Posted on 01/18/2007 3:45:39 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Gov. Rick Perry should find someone other than his long-time friend Ric Williamson to lead the Texas Transportation Commission, the incoming chairman of the Senate's transportation committee said today.
Sen. John Carona, R-Dallas, said Williamson's "abrasiveness" and single-minded commitment to toll roads and privatization as the only solution to traffic congestion "has worn out his welcome in many communities across the state. I think it would be in the best interest of the state that he step aside in favor of new leadership on the commission."
Williamson, whose six-year appointed term ends Feb. 1, declined to comment, citing a standing policy of not responding publicly to comments by elected officials. Perry's office did not immediately respond to a call for comment.
Williamson, if reappointed during the current legislative session, would not be able to serve beyond the end of the session in May unless he was confirmed by the Senate. However, Perry could choose simply to appoint no one until the Legislature goes home. Under that scenario, Williamson could serve in holdover status indefinitely.
Commissioner John Johnson, for instance, has continued to serve even though his term expired during the 2005 legislative session. Perry recently named a replacement.
Williamson, an oil business executive from Weatherford, served in the Legislature from 1985-98, a period that overlapped with some of Perry's time in the House. He was appointed to the commission by Perry in March 2001 and was named the group's chairman effective Jan. 29, 2004.
Williamson, particularly since becoming chairman, has been a dogged advocate for Perry's toll road policies, which includes having the Texas Department of Transportation analyze all new highway construction for the possibility of charging tolls.
In addition, Williamson and the commission have aggressively moved the department toward reaching agreements with private companies to build and operate tollways as private concessions on state-owned highway right-of-way. The centerpiece of that policy is the proposed Trans-Texas Corridor, which would be a network of intrastate tollways, railroads and utility corridors paralleling the existing interstate highways in the state.
Carona, chairman of the Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee since February 2006, has made it clear he diverges from Perry and Williamson on much of that agenda. While Carona supports toll roads in certain circumstances, he said today that the Trans-Texas Corridor plan was a mistake and that turning highway construction over to private operators is wrong.
He supports allowing the state's 20-cents-a-gallon gas tax to float upward with the growth in highway construction costs and has filed a bill this session to make that happen.
"There ought to be other options that ought to be part of the mix," Carona said. "What we're saying is put the system back in balance again."
Williamson, he said, has not been open to those other options.
"Ric Williamson and his group take any discussion that seems to move away from their core position as a threat," Carona said. Williamson is bright and committed to transportation, Carona said, and always polite in appearing before legislators to discuss the subject.
"He is quick to speak, but not necessarily quick to listen," Carona said. "I think with the new session and the governor's new term, it would be a good time to begin a new relationship."
Trans-Texas Corridor
I am just sorry that TX did not replace Gov Goodhair with Kinky last November.
If Williamson wants to appoint these people, he should become Governor. Otherwise, it's not really his call.
I believe it's Carona who apparently wishes to do the appointing.
Yep, you're right. I scrolled back too fast looking for the name of the guy I wanted to ridicule. Thanks.
Uh-HUH!! Why not suggest that Perry retract his support of the TTC?? The transportation chief is only his henchman, not the purveyer of the policy!!
Amen and amen.
Thanks for the ping!
The impression I got from the one time I heard one of the TxDOT apologists, a Mr. Casteel, is that the toll road idea is pushed by Williamson.
We're only "stuck" the one section that's in the works, now. The environmental impact statements aren't done for the rest. Supposedly, there's still no set route.
We don't need permanent, ever expanding toll roads. What we need are what we've paid for with our gas taxes. If they'd stop the endless remodeling and going from 4 to 8 to 6 lanes, I'm convinced traffic would be smoother and safer. And **why** didn't they put an HOV in Austin during this last remodel? The space appears to be there, but it's a huge median.
Then, we get to pay for seeding and re-seeding with each remodel of each over pass. And the fancy painting and decorations. Do it once at the end, for pity's sake and leave the concrete bare!
Do y'all believe this:
http://www.dot.state.tx.us/news/028-2006.htm
Here's the FAQ
http://www.keeptexasmoving.org/faqs/myth_vs_reality.aspx
BTTT
You're welcome. :-)
bump.
"declined to comment, citing a standing policy of not responding publicly to comments by elected officials."
Or the public! Perry should step down also. The voters are disgruntled.
That's EXACTLY what I was gonna say! *~*
Yeah -- and just think what a goldmine (in tolls) evacuations would be for Cintra...
Neither can I.
OTOH, the parts of Houston nearest to the shipping and petrochem plants along the ship channel might need to be cleared out if the wind was from the east or southeast. Even then, Houston is so big and spread out that I doubt that even a major HCN plume from the Rohm & Haas chemical plant would retain lethal concentration all the way across it...
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