Slo-Mo on SecTrans

I'm suprised that very little speculation on choices for Secretary of Transportation by the President-Elect has developed on this forum. With the energy and economic issues playing such a pivotal role in the origins and outcome of the recent elction, it would appear to this writer that the role and influence of SecTrans within the Cabinet should increase.

With that in mind, I've been gleaning the Web for speculation on the appointment, and will post additional names and background as they turn up; mentioned so far;

Rep James Oberstar, D-MN (Duluth)
Rep Jerrry Costello, D-IL (East St Louis)
Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-OR (Portland)
Rep. Peter DeFazio D-OR (Eugene)
Gov. Ed Rendell, D-PA
Gov. Tim Kaine, D-VA
Rodney Slater (former SecTrans 1997-2001)
Mort Downey, former Deputy SecTrans(Clinton Adm.)
Steve Heminger, Director-(SF) Bay Area Metro Trans. Comm.
Janette Kahn, Commissioner- NYCDOT
Manny Diaz, Mayor (Miami)
(Ret.) Sen. Chuck Hegel R-NE
Retention of Present Secy Mary Peters

Ladies and gentlemen, (with the usual cautions on partisanship), the floor is open.

Sec Trans has proven to be patronage, or down there with Postmaster General, in the past; and I highly doubt it will be any different this time around. While transportation may be "dear to the heart' of most around here - especially passenger rail transportation, the Cabinet chair is hardly the "Big Four' (State, Def, Treas, AG).

While Rep Oberstar has both legislative skills and transportation experience (and he reportedly is pro passenger rail), why would a "Critter-for-Life" choose to give up a House Committee Chairmanship simply to take some lesserling Cabinet chair? Of any of those listed by Mr. 2nd Trick, i would think Ms. Peters is quite in the running - look at the plusses; bipartisanship, experience (even if nothing more than being incumbent), and gender. She also is likely"Peter-Principled out".

While of course most here would 'groove' to see an appointment who could bring a solid pro-passenger rail agenda to the chair, in the universe of transportation, passenger rail, commuter and Amtrak, is simply the minnow in the ocean. Transportation simply means highways and automobiles: just ask 99.44% of the population and they will tell you.

With that thought in mind, Mr. Norman, heres's a link to a site run by some folks with whom I usually find myself in basic agreement; not likely to find many takers with those who hope for a bigger slice of Federal largesse as the best solution to Amtrak's problems, but a reminder that we of the center-(upper)-right aren't all blind ideologues, either.

http://www.reason.org/outofcontrol/arch ... net_2.html

The site isn't favorably disposed to either Oberstar or Blumenauer, however, primarily because of their long-standing allegiance to the "Beltway mentality" and "the way it's always been done", rather than simple party affitliation.

Uh...Parallel topic was locked by the moderator as being premature or speculative. Guess nobody believed the polls back when I posted this.


http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopi ... 46&t=56341

It won't be Ed Rendell, Pennsylvania's Lt. Governor died a few weeks ago. Upon her death, the speaker of the state house becomes Lt. Gov (while retaining his position as speaker). The PA speaker of the house is a Republican so in short Rendell won't leave. He had stated prior to Katherine Baker Knoll's death however that he wouldn't leave the governorship until 2010 when he was termed limited out of office.
Cheers,
Nick

The issue of control of the Pennsylvania State House was resolved in favor of the Democrats by the settlement of three contested seats in suburban Philadelphia earlier this week, and the new Speaker will be Democratic Rep Keith McCall, of Carbon County (Jim Thorpe/'Lehighton).

http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.d ... /-1/news03

However, I agree with the assessment that Gov Rendell is unlikely to be interested in an appoinment as SecTrans.

It might also be noted that the loss of the Pennsylvania legislature by the GOP can be traced in large part to voter resentment of a bi-partisan agreement which considerably increased legislative salaries a couple of years ago, as many of the senior politicains turned out were centrists and predominately Republican. Keystone State politics continue to be guided by a strange mix of social conservatism, regional factionalism, and inconsistent economics, not promising for those seeking expensive infrastructural improvements.

This twenty two second segment airing on Tuesday's NBC Nightly News is indicative by its absence of where a SecTrans appointment (14th in the line of succession BTW) stands on President-elect Obama's "to do" list:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#28022713

Of interest, SecTrans has on occasion been the designated cabinet officer not to attend the State of the Union address; there could have been President Mineta had somehow the bad guys got real lucky.

Of course we should also note that there are constituents "out there' who advocate expansion of the National Parks as avidly as many here advocate the expansion of Amtrak. Note the absence within the video of any reference to the Secretary of the Interior.

Finally, my earlier reference to the Postmaster General should be struck; such has not been a Cabinet chair since "P-Day", or otherwise when the Postal Service commenced operation as a "Government Sponsored Enterprise" during June 1971.

One of the major unanswered questions in the ongoing economic crisis is how long the break in the price of petroleum will last, and where the price will stabilize (or at least, "find support" under normal economic conditions). With the auto industry about to enter an intensified but, IMHO, likely innefective level of de facto regulation, and the public's attention focused on designation of an "auto czar", I would hope that the new SecTrans would be charged with, and actively participate in the development of a less petroleum-sensitive alternative/emergency transportation infrastructure, with a rail-based network, possibly electrified, at its core.

Admittedly, this proposal runs counter to my basic free-market orientation, but it is a measure based upon exteme foresight; the nation would be investing in a permanent improvement, one which would provide well-paid jobs for a labor force readily adaptable to other improvements, and the freight roads, reluctant to take this role upon themselves for obvious reasons, could be enticed into the game while the public could be provided with a serious scrutiny of the costs and benefits. In the process,the emerging issue of additional capacity for expanded corridor and exurban raiil operations could be easily folded into the mix.

The project would be a monster, but our increasing dependency upon a finite, dwindling, and increasingly-imported supply of our economy's most basic feedstock is a very formidable argument in its favor.

At this time the watch for a Sec Trans continues - at least amongst various transportation interest groups.

The President-elect has now appointed a SecEd: Arne Duncan - he's a good man; the Chicago Public Schools are better for his tenure than they would be otherwise.

I guess Mr. Obama will "get a rountuit", but at this time, I'm beginning to wonder if the SecTrans appointment will even make Nightly News - or the front page of The New York Times.

From NYTimes: Republican Illinois Rep. Ray Lahood likely to be Transportation Secretary nominee.

Anybody got anything on this guy? Does he bring any expertise whatsoever or is he just another token Republican?

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008 ... ion&st=cse