Thursday, August 4, 2011

Collapsing Montreal Infrastructure, part deux

Actually, I don't have much to say.  Today's news is pretty much like yesterday's.  The Transport Ministry is excusing the various problems as being due to the complicated, multi-agency organizational messes that are supposed to oversee the various projects.  As it turns out, the work in the tunnel that preceded (and probably caused) the collapse was not really vetted by the Ministry.  That had been contracted out.  To whom?  To some contractors that were already in trouble for tax evasion.  Good times.

The premier (think governor), Jean Charest, just gave the head of the Transport Ministry, Sam Hamad, a vote of confidence.  If this were a professional sport, that would be the necessary next step before the guy gets fired.  The owner of a team almost always gives a vote of confidence to the general manager, manager, or coach before firing him/her.  If Charest actually keeps Hamad around, Charest then deserves to lose the next election.

To continue the theme from yesterday, the buck stops somewhere--either with Hamad or with Charest.  If Charest does not hold Hamad accountable, then, well, Charest should be.

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