LaHood to resign in 2012

[Scott5114]

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2011/10/13/transportation-secretary-to-leave-post-after-2012/

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has mentioned that he will leave his post after the end of President Obama's first term.

[hbelkins]

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2011/10/13/transportation-secretary-to-leave-post-after-2012/

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has mentioned that he will leave his post after the end of President Obama's first term.

Yes, since it's quite likely that President Romney (or President Cain or President Bachmann or President Perry or President Gingrich or President...) would replace him anyway.  

replaced smiley - this one is more indicative of poster's mood

[vtk]

I think I saw LaHood quoted to say he's fed up with partisan politics.  So who'll replace him, someone who tolerates partisan politics? Sounds like a trade down.

[Scott5114]

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2011/10/13/transportation-secretary-to-leave-post-after-2012/

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has mentioned that he will leave his post after the end of President Obama's first term.

Yes, since it's quite likely that President Romney (or President Cain or President Bachmann or President Perry or President Gingrich or President...) would replace him anyway. 

And then the audience groaned like you knew we would.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

I think I saw LaHood quoted to say he's fed up with partisan politics.  So who'll replace him, someone who tolerates partisan politics? Sounds like a trade down.

I'm waiting for official word of LaHood's resignation before I send in my resume.

[Brandon]

All I have to say regarding LaHood's announcement is...

Good Riddance.  Don't let the door hit your ass on the way back to Peoria.

[hbelkins]

A little notice that you did, or are going to, delete comments would be nice...

[Brandon]

I think I saw LaHood quoted to say he's fed up with partisan politics.  So who'll replace him, someone who tolerates partisan politics? Sounds like a trade down.

Fed up with partisan politics?  Sounds more like he's not getting his share of The Combine.

[Zmapper]

What would be the ideal Transport Secretary in your opinion? What would you like to see him (or her) do in their term?

[J N Winkler]

In our system USDOT secretary is a relatively unimportant and powerless post, which means that there is not much difference between the worst and best USDOT secretaries.  The modal agencies are where the action is and with the exception of FAA, their primary responsibilities are regulation and funding distribution; they have no independent power to initiate major infrastructure investment.

The political posts for which I would really want the advowson would be chairs of the appropriations and transportation committees in Congress.  There is a lot USDOT can do for us, such as next-generation air traffic control, revamp of federal railroad standards to allow high-speed rail, planning and implementation of a true national high-speed rail network (as opposed to prodding underfunded state and regional agencies to suspend their own parochial priorities to do it), upgraded safety inspections to support cross-border trucking more effectively, rehabilitation and upgrading of existing highways and transit networks, etc. but Congress has to give them the money.

[SSOWorld]

He may be tired of having his hands tied.  Being Republican I would just say to hell with the train plan in the "stimulus" funds and let states build/improve roads - but Obama probably said "no, that is not my policy".

[Scott5114]

Let's keep the discussion of politics to what is germane, please? Just taking potshots at the side you don't like is stupid and doesn't qualify as "discussion".

[J N Winkler]

He may be tired of having his hands tied.  Being Republican I would just say to hell with the train plan in the "stimulus" funds and let states build/improve roads - but Obama probably said "no, that is not my policy".

I was under the impression that LaHood was much more enthusiastic about high-speed rail than that.  I remember reading about him taking a visit to Spain, during which he rode the AVE between (I think) Madrid and Barcelona, and gushing about how wonderful it was.

It is certainly true, though, that we do not (yet) have good institutional mechanisms for planning and implementing high-speed rail, and we also do not have a regulatory framework that is appropriate for high-speed lines designed to handle normal operating speeds of 300 km/h or better.  (The high-speed rail we have had so far in this country has been more like the high-speed rail Britain has had since the 1980's--diesel-powered express trains with a maximum operating speed of about 120 MPH.)  Given these considerations, the stimulus funds appropriated to high-speed rail would have had more of a short-run effect on aggregate demand if they were spent on highways.  But high-speed rail has to start somewhere and, frankly, if Obama waited until the economy were better, he might not even be able to start until the last year of a second term.

[3467]

I have met LaHood and I found him to be a very blunt  personality for politics. I would take what he says at face value.
He has been a stong supporter of raods and rails
He has been in politics for years and his son is now and Illinois state senator and as JN Winkler said it is not a power position its more a sales job for transportation funding so it would be very tiring,
I do think DOT has more power since Congress deffered earmarks to them ...of course Congress can reverse that.

[NE2]

Let's keep the discussion of politics to what is germane, please? Just taking potshots at the side you don't like is stupid and doesn't qualify as "discussion".

Spoken like a true pacifist

[hbelkins]

To be honest, I don't have much use for LaHood. I am sure I had heard of him prior to him accepting this position, but to me, he and John Huntsman are two peas in a pod. What's the point of (supposedly) having principles if you sell them out for a high-fallutiin' title?

[Michael in Philly]

^^That was germane....

[Brandon]

^^That was germane....

"The god damn Germans got nothin' to do with it!"

[hbelkins]

"Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!"

[mjb2002]

So, he gets rid of the deadlines and then resigns? *headdesk*

So, does his successor have the ability to modify the MUTCD?

Also, I think that O will be reelected once the people find out about the GOP. (I will not explain that here, as there is a whole section of AA Roads dedicated for that.)

[relaxok]

oh i missed this, he got rid of the MUTCD compliance deadlines?

I hope so, i cringe thinking about getting rid of my ol' home town area sequential exits 

[Brandon]

So, he gets rid of the deadlines and then resigns? *headdesk*

So, does his successor have the ability to modify the MUTCD?

Also, I think that O will be reelected once the people find out about the GOP. (I will not explain that here, as there is a whole section of AA Roads dedicated for that.)

Please enlighten us, just like Tim Brown does.