Year of the Rat: Innocent Plea on Grounds of Incompetence

First, let me say welcome to the Year of the Rat. Since Rats are supposed to be clever, the Chinese tradition is that the Rat was first in year lineup because Rat rode on the ox, and jumped off just before it crossed the line, finishing first.

Rats are much better respected in nearby Thailand for more than just its cleverness, though. It's also quite the nutritious munchie. After a few nutrition studies, I won't be surprised if, should some disaster ever give us a GoPerv controlled congress and White House again, rat's substituted for chicken on food stamp bennies.

In the spirit of celebrating Rat-ness, I now take you to the topic touched on a few days ago, the Texas Department of Transportation. As reported in the linked story, TxDoT has claimed it can't fund badly needed road projects because of a lack of funds, which turned out actually to mean that funds were being diverted abundantly to publicity aimed at getting the public to accept a proposed mammoth toll road project.

Yesterday, in the spirit of the year, officials at TxDoT covered themselves with glory by maintaining that instead of theft of public funds they were actually guilty of incompetence. Even in the TX Lege, that was a little hard to stomach.

The Texas Department of Transportation made a billion-dollar error, officials of the agency admitted Tuesday under stern questioning from legislators, a mistake they said contributed significantly to TxDOT's sudden cash crunch.
(snip)
..........with so-called "lettings" for 2008 trimmed to $3.1 billion, TxDOT officials announced huge cuts in spending on right of way and project design, as well as a freeze on the start of many road projects that were ready to go. That sudden halt to projects got legislators' attention -- and their goat. The Legislature and voters last year gave the agency authorization to borrow an additional $8 billion -- though $5 billion of that will require further legislative action in 2009 -- and so legislators don't like that crucial road projects are suddenly up on blocks.

It didn't take long after the freeze announcement for the idea to take hold that TxDOT was manufacturing a crisis to coerce legislators into backing away from the limits on private toll road contracts.

Tuesday's alternative explanation may have been only partially helpful to the agency.

"So, what you're saying is, it's not a political effort on your part," Watson said. "It's a lack of competence."

Where would you look for a better excuse for criminality than in the category of "stupid"? My compliments to the thief.

In a state that is now dealing the hands to play in a monumental toll road gamble (Trans Texas Corridor), up to its elbows in bids for more paybacks, what the state really, really doesn't need is a TXDoT that can only excuse its misconduct as incompetence.

What's a billion dollars between friends?

First of all, the Legislature and the transportation department aren't to be confused for friends. And second, TxDOT's billion-dollar miscalculation in road-building funds is more than a little fuzzy math.

It's simply awful fiscal management and – what's more important – a chance for the department's critics in the Legislature to draw into question TxDOT's fundamental direction.

The department needs to build bridges to lawmakers, and fast.
(snip)
TxDOT has been getting heat from lawmakers for the agency's multimillion-dollar public awareness campaign to sell its transportation approach, "Keep Texas Moving."

It's even more important now to get good, useful information to a legitimately more skeptical bunch, state lawmakers. It's important for TxDOT to eliminate obstacles to lawmakers' understanding of the funding predicament. Failure means the public wastes more time and money idling needlessly in traffic.

We will forgive the Dallas Morning News editorial board for inability to resist a few road puns, after all the a.m. saw another round of sealife puns at Eschaton and I admit I scaled up a few of them.

When state legislative bodies don't exercise oversight over public funds, it often goes unnoticed. When it works up to the national level, and in this instance straight out of the TX playbook into the White House, we are being victimized by outright theft at every level.

Elections for the primary are to be held on March 4, here in Texas. We will have a chance to choose reputable elected officials, and it is high time to take a really close look at the work they do.

The horrors the GoPervian administration has inflicted on the country, and on the State of Texas, need to end. We can't accept lies anymore. Incompetence isn't an adequate excuse, in Austin or in D.C.

I most especially ask that if you are in the 4th District, you vote for Dr. Glenn Melancon, who would bring a new high quality of service to the House of Representatives. We can't afford to keep out pockets open and draining. We've had enough of lies, and loss of this country's constitution, and its values.

Please. Think of the children.