The Boston Herald Reported That Ed Markey Appropriated “$35 Million In Taxpayer Dough To A 17-Year [Telecom] Project That’s Failed To Create A Single Internet Job.”

U.S. Rep. Edward J. Markey, who has boasted in his U.S. Senate campaign about bringing high-tech jobs to Massachusetts, backed one of the biggest telecom busts in his own hometown, funneling $35 million in taxpayer dough to a 17-year project that’s failed to create a single Internet job.

After Markey Secured The $35 Million In Federal Funds For The Telecom Park, “Malden Has Seen No Jobs And No Development.”

But Malden has seen no jobs and no development from the former Telecom City. Besides a residential and office building in Medford, there is mostly empty space and an empty field. “People were waiting for this to arrive hoping for jobs, hoping for elevated employment in the area, it just didn’t come,” said Richard Boudreau, a longtime Malden resident and a registered Republican.

Rep. Paul Donato (D-Medford), A Markey Supporter, Said That While Markey Secured The Federal Funds For The Initial Startup, “There Are No Jobs In Malden, No Jobs In Everett.”

“It turned out unfortunately not to be the telecom park that we hoped for,” admitted state Rep. Paul Donato (D-Medford), a Markey supporter who represents the three host communities. “I think everyone is disappointed that the initial idea didn’t come to fruition.”

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Donato said that Markey “paved the way for the initial startup with federal funds,” but said that so far the development site that sits on Markey’s hometown of Malden has remained barren. The federal money apparently went toward the site’s environmental cleanup and to spur development. “There are no jobs in Malden, no jobs in Everett. They are waiting to see what the next step will be, but most of the benefits have been on the Medford side,” Donato said

Nonetheless, Markey Touted This Project As An Example Of Job Creation On His Campaign Website.

Markey, a Malden Democrat who is running against Republican Gabriel E. Gomez in the June 25 U.S. Senate special election, has run ads touting his role in the passage of a telecom law that he said helped create Facebook, Skype and Google. The ad said many of the jobs sparked by the telecom industry were created in Massachusetts. Even on his campaign website, Markey claims Rivers Edge “brought jobs and economic growth to Everett, Malden and Medford.”