Congratulations On Your Promotion

The news release was to the point. It said that "Gloria J. Jeff today announced she is leaving the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). Her last official day is March 3, 2006." In a separate release, "Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today appointed Kirk T. Steudle as director of the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). Steudle currently serves as chief deputy director of the department and has worked as an MDOT engineer for the last 19 years. As director, Steudle will continue the Granholm administration's focus on preserving Michigan's transportation system and growing Michigan's economy through strategic transportation investments."

I sure hope that what the DRIC seems to be suggesting for Windsor/Detroit is not one of those strategic transportation investments.

Steudle is taking the job at a tough time. His Department is under attack by Legislators in Michigan who are demanding information about the way the DRIC process was undertaken. I have heard that several weeks of hearings are scheduled. That is not some inconsequential matter for a new Director to be faced with and clearly the hearings will be politically charged since this is an election year in Michigan.

It will be interesting to see what role Canada and Ontario will play in the hearings. I suspect that the finger will be pointed at us as "problems" in the process eg "If those darn Canucks had let us build that bridge through Sandwich, everything would have been fine." MDOT does need a scape-goat after all.

If I were a Michigan Legislator, I would demand that officials from our Senior Levels attend and bring their files as well. Of course we have to resist that as a sovereign country so now poor old PM Harper will have an international incident drop into his lap because of the Liberals. Oh what fun!

If I am right about Port Huron/Sarnia and the movement of traffic there, then the new Director will have major problems with the Detroit Mayor and Council. How he would be able to satisfy them will be his first major task since, politically, the Governor will need Detroit votes to be re-elected.

He also has to deal with legislators on strictly Michigan issues like the MDOT "Fix it First" program which cut many projects for new roads in 2003. I gather that a number of legislators were upset over that.

I was told that he is a a careful, respected career civil servant who knows that he reports to the Governor so she should not expect another Mackinac Bridge Authority incident. And he had better learn to listen more closely to the Mayor and Councillors in Detroit or his boss is in serious trouble!

So some free advice for the new Director. Take a thorough review of the big projects in the MDOT portfolio to make sure they align with the needs of the localities (DRIC, DIFT) and that Michigan is on good footing to actually receive Federal funds to implement the studies. The last thing MDOT needs is to compile studies that don't produce actually building something - especially in an important election year.

Then run, do not walk, to the Governor's office to talk about the border. Tell her about the hearings and the shots MDOT will take, the problems that may be caused with Canada (and if they do, her Hubby may not be allowed into the country for his next group therapy session with the dysfunctional Windsor City Council) and the risk to her re-election. Then suggest the only answer and way out for her: pull Michigan's funding of DRIC and end this mess before the trouble begins!

She did it once with the Downriver communitiies; she better do it again.