05.02.08

Reaction To Perry’s TxDOT Appointments

Posted in Around The State, Cronyism, Privatization, Road Issues, Uncategorized at 11:27 am by wcnews

While Rick Perry’s picks for the Transportation Commission earlier this week, Deirdre Delise and William Meadows, may satisfy him and his friends that profit from toll roads, it doesn’t look like it will do much to help his prospects for another term 2010. Especially since he left San Antonio and South Texas without representation on the commission, which has not escaped notice, Perry errs in choice for top TxDOT job.

Major missteps and public relations fiascos have destroyed public confidence in the Transportation Commission and the Texas Department of Transportation. The interim chairmanship of Hope Andrade, after the sudden death last year of Ric Williamson, had begun to repair some of that damage. The selection of a chairman based on cronyism will further erode public trust.

What makes Delisi’s appointment more galling is that Perry is replacing Andrade on the commission. The move means that between the chairman and four commissioners, none lives in South Texas, denying an often-neglected region representation on the crucial commission.

A governor who wasn’t tone deaf to public criticism wouldn’t make that kind of mistake. Unfortunately, it’s what Texans have come to expect from the increasingly oblivious leadership of Rick Perry.

Sen. John Carona is not backing off of his earlier comment about the proposed chair:

“Both Republicans and Democrats have described her in the past (in her job with Perry) as being difficult to work with and not particularly cordial,” Carona said. Asked about his past critical comments of her possible appointment, he said,”I think that she is a political hack. I’ve said that before. It would be probably senseless for me to deny it.”

It’s not just her being a political hack that’s a problem but her past difficulty working with the legislature which may be her biggest failing.  And most see these two “toll everything” proponents as more of the same:

Critics of the direction taken by Perry and TxDOT, including TexasTollParty.com founder Sal Costello and David Stall of CorridorWatch, said they didn’t expect any substantive change with Delisi as chair.

“Change anything? No. It’s still going to be hardball,”  said Stall.

This DMN editorial gives Perry an incomplete grade for his Delisi pick. But for the most part North Texas and the Metroplex are enamored with Perry’s pick of Meadows choice.

While Delisi is, technically, from Austin and the fourth TxDOT chair from Austin, it’s doubtful her actions on the commission will be representative of how residents of Austin and Central Texas feel about what should be done in the future regarding our transportation infrastructure. Since their views are diametrically opposed to those of Perry/Delisi.

It appears that all Perry’s picks have done is give North Texas something to cheer. He has done nothing to change the direction of the commission, or anything to extend a hand to those with other ideas, with these appointments. But in continuing his tone deafness he can now add San Antonio and South Texas to his list of detractors.

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