Romney lays out argument for removing Amorello

Boston.com & AP ^ | 04/19/2005 | Theo Emery

[r5boston]

The Romney administration laid out its argument Tuesday for why Matthew Amorello should be fired as chairman of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, saying his poor job performance is "ongoing, worsening, and in certain respects irreversible."

Gov. Mitt Romney is seeking an advisory opinion from the state's highest court on whether he has the authority to demote Amorello, who has long feuded with the governor over the Big Dig.

In a legal brief filed in support of that request, Mark D. Nielsen, Romney's chief legal counsel said "the Gov. believes that the chairman's performance failures as MTA CEO have caused serious harm to the Commonwealth."

"This court should conclude that the governor has the power to remove the (Turnpike) chairperson for conduct consisting of mismanagement, neglect of duty and/or fiscal irresponsibility," the brief said.

Lawyers for the Turnpike Authority responded with their own brief, saying Romney has no authority to fire Amorello and that under Amorello's leadership the massive highway project has remained on budget and on schedule.

"Contrary to the governor's assertions, Chairman Amorello has succeeded where others have failed," said the brief filed by lawyers Andrew Good and Philip Cormier.

[SittinYonder]

"The governor has concluded that without this court's clear guidance and affirmative responses to each question, he must refrain from replacing the MTA chairperson based upon mismanagement, neglect [of] duty, or fiscal irresponsibility," the brief said.

Am I reading this paragraph wrong, or does this actually say that without a judge's ruling the governor cannot remove the MTA chair for mismanagement, neglect of duty and fiscal irresponsibility?!

This seems absurd and must be some of Ted "The Swimmer" Kennedy's doings.

[John Locke]

Look on the bright side. When Peak Oil makes the automobile obsolete, the Big Dig will be a perfect place to store radioactive waste. And if the tunnels still leak, who cares - Mass is already full of mutants anyway.