Salary battles’ political prize

Jim Rooney, the longtime head of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, is apparently headed for what Nancy Pelosi would call a haircut. And whoever replaces Thomas Kinton later this year as the head of Massport should know right up front that the job is unlikely to continue to pay $295,000 a year.

On the surface, the Massport salary issue is an easy lay-up: Who thinks the head of the airport should make twice as much as the governor? Still, Patrick’s latest display of political muscle isn’t risk-free.

The groundwork for this battle was laid in 2009, when a committee appointed by Patrick reviewed compensation for high-level state employees.

That panel, headed by a former state official, Stephen Crosby, found that most salaries were not out of line compared with similar jobs in other states. Nevertheless, the report fueled the populist argument that some salaries were inflated.

Patrick’s position was bolstered a few months ago when Kinton sought a $22,000 pay raise, which the governor blocked. That move is widely viewed as the catalyst for Kinton’s recently announced retirement.

Still, it might be a mistake to assume that this is primarily about zealously guarding the public purse. Kinton’s salary doesn’t come from taxes. Massport is self-supporting. Similarly, the Convention Center Authority’s activities raise about two-thirds of its budget, with the rest coming from hotel taxes. It isn’t at all clear that cheaper leadership at Massport and the Convention Center Authority will result in a windfall for taxpayers.

But Patrick, like many a governor before him, was frustrated when he took office and discovered how little control he actually wielded over wide swaths of state government. The so-called independent authorities were controlled by their boards, which were stacked with other people’s appointees. That was a problem that only time — time for Patrick to make his own appointments — could solve.

And now that it has, Patrick has asserted himself with a vengeance, bouncing several agency heads in recent weeks and now threatening to cut the salaries of those who remain.

The only real problem with this is the fear that perhaps he will get what he pays for. If Kinton ends up being replaced by someone who has never run a major airport — which is a distinct possibility — paying far less money could easily backfire. Some observers believe the job isn’t likely to attract top-tier talent at a substantially reduced salary.

“This shows that they are in control and doing something, and that’s good,’’ said one state official who asked not to be identified. “But in the long run, it may be a path to mediocrity.’’ He pointed to the salary of the MBTA’s general manager, Richard Davey, who is paid $110,000 less than his predecessor — and is garnering less than rave reviews. “They cut the salary of the head of the MBTA, and how good does that look now?’’

It’s not all that surprising that the poster child for overpaid employees is Rooney. He’s a holdover from a past administration (bad), he makes a lot of money (bad), and he’s in the middle of a contract negotiation, which makes him vulnerable. He is also good at his job, which may or may not matter. Sources say he is likely to swallow a modest pay cut without complaint.

Politically, Patrick can hardly lose in this well-chosen fight. But exercising control and installing “your people’’ — both time-honored political values — are less important than having people in key jobs who can perform them well.

This fight is a sign of the times. In the middle of a budget crisis, not to mention a recession, cutting back sounds like a great idea. Just don’t think it’s all about the budget.

Adrian Walker is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at walker@globe.com.