Ned
09-05-2006, 01:18 PM
Time will tell, of course, what kind of Transportation Secretary she will be for the last couple of years of the Bush administration, however, in the past, she has shown in speeches and her daily life, that she believes in alternate modes of transportation to the automobile. In its first six years, the Bush administration has tried to put Amtrak out of business, and has repeatedly tried to reduce subsidities to public transit authorities and agencies. Ms. Peters regularly used public transportation and passenger trains while chief of the Federal Highway Administration, and made positive statements about them in speeches she made during the last several years. While she hasn't had much influence in the air transportation industry, she has spoken positively about that industry as well. Perhaps things are changing in the Bush administration, or perhaps they haven't.
Originally posted by AP via CNN - September 5 2006
Former highway chief named transportation secretary
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush has chosen Mary Peters, a former federal highway administrator, to succeed Norman Mineta as secretary of transportation, a senior administration official said Tuesday.
Bush was to announce his choice in the Roosevelt Room of the White House later in the day.
Peters spent three years directing the Arizona Department of Transportation, where she worked her way up through the ranks during a 16-year career there. Since November, Peters has been national director for transportation policy and consulting in the Phoenix office of Omaha-based architectural, engineering and consulting firm HDR Inc., according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the official announcement had not been made.
Peters, who was chief of the Federal Highway Administration from 2001 to 2005, fills a Cabinet seat left open when Mineta left the job in July after six years on the job. Bush wanted to announce his choice as the Senate returned from its August recess so the confirmation process could begin.
Peters is an advocate of user fees, or tolls, for building new highways. In a recent interview, she said that the federal highway program will run out of money by decade's end without substantial changes and, rather than raise taxes, some states are turning to toll roads already to fill gaps.
"You just can't depend on the federal government to bring the money in that was around when the interstate system was first built," Peters said.
A year ago, there was speculation that Peters would be a GOP candidate for governor of Arizona. She said then that while she believed she would have been a strong candidate, and was eligible to run despite having lived in Virginia, the issue would have been a distraction from the race.
Peters spent four years in the Washington serving in the Bush administration as head of the Federal Highway Administration. Peters registered to vote in Virginia but she has said repeatedly she always intended to return to Arizona after her federal service...Go to Former highway chief named trasportation secretary (http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/09/05/transportation.secretary.ap/index.html) to read the entire article.
Originally posted by AP via CNN - September 5 2006
Former highway chief named transportation secretary
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush has chosen Mary Peters, a former federal highway administrator, to succeed Norman Mineta as secretary of transportation, a senior administration official said Tuesday.
Bush was to announce his choice in the Roosevelt Room of the White House later in the day.
Peters spent three years directing the Arizona Department of Transportation, where she worked her way up through the ranks during a 16-year career there. Since November, Peters has been national director for transportation policy and consulting in the Phoenix office of Omaha-based architectural, engineering and consulting firm HDR Inc., according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the official announcement had not been made.
Peters, who was chief of the Federal Highway Administration from 2001 to 2005, fills a Cabinet seat left open when Mineta left the job in July after six years on the job. Bush wanted to announce his choice as the Senate returned from its August recess so the confirmation process could begin.
Peters is an advocate of user fees, or tolls, for building new highways. In a recent interview, she said that the federal highway program will run out of money by decade's end without substantial changes and, rather than raise taxes, some states are turning to toll roads already to fill gaps.
"You just can't depend on the federal government to bring the money in that was around when the interstate system was first built," Peters said.
A year ago, there was speculation that Peters would be a GOP candidate for governor of Arizona. She said then that while she believed she would have been a strong candidate, and was eligible to run despite having lived in Virginia, the issue would have been a distraction from the race.
Peters spent four years in the Washington serving in the Bush administration as head of the Federal Highway Administration. Peters registered to vote in Virginia but she has said repeatedly she always intended to return to Arizona after her federal service...Go to Former highway chief named trasportation secretary (http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/09/05/transportation.secretary.ap/index.html) to read the entire article.