Add Mitchell L. Adams to the list of top officials such as William M. Bulger and Matthew J. Amorello whose public service is apt to be overshadowed by their self-service on the way out the door.
We admired Mr. Adams' work at the Revenue Department, and he has been effective as head of the quasi-public Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. So the $255,000 salary and $510,000 platinum parachute he negotiated as Kerry M. Healey's campaign - and his job security - began to wane is disappointing, indeed.
Sharing culpability is the MTC board that OK'd the extraordinary severance deal - shades of the board-approved bonuses and perks that prompted a highly critical state audit in 2001 and led to the resignation of Massachusetts Technology Park Corp. executive director Joseph D. Alviani.
Sadly, the improved fiscal restraint noted in a follow-up audit in 2004 evidently was transient.