BOSTON, MA — Republican candidate for governor Brian Shortsleeve today unveiled a sweeping Transportation Transparency Plan aimed at restoring accountability, exposing waste, and rebuilding public trust in Massachusetts transportation government following the alleged MassDOT overtime fraud scandal that exposed state employees claiming overtime hours they never worked and stealing hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars.
Shortsleeve, the former MBTA chief administrator, acting general manager, and member of both the Fiscal and Management Control Board and the MassDOT Board, said the scandal is another example of Maura Healey’s failure to properly oversee taxpayer dollars.
“When I stepped away from my business career to help run the MBTA, one of the first things we did was audit the system both financially and operationally, and we uncovered serious inefficiencies, waste, and abuse,” said Shortsleeve. “The reality is simple: in state government, if you look for fraud, you will find it. Massachusetts taxpayers are working too hard to have their money treated like monopoly money by bureaucrats who know nobody is watching.”
“Maura Healey promised the most transparent administration. She delivered the opposite. It has led to waste, fraud and abuse running rampant through our state government,” said Shortsleeve. “It is time to operate government in full public view. Taxpayers deserve transparency, accountability, and respect. My Transportation Transparency Plan will shine sunlight on how every dollar is spent and ensure government works for the people funding it.”
The Transportation Transparency Plan includes:
AUDITS AND OVERSIGHT
Require regular independent audits of major transportation projects
Audit procurement and bidding practices across transportation agencies
Increase financial oversight and public accountability standards
STRENGTHEN COMPETITIVE BIDDING
Publish scoring criteria for all contract awards
Publicly disclose all bidders and bid amounts
Limit no-bid contracts except in true emergency situations
PROJECT COMMUNICATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Provide weekly online updates for major transportation projects
Publish project timelines with milestones and explanations for delays
Create public scorecards tracking road and bridge repair progress
Create public scorecards measuring pothole repair turnaround times
ANTI-WASTE AND ETHICS REFORMS
Increase disclosure requirements for lobbyist meetings
Expand transparency requirements involving contractors and bidders
Strengthen revolving door restrictions between regulators and contractors
Require public disclosure of consultant spending
Penalize contractors responsible for major delays
Publicly track project change orders and cost overruns
PUBLIC PROJECT TRACKER
Every transportation project funded with gas tax dollars would include a publicly accessible online page displaying:
Original project cost estimate
Current project cost
Contractor information
Construction timeline
Delays and explanations
Before-and-after project photos
GAS TAX TRANSPARENCY DASHBOARD
The plan would also establish a live online “Gas Tax Transparency Dashboard” allowing taxpayers to see:
Total gas tax revenue collected each month
How much revenue comes from each region of Massachusetts
Exactly where transportation dollars are being spent
Administrative overhead costs
Road, bridge, and sidewalk funding allocations
Project status updates and completion dates
“Massachusetts residents pay some of the highest taxes, tolls, and transportation costs in the country,” Shortsleeve added. “They deserve to know exactly where that money is going and whether it is being spent responsibly. This plan is about restoring trust and ending the culture of waste and complacency that has taken hold under one-party rule on Beacon Hill.“
Shortsleeve is the only candidate making clear on how he will govern and how he will help the taxpayers of Massachusetts.
“We don’t need rhetoric. We need substance on how change will happen,” added Shortsleeve.