Job offer intrigues Senate leader

Senate President Robert E. Travaglini, under mounting financial pressure at home and increasingly discontented with his job, is intrigued by a lucrative job offer from a community hospital association and will probably step down from his legislative post soon if the details of the deal are attractive enough, according to several close associates.

As expected, the board of the Massachusetts Council of Community Hospitals voted yesterday to contact Travaglini's lawyer, Thomas R. Kiley, and invite the Senate president to begin negotiations on a contract that would pay him $300,000 a year to be its leader. Such a move would require Travaglini to file a letter with the Massachusetts Ethics Commission disclosing the talks and to avoid votes or deliberations that could affect the hospitals.

Those close to the East Boston Democrat, a cancer survivor who had a serious heart operation some years ago, say the job offer is made as Travaglini is growing increasingly anxious about planning his departure from the position he has held for four years.

Travaglini, who makes $90,000 a year in his post, is facing growing personal financial pressure. He has to deal over the next few years with college tuition bills for his three children. He and his wife also want to build a house in Winthrop, which would take him out of the neighborhood he grew up in.

"He's not happy up there," said one associate, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "He knows he needs to go. He's worried about his health and knows he needs to take care of his kids."

Travaglini's uncertain future has created a good deal of political anxiety in the Senate and some speculation on Beacon Hill about a possible shift in the power structure. Senator Therese Murray, chairwoman of the Ways and Means Committee, is expected to win a majority of support to assume Travaglini's post, but she is facing some opposition among her 33 Democratic colleagues. Travaglini is highly respected by senators on both sides of the aisle, while Murray is untested in her leadership skills.

With Travaglini eyeing the door and Governor Deval Patrick struggling to find his footing, the center of power at the State House may shift to House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi, a veteran Beacon Hill political figure who in the last year has consolidated his control of the 160-member House.

The community hospital council offer is one of several options that have been mentioned for Travaglini, who confided to colleagues last spring that he planned to step aside, probably within a year. But negotiating for a private sector job poses potential ethics problems for him as leader of a body that has an influence on many industries and institutions.

Several months ago, as he began to ponder how to make a graceful and lucrative exit from public life, Travaglini created a process to direct offers for his future employment to Kiley, who has counseled many Beacon Hill officials on ethics matters.

On Kiley's advice, Travaglini will not speak directly with potential employers who approach him, to avoid violating the state's conflict-of-interest law, his associates said.

But if he decides to leave, the East Boston Democrat will explore with Kiley any offers that have been made and the ethical implications of his negotiating or accepting any jobs. The potential positions range from heading a trade association, joining a high-powered government relations firm, or establishing his own government strategy office.

One of the positions that has been often mentioned -- the presidency of the Massachusetts Hospital Association, a $500,000-a-year position -- seems to have faded as an option. His friends say the position would be very difficult, requiring him to answer to a host of often-warring hospital interests and to wrestle with very complex health industry issues. The hospital association also hired a search firm to find a president, a process that could take as much as a year to complete, which is longer than Travaglini wants to wait.

One job possibility comes from a close friend, Stephen Tocco, who leads ML Strategies, the government relations arm of one of Boston's largest law firms. Tocco is trying to lure Travaglini with a hefty salary, which along with bonuses and profit sharing, could rival what the Massachusetts Hospital Association job pays, according to Travaglini's associates. Tocco would give Travaglini the title of president. Tocco has declined to comment.

The Community Hospital Council emerged unexpectedly as a contender this week when the Globe first reported Thursday that the group is willing to pay Travaglini a salary of $300,000 or more. Health benefits, expenses, office staff, and other benefits would push the tab much higher, requiring a substantial increase in individual hospital dues. The details remain to be worked out, including the length of the contract and what title Travaglini would have.

The hospital's dues were initially expected to double, but a source said yesterday that the increase required to lure Travaglini may have to be larger. Or other hospitals may be invited to join the organization, which has 24 member institutions. Meanwhile, the council is sensitive about leaks to the media and has issued a notice to its member hospital executives not to speak with reporters, in an effort to stop further information from getting out.

Travaglini, who was among the key architects of the effort to overhaul the state's health plans, would bring a hefty political resume and a long list of state contacts to the job.

He would be barred from lobbying House and Senate members for one year, but he would be able to contact officials in Patrick's administration and other state agencies, including the members of key boards such as the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority.