So, The Hack That Wouldn’t Quit Matt Amorello is finally gone. And in the seasonal spirit of Schadenfreude, last night Fox 25 cemented its reputation as the news station for snotty 13-year-olds, playing the Ramones “Glad To See You Go” over a video montage. Classy; I’m sure the Del Valle family was all Gabba Gabba Hey over that.
What the hell does this actually solve? As David Bernstein so assiduously and dizzyingly has mapped out, the accountability structure for the CA/Tastrophe is maddeningly diffuse. Now, on one hand, it certainly is good to get rid of someone who was either unwilling or incapable (my guess) of running a credible investigation; and I’m glad that Governor Romney plans on casting a wide net for Amorello’s replacement. But “a new era of reform and accountability” needs to be ushered in more broadly than just the MTA.
So for all the glee about Amorello’s departure, let’s not forget that he didn’t create the problems we’re dealing with now. He merely threw up his hands and hoped for the best … much like a certain governor, legislature, and state enforcement bureaucracy. Romney has wanted to get rid of Amorello for a while now; Del Valle’s death was a convenient reason (coincidentally justified) to finally lower the boom.
So if we’re cleaning house here, who else goes? Check your scorecard…
