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Ode to the Pilgrim Hat

E-mail|Link|Comments () October 15, 2009 01:22 PM

By Globe Staff

At the final meeting of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority Board today, member Mary Connaughton showed off her poetic talents by reading an ode describing the history of the authority.

Here is her masterpiece,"Ode to the Pilgrim Hat"

Bill Callahan was a man of large style.
Building a road he did with a smile.
He sold them on tolls,
And made many foes,
Relax, for a while it's just how it goes.

As years slowly passed, other chairs took the reign,
To get tolls even quicker, they offered Fast Lane,
And tolls they sure stayed,
Beacon Hill had it made.
Plow fast, they said, toll worries will fade.

Now James Kerasiotes found himself in huge trouble,
Big Dig costs sure soon would go double.
Oh where can we fund this terrible mess?
Aha, let's consider the tolls way out west!
A toll hike plan hatched putting fairness to test!

And pay they sure did for many years long.
Not til 2002 would they sing the toll song.
Mihos and Levy, they shouted the truth.
Bechtel and tolls aren't working for you,
Swift fired back, to the highest court she fast flew.

Well, Levy and Mihos they came out on top,
And back to the board the two wouldn't stop.
But Swift then conjured up an affable fellow.
Reporting to the board was Matt Amorello
The press sure did frown,
With meetings so far from Beantown.

Matt was quite tight with Prez Bob Travaglini,
And knew all reps' names from mighty to teeny.
But Romney and he could not see eye-to-eye
For two Republicans, this just didn't fly.
In the midst of their scuffles, then in did come I.
And with the Boston media, some called me a hog.
But it got real fun when I started a blog.

Enter Pagliuca, Trimarco, and soon John Cogliano,
Romney now sported his team with systems on-go.
The goal was quite simple, let's end tolls at last.
The AP reported they're doing this fast!
And without even hiking the gasoline tax!

Now Cogliano knew the art of getting along.
To Romney or Patrick he sang a good song.
Tolls were doing down on the Pike out west.
But Patrick soon said, hey, give it a rest.
And with no board vote, we lost our fair quest.

Cohen was first on the governor's team.
He hired Lebovidge to cut staff and dream.
The unions they balked and the money stayed tight.
The finances tumbled with swaptions not right.
So out a new plan, let's give Massport a bite.

But first, they said, let's sweeten the pot.
With Angelini and Jenkins some meetings got hot.
Motorists would see high tolls anew.
The public didn't like it, soon Cohen was through,
And in came Aloisi, how could it be true?

One way or another, he got the job done,
But to pass a huge bill he had little fun.
In a political pickle more than one time,
With Murray the prez, he was in quite a bind,
But, will history anoint him reform mastermind?

This board is now through, a new one is comin'
Pilgrim hats disappear, all lights are on Mullan.
To cut and to save, his heart does seem true,
State law bars me from declaring right now what I'll do,
But one way or another, I'll be keeping an eye on you!