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Governor Returns Home From Trade Mission To Criticism



BOSTON (CBS) -- Calling his 10-day trade mission productive and successful, Governor Patrick returned home to questions about jobs lost.

The eleven hundred jobs Fidelity Investments plans to move from Marlboro to other New England states.

"I want them to say that to my face and I want them, I want to see whether there's something we can do," said the governor.

WBZ-TV's Peg Rusconi reports.

A Fidelity spokesman says the decision is based on the need to consolidate real estate, and that Fidelity is still a major employer in Massachusetts.

But the governor didn't see it coming.

"I'm not just disappointed, I'm frustrated, because the leadership of Fidelity has been in my office within the period when they were supposedly teed up to move on this."

WBZ NewsRadio Mark Katik reports.

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It wasn't the only news that caught the governor off-guard during his time away. He says his transportation secretary has apologized for keeping the governor and the public uninformed about a light fixture that fell in a Big Dig tunnel.

"It's as concerning to me as it was to you and the general public that I wasn't told until, what was it, six weeks after the light that fell and it's concerning to Secretary (Jeffrey) Mullan, who quite appropriately apologized."

The governor says he has total confidence in Mullan.

On Wednesday, Mullan disclosed at a news conference that a 110-pound light fixture fell from a tunnel ceiling six weeks ago, which triggered the inspection of thousands of Big Dig fixtures. No one was hurt, and officials believe corrosion from weather and salt caused the problem.

Asked if he thought the news about the lost jobs and failed light fixture affect the perception that he can effectively manage the state while traveling, the governor answered, "I'm in touch with my cabinet routinely and was through the trip. This isn't some disengagement, by the way, I was working for the commonwealth during this trip and doing what is on the minds of most people, which is everything we can to grow jobs in Massachusetts."

He plans to meet with Fidelity leaders next week.

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