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Home Front: Politix
Under media glare, Romney shines
2006-07-22
Who knew that undercut anchor bolts could make such gripping television? Ten cameras were trained on Governor Mitt Romney at the State House yesterday as he dropped the latest Big Dig bombshell: He had ordered an immediate shutdown of the eastbound side of Ted Williams Tunnel.

Since falling concrete killed a woman in the I-90 connector 11 days ago, Romney has become the undisputed king of the news cycle. Yesterday was his seventh press conference on the crisis, not counting numerous press availabilities after striding into the tunnel for a look, clad in a hard hat and safety vest. The former corporate titan has portrayed himself as the Captain of the Ship of State, exuding confidence and promising a ``stem to stern,' independent investigation of the tunnels. He has mastered the basic engineering concepts of the repairs, and he seems seized with an almost evangelical desire to explain it to the public.
He's doing a Rudy -- demonstrating that if you want to be President, you take charge and make things happen when things are going bad. If he does a good job here, there are going to be a lot fewer Republicans wondering about his being a Mormon ...
Posted by:Fred

#10  Don't like Romney. Never have. Never will.
Posted by: Iblis   2006-07-22 18:32  

#9  Hey, whaddya want for 14 or 15 billion? Competence?
Posted by: tu3031   2006-07-22 15:50  

#8  Problems with bolts reported in 1994

And an inspection report dated Nov. 25, 1994, noted that some bolts had fallen out before the epoxy set and workers were ``using duct tape" to hold bolts to the ceiling until it set .

Ryan's memo asked Walsh to address the workmanship problems and noted that the cold weather procedures had already been modified. Ultimately, Walsh finished the Ted Williams ceiling and Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff signed off on the quality of the work, clearing the way for the opening of the 1.6-mile-long tunnel in December 1995.

Walsh Northeast did not return a call seeking comment.

Asked about the documents yesterday, officials at the inspector general's office said they show that epoxy bolts are only reliable if conditions are right and workers follow all the procedures. Romney has already said that he no longer has confidence in any of the more than 1,100 epoxy bolts in the I-90 connector and the state has hired Hilti USA to provide far more durable bolts. Those undercut anchor bolts are considerably more expensive than epoxy bolts, but they are designed to hold fast in high-sensitivity places, from roller coasters to nuclear power plants.

State officials have more confidence in the epoxy-and-bolt fasteners in the Ted Williams Tunnel, largely because the ceiling panels they hold up are lighter than in the connector. But so-called pull tests of those bolts will be conducted to verify that they can support the weight for which they are designed.

We certainly wouldn't want to overrun the budget.
Posted by: KBK   2006-07-22 15:12  

#7  Today's Big Dig headline:

Crews used duct tape to hold up slabs
Posted by: tu3031   2006-07-22 12:55  

#6  That's who I had in mind, Steve. There should have been a conveyor belt of heads out of all the agencies by 9/14/01.
Posted by: Seafarious   2006-07-22 12:37  

#5  I do find it refreshing to find an executive who,.....steps up to the plate and demands heads.

That's one of the things I dislike about Bush. He gives everyone too many chances. After 9-11 he should have demanded the heads of FBI and CIA be nailed to the White House gate.
Posted by: Steve   2006-07-22 12:24  

#4  "He's going after Fat Matt Amorello..."

If he 86's that character, he'll have done the Commonwealth an immense service.
Posted by: Ernest Brown   2006-07-22 12:07  

#3  He's going after Fat Matt Amorello (chief of the Mass. Turnpike Authority) on Friday in order to remove him from that position. You'll see more of this in the upcoming weeks.
Posted by: Raj   2006-07-22 10:19  

#2  Yep, I've been watching him on the evening news. He looks great: competent and in charge. No talking down; he explains clearly what the problem is and how and when it will be fixed.

I caught him on Boston talk radio a year ago, he was the same. Strange, since I consider Mormonism to be an intelligence test.
Posted by: KBK   2006-07-22 00:37  

#1  I do find it refreshing to find an executive who, when faced by a monumental and v-e-r-y public agency failure, steps up to the plate and demands heads. No weasel words like: "Monsieur le Agence Directeur has my full confidence". No sir. "I want resignations, and I want them now."
Posted by: Seafarious   2006-07-22 00:27  

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