Godspeed, Gene Conti
Gene now takes over one of the toughest challenges in state government: restoring public confidence in DOT.
The N&O reported that Governor-elect Perdue said she would rely on Conti to “take politics out of road-building,” but I could not tell whether those were her words. I hope not. Because that’s not possible.
One reason is that “politics,” by definition, is a road somebody else wants. The road you want is “in the public interest.”
Besides, several governors have taken politics out of road building. Governor Hunt did it a couple of times, as I recall. But politics always slips back in.
I was reminded of this inevitability with the death over the holidays of Bill Roberson, who served as Hunt’s second secretary of transportation. Roberson succeeded Tom Bradshaw, Hunt’s first DOT secretary, in 1981.
Bradshaw didn’t play the old political games. That’s one reason Hunt had picked him instead of Lauch Faircloth.
In fact, Bradshaw approached his job so professionally that Hunt had to replace him.
In 1981, Hunt was trying to get a reluctant legislature to pass an unpopular gas tax increase. That went right in the teeth of the Reagan Revolution raging at the time.
Legislators were mad at Bradshaw because he wouldn’t do what they wanted him to do. To get the gas tax increase, Hunt had to get a new secretary, one with a different attitude toward legislators’ requests.
Now, as then, legislative leaders have made clear DOT needs to have “better relations” with the legislature.
Balancing that political reality with the goal of professionalizing the department will require the wisdom of Solomon and the patience of Job.
If anybody can do it, Gene Conti can.
Click Here to discuss and comment on this and other articles
Godspeed, Gene Conti
Gene now takes over one of the toughest challenges in state government: restoring public confidence in DOT.
The N&O reported that Governor-elect Perdue said she would rely on Conti to “take politics out of road-building,” but I could not tell whether those were her words. I hope not. Because that’s not possible.
One reason is that “politics,” by definition, is a road somebody else wants. The road you want is “in the public interest.”
Besides, several governors have taken politics out of road building. Governor Hunt did it a couple of times, as I recall. But politics always slips back in.
I was reminded of this inevitability with the death over the holidays of Bill Roberson, who served as Hunt’s second secretary of transportation. Roberson succeeded Tom Bradshaw, Hunt’s first DOT secretary, in 1981.
Bradshaw didn’t play the old political games. That’s one reason Hunt had picked him instead of Lauch Faircloth.
In fact, Bradshaw approached his job so professionally that Hunt had to replace him.
In 1981, Hunt was trying to get a reluctant legislature to pass an unpopular gas tax increase. That went right in the teeth of the Reagan Revolution raging at the time.
Legislators were mad at Bradshaw because he wouldn’t do what they wanted him to do. To get the gas tax increase, Hunt had to get a new secretary, one with a different attitude toward legislators’ requests.
Now, as then, legislative leaders have made clear DOT needs to have “better relations” with the legislature.
Balancing that political reality with the goal of professionalizing the department will require the wisdom of Solomon and the patience of Job.
If anybody can do it, Gene Conti can.
Click Here to discuss and comment on this and other articles