(Insider baseball: a power struggle between Secretary Aloisi and MassPort. No one cares, but it has entertainment value. The sooner MassPort goes the way of the MDC and the Turnpike Authority and is brought back under control of the people the better ... democracy: it's least-bad! Should we roll MassPort into the Mass. Trans. Authority? - promoted by Bob)
Jim Aloisi likes to be the 600 lb. gorilla in any room he can sneak in to. In the case of MassPort Jim is more like the 600 lb gorilla who voluntary left the room but stays in the hallway. He wants to be remembered and still feared.
The little man with a celebrated temper sent a letter to the Mass Port chairman and executive director yesterday demanding they rescind a $1.00 increase in parking fees they announced.
Aloisi demanded that MassPort provide him with "comprehensive justification" for the increase.
Two facts stand out.
1. Aloisi, while MassPort board member, voted to allow this increase to happen.
2. Aloisi said last week he is pushing a separate $2.00 parking fee increase at MassPort as a "carbon imprint fee" to discourage auto trips to the airport.
In the letter Aloisi states
Governmental action that has a direct impact on our citizens must be fully vetted and coordinated in a complete and transparent manner.
Hmmm, unless of course it concerns the government inserting V-Chips in automobiles. But if a quasi-public non-taxpayer funded agency wants to raise the fees in its parking lot a buck Jim gets all Boston Tea Party on us.
BTW, did I mention that Jim and his transportation department have little, if any, statutory authority over Mass Port. But he still feels the need to bully it like a punk from Saratoga Street
If there is any doubt about Jim's punk status one need look no further than this paragraph in the Globe story
Referring to his own plan to impose a $2 carbon fee on Logan parking, Aloisi was quoted in the Globe yesterday saying that he anticipated Massport opposition "because people don't like their cozy little worlds disturbed."
Jim's quote sounds more like something said in a feud between East Boston Pop Warner coaches. Perhaps Jim is trying to settle many of the scores on his card? Who knows. But it is classless and ungubernatorial like.
Sorry Jim, I think perhaps you may be in over your head.
|
