One More Year With LaHood
No one will be happy to see Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood exit public life, but he isn't going away for a quite a while. Last week, the personable moderate Republican from Illinois said he would step down from the White House transportation post at the end of President Obama's first term and would not seek another public office. LaHood has flourished in the Obama administration while his own party has clashed with the White House over just about everything.
A lot can happen between now and the end of Obama's term. As it stands now, Congress is supposed to pass authorization bills for aviation and surface transportation in early 2012. Whether that actually happens remains to be seen, but LaHood will remain a pivotal figure in those conversations. LaHood also is one of the administration's most powerful advocates for infrastructure investment. He has spent much of his time in recent weeks calling on Congress to approve $50 billion for immediate investment in roads and bridges and another $10 billion for an infrastructure bank that would leverage private dollars for large transportation projects. Pleas with Congress are difficult, as the former House member LaHood knows. But he doesn't need Congress for one of his personal pet projects---hounding people to stop using cell phones while driving. The distracted driving campaign has garnered him praise from transportation and safety advocates alike.
We have one more year with LaHood. What can be accomplished in that time? How can LaHood be most effective in the surface transportation and aviation reauthorization conversations? Can LaHood use his connections with Republicans on Capitol Hill to broker a compromise with Democrats? What can the Transportation Department do on its own? If you could have one wish granted by the transportation secretary before he leaves his job, what would it be?
October 20, 2011 3:58 PM
We Need to Say Thanks
By Laura Barrett
In a time of bitter partisan battles and disastrous short-sightedness, Secretary LaHood has provided vision, direction, clarity, and hope.
Being at the helm of our national transportation system could be an overwhelming task in the best of times, and these last few years have been far from the best of times. The economic crisis has created a deeper need than ever to invest in job creation through transportation, and in the infrastructure that will drive our economy for decades. Secretary LaHood has fought tirelessly for those things. We all need to thank him for that.
But the economic crisis has also led to a poisonous atmosphere in Washington that makes it hard for common sense to survive. It’s led to a frenzy of budget-cutting than in many cases is only making the crisis worse—especially for those who’ve been hit hardest. It would be easy for any cabinet secretary to decide that progress just isn’t possible, to abandon any long-term vision, to play small ball with whatever time he or she has left.
Secretary LaHood hasn’t done t...
In a time of bitter partisan battles and disastrous short-sightedness, Secretary LaHood has provided vision, direction, clarity, and hope.
Being at the helm of our national transportation system could be an overwhelming task in the best of times, and these last few years have been far from the best of times. The economic crisis has created a deeper need than ever to invest in job creation through transportation, and in the infrastructure that will drive our economy for decades. Secretary LaHood has fought tirelessly for those things. We all need to thank him for that.
But the economic crisis has also led to a poisonous atmosphere in Washington that makes it hard for common sense to survive. It’s led to a frenzy of budget-cutting than in many cases is only making the crisis worse—especially for those who’ve been hit hardest. It would be easy for any cabinet secretary to decide that progress just isn’t possible, to abandon any long-term vision, to play small ball with whatever time he or she has left.
Secretary LaHood hasn’t done that. He continues to push for what he knows our national transportation system needs. His recent calls on Congress to approve $50 billion in immediate infrastructure investment and $10 billion for an infrastructure bank are proof of that.
We’re saddened that Secretary LaHood has decided to serve only one term, but we’re glad for every day he continues to spend in his position. And even though we don’t always agree, we at TEN will be fighting alongside him every day for jobs, opportunity, and a national transportation system that helps build a more just, prosperous, and connected America.
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October 20, 2011 9:27 AM
A Wish from ITE
By Thomas W. Brahms
Executive Director and CEO, Institute of Transportation Engineers
The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) applauds the champion role Secretary LaHood has played in raising the awareness of transportation safety issues. His endorsement by the U. S. of the UN Resolution to reduce highway fatalities by half over the next decade; subscribing to the U. S. program Toward Zero Highway-related Deaths; and advocacy in reducing distracted driving and raising its awareness in the general public should be heralded. We need an equal amount of vigor to engage the traveling public in understanding that they also have a say in encouraging Congress to understand the impact transportation investment has on everyday safety, mobility and quality of life.
Our wish is for Secretary LaHood to facilitate passage of a long-term surface transportation authorization bill that provides a predictable, dependable and adequate source of transportation funding, particularly given the political climate. A transportation authorization bill would give state and local transportation agencies and private sector consultants confidence in planning, designin...
The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) applauds the champion role Secretary LaHood has played in raising the awareness of transportation safety issues. His endorsement by the U. S. of the UN Resolution to reduce highway fatalities by half over the next decade; subscribing to the U. S. program Toward Zero Highway-related Deaths; and advocacy in reducing distracted driving and raising its awareness in the general public should be heralded. We need an equal amount of vigor to engage the traveling public in understanding that they also have a say in encouraging Congress to understand the impact transportation investment has on everyday safety, mobility and quality of life.
Our wish is for Secretary LaHood to facilitate passage of a long-term surface transportation authorization bill that provides a predictable, dependable and adequate source of transportation funding, particularly given the political climate. A transportation authorization bill would give state and local transportation agencies and private sector consultants confidence in planning, designing and implementing projects. The lack of certainty and the piecemeal approach of continuing resolutions have created a situation where projects are being put on hold; state and local transportation professionals are being laid off; and private practices are closing shop. All the while, our infrastructure continues to deteriorate and our economy remains in jeopardy.
ITE thanks him for his leadership and wishes him success in this endeavour.
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October 17, 2011 2:10 PM
A Good Steward
By Peter J. Pantuso
Secretary LaHood has done a very good job as Department of Transportation Secretary and he’s been a good steward of safety for the motorcoach industry. We applaud his efforts to get illegal and unsafe bus companies off the road permanently and believe by doing that our nearly 740 million passengers who ride motorcoaches each year will be safer. Just last Friday at a Washington Post Transportation Summit Mr. LaHood repeated that the Department of Transportation and FMCSA will be the policeman on the beat, 24/7, working to get illegal carriers off the road. We applaud his determination.
Secretary LaHood has been a strong proponent of the Department of Transportation’s Motorcoach Safety Action Plan, introducing it to the motorcoach industry in 2009 shortly after he came into office. The plan addressed many of the major safety issues including driver fatigue and inattention, vehicle rollover, occupant ejections and oversight of unsafe carriers. Secretary LaHood has been diligent to ensure that all the elements of the plan are implemented and today, many of t...
Secretary LaHood has done a very good job as Department of Transportation Secretary and he’s been a good steward of safety for the motorcoach industry. We applaud his efforts to get illegal and unsafe bus companies off the road permanently and believe by doing that our nearly 740 million passengers who ride motorcoaches each year will be safer. Just last Friday at a Washington Post Transportation Summit Mr. LaHood repeated that the Department of Transportation and FMCSA will be the policeman on the beat, 24/7, working to get illegal carriers off the road. We applaud his determination.
Secretary LaHood has been a strong proponent of the Department of Transportation’s Motorcoach Safety Action Plan, introducing it to the motorcoach industry in 2009 shortly after he came into office. The plan addressed many of the major safety issues including driver fatigue and inattention, vehicle rollover, occupant ejections and oversight of unsafe carriers. Secretary LaHood has been diligent to ensure that all the elements of the plan are implemented and today, many of those items in the plan are now being implemented and when they’re all in place, the industry’s already strong culture of safety will be even better.
Secretary LaHood has always been the type of Congressman and later, Secretary of Transportation who you could talk with and his word is his bond. He’s been a trusted partner in our efforts to improve safety and we wish him continued success.
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October 17, 2011 9:11 AM
Wish for Secretary LaHood
By Gabriel Roth
Research Fellow, The Independent Institute
Ray LaHood is reported to be a particularly nice family man and I hope he enjoys many happy years after retiring from government work.
But his policy of reducing vehicle-miles of travel per person, to the extent that it is achieved, is unfortunate in that it reduces both mobility and employment.
My one wish to be granted before the Secretary leaves his job? As one who prefers employment to unemployment, my wish is that he establishes a transportation policy that helps people to undertake as many vehicle-miles of travel as they wish to pay for.