I'm really taking exception to Acting Governor Jane Swift's actions, especially over the past few weeks. And it really makes me wonder why the hell she's so popular and her approval rating is fairly high.

Let's take a look at the front page of this morning's Boston Globe, shall we? The article on the top of the page talks about how Jane originally backed an enormous severance package for Virginia Buckingham, who was director of Massport -- the organization responsible for Logan Airport and its rather weak security. The severance package includes a $175,000 severance, an additional 9 months' pay worth $112,500 and, on top of all that, a two-year consulting contract with the state for another $62,500. The first point of irony in this situation is that Swift didn't say anything about the deal until it became public, then yesterday she said that due to public outcry she was going to try to renegotiate it, now today she's saying that she didn't realize how big it was. Of course you knew the terms of the deal, Swiftie, because you had to approve them yourself due to the fact that Massport is a government organization and the head of Massport reports to you! And saying that you were going to renegotiate it because of public complaints means that you didn't think there was anything wrong with it in the first place.

Which makes her next move even more puzzling. At the bottom of the front page, there's an article about how Swiftie has asked for the resignation of two Massachusetts Turnpike Authority board members because she thinks they were being "fiscally irresponsible" for delaying toll increases by six months on the Mass Pike as well as suggesting a plan to re-implement tolls in Western Massachusetts and in Newton. (The West Newton tolls as well as the tolls on the Pike west of Springfield were all taken down years ago as part of a plan to phase out tolls on the Pike completely because they were initially put up to pay for the construction of the Pike itself which is now paid for, but now due to an almost $14 billion cost overrun on the Big Dig, they need revenue). Apparently, these guys that she's asking to resign are in favor of delaying the toll increases and putting more pressure on the contractors building the Big Dig -- which I support too, since I see no reason why I should pay for the contractors' screwing around. I mean, $14 billion over cost, and that's not including the original estimate of how much it would take! I should definitely not have to pony that up, the government should lean on the contractors to make up some of the cash they burned through. I really don't see how Swiftie can say on the hand that these guys on the Turnpike Authority board are being fiscally irresponsible by trying to save taxpayers some cash, while on the other hand she's throwing gobs of cash at someone who's not even going to be directly working for the state anymore. Now that to me is fiscal irresponsibility. So maybe we should ask for her resignation?

Massachusetts is such a screwed-up state.