Further info from the San Antonio Express-News about the replacement of long-time transportation reporter Patrick Driscoll. Re my question about if somebody will be covering transportation, why can't Patrick still have that position, their community liaison says, "Because transportation is an important beat, I'm sure it will be assigned to a veteran reporter, possibly as part of a larger area of responsibility, say he or she might cover City Council and transportation, or municipal government, to include transportation."
The upshot still is there will one less veteran reporter focusing on--shining a light on--the ever-growing topic of transportation in Texas.
Thanks Patrick for all your past work.
Showing posts with label Patrick Driscoll. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Patrick Driscoll. Show all posts
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Valuable transportation reporter let go by SAEN
Patrick Driscoll, long-time and expert transportation reporter at the the San-Antonio Express-News, has been let go as part of the paper's need to cut costs. Patrick covered state-wide transportation issues, and his blog was a valuable sounding board for transportation opinions from citizens around the state.
I asked the SAEN: "Please reconsider your decision to let Pat Driscoll go. Over the past few years, his coverage has been the standard for in-depth, knowledgeable, and up-to-date transportation news and analysis. During the last several days, I kept returning to his blog for the latest news, wondering why he not updated as he always did. I had decided he must be on vacation until I heard he had been layed off. Thank you for any reconsideration."
I received a reply from the paper regretting that this step was necessary. However, in the reply was the statement: "He will be missed and his successor (no one has been assigned as yet) will have a tough act to follow."
I responded: "If there will be a successor, why can't Patrick Driscoll still have that assignment?"
If Pat Driscoll must be lost to the transportation conversation in Texas, it will be a sad loss indeed.
I asked the SAEN: "Please reconsider your decision to let Pat Driscoll go. Over the past few years, his coverage has been the standard for in-depth, knowledgeable, and up-to-date transportation news and analysis. During the last several days, I kept returning to his blog for the latest news, wondering why he not updated as he always did. I had decided he must be on vacation until I heard he had been layed off. Thank you for any reconsideration."
I received a reply from the paper regretting that this step was necessary. However, in the reply was the statement: "He will be missed and his successor (no one has been assigned as yet) will have a tough act to follow."
I responded: "If there will be a successor, why can't Patrick Driscoll still have that assignment?"
If Pat Driscoll must be lost to the transportation conversation in Texas, it will be a sad loss indeed.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Carona's integrated transportation approach--other methods over tolling
Patrick Driscoll, San Antonio Express News transportation writer, has a good analysis of Sen. John Carona's recent letter to legislators about his goals for this session's transportation issues, including an integrated transportation approach.
http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/traffic/2009/02/state-senate-transportation-co.html
Driscoll says, "State Senate Transportation Committee Chairman John Carona, R-Dallas, sized up the Legislature's milieu of transportation options this session and has decided that toll roads and privatization suck mud."
Carona advocates stopping the diversion of the gas tax to other uses, which also was advocated by many on the Sunset Commission.
Another Carona goal is "scrub TxDOT and cut jobs." Given the recent reporting that outsourcing projects rather than having them performed by TxDOT employees costs taxpayers MORE money, this does not sound like a desirable goal.
Carona also wants to index the gas tax to inflation, which has been touted by other legislators trying to find a way to get more money to highway construction.
Carona wants to "issue all allowable debt, such as $5 billion in road bonds approved by voters in 2007." This is another goal that I would question, in conjunction with reducing TxDOT employees. If allowed, this money SHOULD go toward TxDOT-performed construction, which the recent report showed is more cost-effective for taxpayers, rather than going to road contractors who have evidently been either over-charging or wasting money or both.
The recent Statesman article on outsourcing reported that vast sums in the campaign to get voters to pass the $5 billion road bond measure were provided by the road contractors. Do NOT reward over-charging and mismanagement by giving them $5 billion more.
Carona hopes that the above "measures would also reduce reliance on, though not eliminate the need for, less efficient and unpopular:"
toll roads
private investments (public-private partnerships)
leasing toll roads to private firms
Carona would implement his preferred measures, but would not yet take the unpopular toll-related measures off the table, in case they are eventually needed.
Driscoll says that Carona points out "that the options weave together, each affecting the others. So it makes sense to integrate this session's transportation legislation."
http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/traffic/2009/02/state-senate-transportation-co.html
Driscoll says, "State Senate Transportation Committee Chairman John Carona, R-Dallas, sized up the Legislature's milieu of transportation options this session and has decided that toll roads and privatization suck mud."
Carona advocates stopping the diversion of the gas tax to other uses, which also was advocated by many on the Sunset Commission.
Another Carona goal is "scrub TxDOT and cut jobs." Given the recent reporting that outsourcing projects rather than having them performed by TxDOT employees costs taxpayers MORE money, this does not sound like a desirable goal.
Carona also wants to index the gas tax to inflation, which has been touted by other legislators trying to find a way to get more money to highway construction.
Carona wants to "issue all allowable debt, such as $5 billion in road bonds approved by voters in 2007." This is another goal that I would question, in conjunction with reducing TxDOT employees. If allowed, this money SHOULD go toward TxDOT-performed construction, which the recent report showed is more cost-effective for taxpayers, rather than going to road contractors who have evidently been either over-charging or wasting money or both.
The recent Statesman article on outsourcing reported that vast sums in the campaign to get voters to pass the $5 billion road bond measure were provided by the road contractors. Do NOT reward over-charging and mismanagement by giving them $5 billion more.
Carona hopes that the above "measures would also reduce reliance on, though not eliminate the need for, less efficient and unpopular:"
toll roads
private investments (public-private partnerships)
leasing toll roads to private firms
Carona would implement his preferred measures, but would not yet take the unpopular toll-related measures off the table, in case they are eventually needed.
Driscoll says that Carona points out "that the options weave together, each affecting the others. So it makes sense to integrate this session's transportation legislation."
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