In Memoriam: Toilet Winthrop Sears
Friday, December 3, 2010
I loved spending fourth dimension amongst John. He was equally public-spirited equally anybody, a dandy conversationalist, as well as i of the terminal of the old New England "Yankees" to serve inwards world office.
On Feb 23, 1996, I interviewed him for a paper I was working on virtually the Metropolitan District Commission, the starting fourth dimension dandy regional authorities way inwards America, which used to run the Boston metropolitan expanse H2O as well as sewer organization equally good equally an assortment of parks, parkways, as well as recreational facilities similar swimming pools as well as skating rinks. He was Commissioner of the way from 1970-1975. I wanted to larn how it had fallen from its glory days to a patronage-ridden embarrassment.
The [former] MDC commissioners were fairly hefty folk. Hultman -- I mean value Hultman as well as Greenough were the ii greats of us -- as well as Hultman built the aqueducts as well as sort of finished Quabbin [Reservoir]; as well as Charles Greenough was the dandy commons MDC commissioner -- to a greater extent than of a route builder, a parkway builder. But I mean value the way was seriously politicized. The Yankee legislatures who came upward to virtually 1956, who tended to live on Republican, were unimaginative, reluctant to spend, but they weren't successfully corrupt. They were succeeded past times this menstruation of colorful folk who were willing to spend, but also wanted to post you lot a schedule.* We got an annual listing from the Ways as well as Means Committee of people to hire.
Q. Not but positions, you lot hateful people?
Not but positions, people, names. Micromanaging inwards the most awful way. I resisted that, as well as caused a lot of trouble. I fifty-fifty fired or thence people, as well as it took me ii years to operate that out. When nosotros had seat the ii zoo societies together -- this is a practiced sort of parable of what went incorrect at the MDC -- I told the ready novel Boston Zoological Society that they could acquire as well as detect a practiced zoo director, as well as I would hire him or her as well as seat the novel managing director on the MDC payroll. Well, all hell broke loose.
First, at that spot was a painter foreman who said that he had seniority. I carried out my part. But they actually went downward kicking as well as screaming. There are scars all over me from trying to operate downward through the politicization at every degree inwards the MDC.
The intrusions of Michael Paul Feeney. He was the dean of the House. A charming man. We had a practiced relationship, but if at that spot was e'er a spare dollar, all of a abrupt it would convey a work attached to it. [As a result,] at that spot were something similar 8 petty playgrounds inwards Hyde Park. It took a for certain feel of sense of humor as well as a for certain amount of mischief inwards gild to operate one's way through or thence of this.
The MDC, at that date, was quite similar a big, helpless giant. It was the Corps of Engineers on the Massachusetts scale. Every legislator felt they could post us their nephews as well as thence post us instructions to build a commons or a pumping station. Joe DiCarlo seat a pumping station inwards Beechmont, which is notwithstanding there, which pumps against the Atlantic Ocean. That's an unequal match, if I may country so.
There was a political technology scientific discipline theater named Maguire, C. E. Maguire, as well as anytime Maguire ran a petty brusk of work, all of a abrupt the wheels would spin as well as orders would come upward over to create or thence existent imperial technology scientific discipline thing.
Speaker McGee. We hired a terrific immature veterinary for the zoo. He said, "None of your animals are going to breed eating this rancid horsemeat that you're feeding them out there." I said, "Well of course, doctor, tell us what nosotros should purchase as well as we'll purchase it." The Speaker of the Massachusetts legislature called me upward as well as said that if nosotros did non acquire on buying my horsemeat from West Lynn Creamery that he would create a publish on our budget.
I said, "Tom, you lot know I'm going to create what the practiced Dr. tells me, as well as I don't attention at all where nosotros purchase it from. If your friends inwards West Lynn would franchise this nutrient the Dr. says is better, I'll purchase it from them gladly." he said, "To hell amongst you" -- as well as that isn't all he said -- as well as he took the salary of a petty lady who had been inwards the sewer partitioning for virtually thirty years as well as ravaged it inwards the budget. He knew that was how to wound me. We managed to relieve her as well as seat her inwards the structure division.
[This form of interference] took a lot of fourth dimension as well as patience to acquire by with.
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* A "schedule" was the listing of approved jobs included inwards the yearly appropriation bill.