During the gubernatorial campaign, Mitt Romney made several promises to Massachusetts voters. He promised to clean up the mess on Beacon Hill, he said he would fill his administration with experts he could consult with about various issues and he talked of encouraging a bipartisan effort.
With his announcement last week of the creation of a transition steering committee that will lead the Romney administration into office, the governor-elect seems to be taking the first steps to following through on his campaign promises.
The transition group, peppered with CEOs and organization presidents, is divided into six subcommittees that will specialize in issues Romney has identified as state priorities: the economy, education, public safety, health care, housing and transportation. The 97-member team is reportedly made up of 49 women and 48 men who are leaders in their fields and harbor a variety of political views, Democratic and Republican. Romney should be commended for choosing the best all-around candidates, not just those who agree with his political views.
Romney, acting on his background in business organization, has assembled an impressive group of intelligent, knowledgeable people to create a formidable brainstorming force. He has said the subcommittees, which will meet until Romney’s inauguration in January, will serve to recommend policies and recruit talent to put in place as part of the new administration.
This method of delegating responsibility to experts will serve Romney well come January, putting him in a better position to make the best and most representative decisions for the state. In addition, by incorporating new opinions and fresh perspectives in these preliminary months, Romney will be moving toward his goal of cleaning out the business-as-usual outlook in state government.
Romney must be careful, however, not to exacerbate the mess in the Statehouse. With pressing issues like the state budget looming over his term as governor, Romney must ensure his addition of a large number of new ideas and people doesn’t serve to overwhelm the system or contribute to ineffective government bureaucracy.
These experts and committees provide Romney with a special opportunity to walk into office with a solid plan of action. It is important he has selected helpful resources and imperative he uses them to the state’s advantage in order to keep the trust of the people.
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