Casinos, Slots, Eyed by Returning Massachusetts Senate

Fault lines between the major players have already appeared. Early this summer, [Mitt Romney], [Robert E. Travaglini], and House Speaker Thomas M. Finneran quietly abandoned the weekly chats they'd had since Romney took office in January. Top Democrats in the Legislature -- including Travaglini...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inKnight Ridder Tribune Business News p. 1
Format Newsletter
LanguageEnglish
Published Washington Tribune Content Agency LLC 14.09.2003
Subjects
Bills
Budgets
Casinos
Civil unions
Committees
Cost control
Cost reduction
Economic development
Gaming machines
Governors
Health care expenditures
Leadership
Legalized gambling
Legislators
Legislatures
Medicaid
Political leadership
Proposals
Roads & highways
Toll roads
United States > US
Boston Massachusetts
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Summary:Fault lines between the major players have already appeared. Early this summer, [Mitt Romney], [Robert E. Travaglini], and House Speaker Thomas M. Finneran quietly abandoned the weekly chats they'd had since Romney took office in January. Top Democrats in the Legislature -- including Travaglini -- are looking to turn that idea on its head. They're considering transferring all highway operations to the Turnpike Authority, an independent state agency, of which Romney has only indirect control. It would strip Romney of an agency with a $50 million annual operating budget and about 1,800 employees. Proponents argue it would meet Romney's goal of eliminating redundancies, yet avoid the legal and financial gymnastics necessary to dissolve the Turnpike Authority, which is saddled with outstanding bond debt. It would also greatly expand the power of Turnpike Authority chairman Matthew J. Amorello at Romney's expense.