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Senator Kay Baily Hutchison was quoted in several newspaper articles and by several Transportation bloggers calling TxDOT, “the most arrogant, unaccountable state agency in the history of Texas.”  I’ve been meaning to write about this an express my feelings on this particular line, but I was beaten to the punch.  I’m posting a letter to the editor that really sums up my feelings quite well.  This is from the Times Record News out of Wichita Falls.

Apology owed

I notice that our pro-choice candidate for governor, Sen. Hutchison, breezed into town and chose to make the Texas Department of Transportation her whipping boy for everything wrong in state government.

I beg to differ with her on “The Texas Department of Transportation is the most arrogant state agency in the history of Texas.” That being the case, it is significant that this “arrogant” agency has provided Texas with a world acclaimed transportation system. Perhaps by being in Washington so long she has forgotten or never knew that the Governor appoints the five members of the Transportation Commission and they determine policies that are carried out by 15,000 dedicated, loyal employees. She may have her differences with Governor Perry and his appointees but has no right or reason to paint the entire department with that broad brush of arrogance.

Over the years, this department and it’s proud employees have produced more with less than any state agency ever created in this state. This agency has always been a “from the bottom up agency” and over the last decade or so local and regional governments have more say in what projects get built than anytime in the history of the agency.

Nobody gets their fair share of the money because there is not enough to go around. Republicans unite on only one issue in state government and that is to vote against taxes to fund construction.

She owes the proud employees of this agency a sincere apology, but we know about politicians don’t we? If this is the best she can do to get elected it reminds me of a saying by Lord Macualay when paraphrased says: “Her imagination resembled the wings of an ostrich. It enabled her to run, though not to soar.”  ~Arnold Oliver, Wichita Falls

If that name sounds familiar at all, it is because Mr. Oliver is a former Executive Director of TxDOT.  He assumed the post in 1989 and retired approximately four years later.  As an employee of TxDOT, I just want to say, “Thank you” to Mr. Oliver (even if you are a T-sip).