Cape and Islands state Rep. Eric T. Turkington was in no mood to mince words Tuesday at a committee hearing on Beacon Hill as he openly challenged both the author and the findings of the special governor's task force report calling for an overhaul of the Steamship Authority board of governors.
The surprise decision by the Steamship Authority governors last
month to buy the New Bedford passenger ferry Schamonchi was pitched as a
sound business decision for the public boat line, but an internal
financial analysis done by the SSA shows that in fact the ferry is
expected to lose large amounts of money.
The boat line board of governors voted last month to buy the
Schamonchi for $1.75 million.
The Falmouth Steamship Authority governor checked the city of New
Bedford in its own game of ferry chess yesterday, refusing to honor an
11th-hour request from the Whaling City to extend a trial high-speed
ferry project, after the city solicitor abruptly pulled the plug on the
project two weeks ago.
Special Task Force Headed By Retired Judge Rudolph Kass Begins Deliberations on Future Boat Line in New Bedford
By JULIA WELLS
A special state task force charged with studying ferry and
transportation problems on the Cape and Islands will hold a set of
public hearings beginning next week in New Bedford, and continuing
through the month of February on Nantucket, Cape Cod and Martha's
Vineyard.
In a barrage of invective and noisy statements to the press, New
Bedford city officials lashed out at the Steamship Authority governors
from Falmouth and Nantucket this week for their vote to kill a pilot
high-speed ferry project between New Bedford and the Vineyard.
Steamship Authority governors unveiled an ambitious business vision
for the 21st century yesterday that calls for a new emphasis on summer
visitors to both Islands with more passenger service, reduced car
service, streamlined high-speed ferries from distant ports and a price
tag that is potentially sky-high.
And when they exhaled from that, the boat line board voted to ink a
$1.75 million deal to buy the New Bedford passenger ferry Schamonchi.
From the very start it had all the markings of a political campaign
- go heavy on the sales pitch, work the numbers to make them fit
the pitch and filibuster to silence anyone who questioned the
information.
NANTUCKET - Placing a surprise trump card on the table in the
testy and complicated match over opening up ferry service from New
Bedford, Steamship Authority governors announced yesterday that they
will take immediate steps to buy the ferry Schamonchi, a privatepassenger ferry that operates between New Bedford and the Vineyard.
Last week's report calling for high-speed ferry service
between New Bedford and the Vineyard was submitted without any financial
information, and the acting general manager of the Steamship Authority
said yesterday that he will now have to step in to finish the crucial
financial piece of the report.
FALMOUTH - - Adding fresh fuel to the fire that has burned around the Steamship Authority for months, the Falmouth selectmen voted 4-1 last night to take steps to remove Galen Robbins as the town boat line governor.
"Townspeople are in an uproar about this and I recommend we begin the process of removal," declared selectman Edward Marks.
"I believe that what's on the record is significant grounds and we may begin the process," said selectman Virginia Valiela.
