Jon Keller: “Keep politics out of the Big Dig? What a farce. Politics long ago turned it into highway robbery. And now politics, Massachusetts-style, has killed a woman.” Watch it here.
Epoxy — holding up three-ton concrete panels — that’s “brittle and cracked.” Metal supports that “were not fully weather-protected or fabricated to contract standards.” A city that could be gridlocked for weeks — and that’s being optimistic, given the likely number of people who will refuse to use the Big Dig even after it’s reopened.
The Boston Herald runs an interview with Melina Del Valle’s daughter Raquel Ibarra Mora, conducted by the Costa Rican newspaper La Nación: “Nobody from Boston has spoken to me. The only person who has contacted us is the Costa Rican Consul in New York, Alejandra Solano.”
Former Big Dig spokesman Dan McNichol tells the Los Angeles Times: “It is just disgusting, because those tunnels are an extension of our government. You think of the subway tunnels in London — people took refuge there from the bombing during World War II.”
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Both papers are really shining on this dark tragedy, although I am partial to a Herald “late inning” lead so far…. 🙂 THIS is precisely why newspapers need to stay viable and vital. I learned alot this week about these concrete slabs, self serving politicians and catastrophic adhesive failure. Excellent job by 2 tired staffs, especially the Herald’s depleted staff. Of importance to me was the Globe and Herald’s day 2 pages of large graphics, one full page in the Herald. Excellent! The Herald mixed photos, by staffer Mike Adaskaveg, into the graphic. Very informative. Great quotes by Jon keller and the London quote by McNichol. Wonder why the Globe did not run the photo of Dig Chief Matt A visiting the home of Angel DelValle…Rumor has it that that photo was made and not used……..hmmmmmmm
A brief aside…Any one sentence that includes the words “London”, “subway” and “bombing” is arguably in poor taste these days. McNichol is right of course, but I wish he’d chosen a better analogy.
I wonder if both papers have an eye on the prize. There’s certainly some precedent: When another type of hangers failed, the Kansas City Star got some answers before the authorities.
Yeah, sheep. I was thinking of that one too.But I need to catch up. I wanted to call into Sullivan last night, but I couldn’t.I have heard that Amorello said that the projects are audited every three years. Has anyone asked when the last audit was, when the next one was due, and what it had to say about the roof system in the extension?Has Amorello said what follow-up was done on the ’99 risk assessment of the roof system? How did the organization react to that?Thanks.
Aside from Keller’s typical belaboring of the obvious with glib lines instead of reporting (as opposed to being the most spinnable political commentator in town):John William Ward is rolling in his grave.The key findings after the McKee Berger Mansueto scandal at UMass Boston:–Corruption was a way of life in the Commonwealth.–Political influence, not professional performance, was the prime criterion in doing business with the state.–Shoddy work and debased standards were the norm.This synopsis comes from the Web site of our incredibly inept Inspector General. The steam went out of the office when the job started going to pols.