In The News

Massachusetts hiring, transporation plans apparently clash

BOSTON  — Gov. Deval Patrick says his transportation overhaul plan will streamline bureaucracy, remove redundancy and eliminate the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority as a political dumping ground by dissolving it.

That may be bad news to some of his own staff.

As Patrick and his new transportation secretary, James Aloisi, have tried to build support for a 19-cent gasoline tax increase to pay for their plan, their administration has hired duplicate transportation communications directors, put a chastised state spokesman in an internal communications role at the highway department and transferred two transportation department workers into new roles at the cash-starved Turnpike Authority.

There are two more transportation spokesmen working for the agency as well.

The officials are collectively paid nearly $650,000 a year, yet Patrick said Thursday that recent newspaper stories about some of the personnel machinations have been "trivial."

That's not how everyone sees it.

"It could be small potatoes until you add it onto the rest of the banquet, and then you see an accumulated amount of government fat," said anti-tax crusader Barbara Anderson. "That should be a good reason for everyone to say 'no' to the gas tax."

Some of the recent hiring appears to conflict with the transportation reform plan both Patrick and Aloisi are promoting. It, in part, would streamline the state's transportation bureaucracy.

Aloisi hired former Senate aide Colin Durrant to be his chief spokesman at an annual salary of $115,000. Yet the former chief spokesman for the Executive Office of Transportation, Klark Jessen, remains on the state payroll at his same $90,000 annual salary, according to state payroll records.

Durrant has the title "deputy secretary for communications and policy," while Jessen is listed as "communications director." When The Associated Press inquired about the potential overlap, Durrant said Jessen had been given a new title: "marketing and internal communications manager."

He also said Jessen's salary had been trimmed to $85,000 annually, yet Jessen was paid his previous salary during the most recent two-week state pay period, according to the payroll. Durrant said that would likely be revised in the next paycheck.

Meanwhile, Durrant has a deputy, Adam Hurtubise, who is paid $74,500 annually. The department also has a communications director at the Registry of Motor Vehicles. Ann Dufresne is paid $82,400 annually.

While Durrant is supposed to handle communications for the entire department, the Massachusetts Highway Department pays Richard Nangle, a former Worcester Telegram reporter, $65,800 annually as "manager of construction communication."

Nangle had previously served as chief spokesman for the Department of Social Services, but he was labeled uncooperative in several news stories last year about a 7-year-old Middleborough boy who was allegedly victimized by his mother's boyfriend.

Durrant said Nangle joined the highway department later in the year and prepares briefings, reports and background in response to inquiries about an accelerated bridge repair program.

Despite Nangle's title, Durrant said, "Richard is not a media contact or member of communications staff." Durrant added: "We are level-staffed and, in fact, have one less position handling media calls than before."

The Patrick administration's transportation overhaul plan also calls for eliminating the Turnpike Authority, a longtime political dumping ground.

Yet during the past three months, two transportation department workers were transferred to the Turnpike even as the agency complained it was so cash-strapped it needed to nearly double tolls.

Trellis Stepter was paid $84,000 as a legislative agent to Aloisi's predecessor, former Transportation Secretary Bernard Cohen, but now is paid $90,000 as manager of special projects at the Turnpike. Robert Rooney was paid $123,000 as deputy secretary of public works under Cohen but now is paid $122,000 as the Turnpike's assistant chief engineer.

Turnpike Executive Director Alan LeBovidge said he hires people who help the agency, but he walked away from a TV reporter this past week after she asked him why Stepter and Russell were specifically needed.

Despite the hiring, the Turnpike is leaving one high-profile position open: a $98,000 slot as communications director.

"There's no plans right now to fill it," Durrant said.

The Trucker staff can be reached to comment on this article at [email protected] .