idea for a motto.

[Daffynition]

Where is my “irony” tag?

[CDHart]

I like your translation better.

Carolyn

[goldstategop]

The liberal Boston Globe should be sued for journalistic malpractice for hiding the truth for years from Massachusettans.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[Diogenesis]

Romney: “Make all the promises you have to...”
and bank the donations from the builders of the BIGdig to my Presidential account.

[Daffynition]

Romney inherited a bulk of this mess ... there’s so much blame to go around that it would fill an ocean.

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

Is “incompetence” the PC word for thievery?

[HiramQuick]

‘E Pluribus e Pathetique” or simply MORONS

[gjones77]

That’s disingenuous, the program was started under Dukakis back in the 80’s.

Every governor since has had to find ways to fix the corrupt state highway system, and especially Massport.

Romney did all he could to try and fix the system, hell, he got rid of fat Matt Amorello.

[Diogenesis]

Romney abdicated to the "Big Dig".
Romney was such a major-loser-disappointment that even when the Democrats allowed
him to take over the Big Dig after the roof fell down
in the tunnel killing a woman, what did the pandering wussy RINO do?
Romney actually let the perp continue in Office
for weeks AND let the perp thereafter award himself further pensions
and let the perp rewards and shower gifts on his cronies.
The donations from the contractors went to Romney instead of there being accountability.

[kidd]

73% paid by the state of Massachussettts

That leaves 27% paid by federal funds

27% x $22 billion = $5.94 billion

$5.94 billion / 300 million US citizens = $19.80

$20 from every man, woman and child in this country, most of whom will never use the tunnels in Boston.

[Diogenesis]

Romney allowed billions of dollars fraud to continue
so that HE could get donations.

Let’s let him do that for America. [/s]

[Grandsons of Liberty]

I remember in my early youth hearing Ronald Reagan condemning this project and thinking to myself why he would do that...Boy could we use that man again!

[Diogenesis]

Those that use the BIGdig do not pay for it.

‘Cleverly’, only the stupid people west of Boston
(who do not use it) must pay for it, as the tolls
to Boston rises each half year.

Hear the bell? It tolls for you America.

[Brilliant]

Yeah, but think of all the money Massachusetts workers got paid for doing that work. They must be RICH now!

[bestintxas]

This is one citizen of Texas who does not want to pay one more dime toward this waste.

[Bender2]

Re: If you like incompetence, you’ll love Massachusetts. I wonder how one writes that in Latin?

Not sure of Latin, but... in Russian it is, "Если вы любите неправоспособность, то вы полюбите Массачусетс."

[count-your-change]

Here’s an idea: Increase the state gasoline tax to $2/gal. triple all toll fees, cut the pay of all state workers, from the least to the greatest, by a third, increase the sales tax to 25%, and that’s just for starters!
In short make the costs of the Big Dig so crushingly draconian and painful that no one will again suggest such foolishness within the lifetime of any living person.

[y6162]

“Staggering.”

Thanks Tip O’Neil.

[Freds2nd]

What’s the big deal? At least there is a tunnel to show for the $15 billion. In NJ, they steal $8 billion for school construction, have nothing to show for it, and the Attorney General can’t find out who stole it! Then Corzine adds $3 billion more, violating the state constitution, and it’s already being wasted.

[mewzilla]

Note to McQueeg: Pick Romney, pard. Heh heh heh heh heh....

[tflabo]

In all, the project will cost an additional $7 billion in interest, bringing the total to a staggering $22 billion,

And to think that is still only 1/2 the amount of $$ that GWB and the Senate are about to give to Africa for so-called 'AIDS relief'. The USA taxpayers get 'staggered up the wazoo BIGTIME'. Unf'n real!

[Aquinasfan]

It's a beautiful thing. Far better to pay off highway bonds than to implement more Democrap projects that will destroy families. I say, "way to go Turnpike Authority!"

Deval hasn't spoken much about his plan to provide free college schooling to illegal aliens. How ya gonna pay for it Deval? Raise the cigarette tax to $10 a pack? Are you familiar with the term, "black market"?

Oh yeah, we're the only state to post a declining population in the last census. The last taxpayer out can turn off the lights.

[Aquinasfan]

The liberal Boston Globe should be sued for journalistic malpractice for hiding the truth for years from Massachusettans.

But now there's no money left to pay for all of their social-destruction programs. Justice is served --in spades.

[Daffynition]

Oh ye who live in glass houses ....

[Daffynition]

I can see by your post that you have no future as a politician ... anywhere ... hehehe. ;-D

[count-your-change]

I don't think anything even close to those admittedly brutal solutions would be considered but when consequences are divorced from actions the same foolish actions are repeated. So we may expect that the consequences will largely put off till some future day when they turn into another crisis and another and another.
Let the fathers eat the grapes and have the son's teeth set on edge.

[Daffynition]

I anxiously await our “free” health care coming down the pike. ;-(

[Senator John Blutarski]

Blaming Romney for the “Big Dig” fiasco is like blaming the ambulance for all the dead bodies lying around after a terrorist attack. The simple fact of the matter is that Romney, like most of his Republican predecessors in the governor’s mansion of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, was there to serve as a convenient political scapegoat for the real political power brokers. The REAL political power in Massachusetts sits in the hands of the Democratic party, which has held a veto-proof majority in both houses of the MA legislature for at least the past fifty years.

Let me repeat for emphasis - “a veto-proof majority in both houses of the MA legislature for at least the past fifty years.” They control every department, commission, committee, directorate, and agency within the state government. NOTHING happens in this state on any level whatsoever unless the Democratic power brokers agree to it.

Romney had been trying without success to lever Amorello out of his Turnpike Authority position for some time previous to the tunnel roof collapse. Amorello had originally been appointed to the position by Republican governor Jane Swift to “sort out” the Big Dig situation. Far from sorting it out, but Amorello instead worked diligently to prevent or frustrate any sort of official scrutiny or investigation. Amorello actually contracted with Bechtel-Parsons, the prime contractor on the Big Dig, to perform project review and oversight over its own work, doing so on the argument that the MA Turnpike Authority had no personnel on staff qualified to perform such duties! This argument was technically true only because the outside experts who had previously been hired to perform these oversight functions had been eliminated or driven out by Amorello himself.

Would it surprise you to learn that the Democratic legislature fought Romney tooth and nail to prevent Amorello’s dismissal? Only when the roof caved in and a scape-goat was required did the Democrats accede to having Amorello pushed out. In best Massachusetts political fashion, however, Matt did not leave empty-handed; a fat contract settlement and pension deal was slipped into his jacket pocket as he being ushered out the door. That’s the way it’s done here in MA.

It is a story that would be downright funny, if I didn’t actually live here.

[Diogenesis]

Wrong. Romney abdicated to the "Big Dig".
The Democrats allowed him to take over the Big Dig after the roof fell down.

He did nothing -- except to pocket the campaign donations and allow the contracting perps to get off.

Now Romney plays his greatest role, the pseudo-'victim'.
WRONG. American and the Mass. citizens are the victims.

[fella]

a project that benefits so few.

Are you kidding? the Kennedy and Soprano famlies are pretty big.

[daniel1212]

“The liberal Boston Globe should be sued for journalistic malpractice for hiding the truth for years from Massachusettans.”

True. Here is a paper which equated the Bible to toilet paper, Pentecostals to Hitler’s socialist party, and Creationists to apes (all of which i protested by letters). And has a stated policy that it will not print letters that foster bigotry against homosexuals (protecting their own). As well as apparently an unwritten one that excludes intelligent letters against their agenda.

Reading it often reminds me of communist propaganda, presented as an objective reporting medium. Even the NY Times which owns them (and the Boston Metro, and Worcester Telegram) seems more balanced.

[daniel1212]

And so little degree of improvement has resulted? http://my.thebostonchannel.com/post/smartroutesblog/the_bad_old_days.html

[daniel1212]

From to the State that overturned over 6,000 years of marriage normalcy, and is soon might become the Las Vegas for homosexual marriage. http://www.massresistance.org/index.html

[vpintheak]

It benefits their people in their back yard and thats all that matters.

[count-your-change]

Looking at the map in the link it looks like some really bad design in the first place and a $22 billion fix. As to whether improvement has resulted I leave to drivers to decide but whatever improvement resulted is it worth the cost or was there a cheaper alternative? Who knows, but my point was that cost of bad decisions is put off on someone else. And paying $22 billion for this “dig” was a very bad decision.

[Senator John Blutarski]

All I can say is that you and I must live in different states with the same name.

Feel free to dislike Romney all you like. I’m not in any way way invested in the guy - emotionally, politically, or financially - so it matters not to me. But if you think that Romney reaped any great windfalls from the Big Dig, you are mistaken. The really big money had already been arranged and pocketed by others long before he ever emerged on the scene. Romney couldn’t deliver a cup of coffee in the State House without an OK from the likes of Sal DiMasi or Tommy Finneran (OK, maybe I’m SLIGHTLY exaggerating here).

Here are few predictions for you -

[1] The Commonwealth will end up establishing a permanent agency or department responsible for “maintaining” the Big Dig tunnel complex. The word from “inside” is that the tunnel leakage problems will be a permanent problem due to poor/inadequate/incompetent/shoddy [take your pick] execution of the tunnels’ hi-tech slurry wall construction techniques.

[2] The footings under the much vaunted downtown open “Green Space” which is supposed to be the site of the Commonwealth’s horticultural shrine to Rose Kennedy were designed to support the erection of major building above them, despite assurances to the public [and the Feds] that the space was to remain free and open parkland for public enjoyment. It will be interesting to see [a] how long it takes for that shoe to drop, and [b] which of the politically annointed will get the building rights.

And, hey, let’s not sell the Commonwealth short on enthusiasm for “civic improvements”. It’s not like the Big Dig was the only game in town. Running concurrently were the “renovation” of the Hynes Convention Center, the construction of a second convention center when the completed Hynes project turned out to provide less exhibition space than the original design, the state courthouse complex in Roxbury that has never been put to use due to apparently insoluble mold/mildew issues in its HVAC systems, the Federal Courthouse waterfront project and the “World Trade Center” project next door, the [still on-going] MA Water Resources Authority project to rebuild the entire water supply system of eastern MA.

Now the balloons are going up to test the political winds regarding construction of a new Boston City Hall. Gotta keep those union construction guys happy.....

OTOH, what would I know? I’ve only lived and worked in the greater Boston area for sixty years.

[Diogenesis]

What you say is basically true.

Romney did not reap a windfall.
But he did receive political donations from contractors
over whom he was purported to have oversight,
and he took the money while simultaneously doing
nothing to correct corruption
(except pad his own treasure chest
for his upcoming presidential run while letting them go).

Or are stating that those who corruptly failed to make a safe BIG-DIG will now be held accountable with the money
returned? I think not.

We both know they were allowed to get ‘off’
during Romney’s watch.

[Daffynition]

Isn’t that what P-Town is for? ;-D

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

PING!

Read the entire article. The Big Dig is the gift that keeps on giving.

[Tennessee Nana]

So now the BIG DIG goes deeper into the Mass pockets...

[Senator John Blutarski]

I really do not want to take on the role of public defender for Mitt Romney, but neither do I like seeing the true miscreants skating off to their FL vacation homes with big smiles on their faces. Here is the time-line with respect to Romney and the Big Dig:

Jan 2003 - Romney is sworn in as governor of MA.

2003 - Romney assigns retired judge Ben Ginsburg to the Turnpike Authority in order to investigate the Big Dig.

2004 - Ginsburg forces Bechtel to admit they it has been hiding at least $1.4 billion in cost overruns and files suit for recovery. All sorts of Turnpike Authority records suddenly go missing, or are found to have been “accidentally destroyed or mislaid.

Jan 2005 - Attorney General Tom Reilly (an ambitious Dem who was to make a run for governor in 06) suddenly steps in to take over the lawsuit from Ginsburg’s team. Reilly then puts the suit “on hold”, claiming inadequate evidence.

Jul 2006 - Tunnel roof collapses. MA legislature nearly breaks its collective neck in turning over all responsibility for the Big Dig to the governor’s office and then immediately goes incommunicado on the subject. Ginsburg recommends revival of the lawsuit. Romney agrees to do so.

Jan 2007 - Romney declines to run for a 2nd term and leaves office to make a presidential run.

Jan 2008 - The Bechtel lawsuit is finally “settled”. The $1.4 billion overrun is negotiated down to a $450 million payback. Meanwhile, Bechtel has earned $2 BILLION in additional fees for “overseeing” the construction project on behalf of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

So, strange as it may seem to you, Romney actually was the only individual who made any sort of attempt at all to bring Bechtel to account. Everyone else was too busy stashing their pay-offs and skims to care about the public trust.

Ya just gotta luv it ..........

[Diogenesis]

"2003 - Romney assigns retired judge Ben Ginsburg to the Turnpike Authority in order to investigate the Big Dig."

Ben? You mean Ed Miles Ginsburg, the Probate judge,
who was over his head (and chosen for that reason), and
who claimed he went to Harvard Law School
but only attended a summer session?

Resume fraud, Sen Blutarski, is it not?

Now why would someone pick an uneducated person afraid of being exposed?

[Diogenesis]

"Jan 2008 - The Bechtel lawsuit is finally “settled”. The $1.4 billion overrun is negotiated down to a $450 million payback.
Meanwhile, Bechtel has earned $2 BILLION in additional fees for “overseeing” the construction project on behalf of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts."

So the overruns were closer to $22 billion, but Bechtel
got off for a few million by paying off Romney via campaign donations.

And there is the rub.

Romney: “Make all the promises you have to...”

Guilty

[Senator John Blutarski]

I realize that you are in a “love to hate” relationship with Romney. Fine. But Romney had left office a year before the settlement was reached.