I know when my local legislators see me coming, they cringe just a little. They know I am about to corner them into taking a stance on matters of importance. They know that I am about to ask them, point blank, to help those in my community. They also know I will not stop until I get the results we want and deserve. We want better community planning, better spending of our tax dollars, better solutions to our most difficult of problems. I am of the mindset that if you run for public office and win, you then work for ME and the residents of Delaware. You then are a steward of OUR money. You then have to answer to the people.
In my opinion, matters handled by our Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) are of the utmost importance. Everything in the state hinges on a transportation system that works. We will have no new businesses investing in our state without a well-managed transportation infrastructure.
One example of the waste we need to stop is the Rt 301 Bypass Project being pushed by our “Transportation Consultants” and ill informed legislators. This is a $1 Billion dollar project we could certainly do without. The Consultants used by DelDOT do little keep our Transportation system and agency sound and fiscally responsible. Too often they create what are tantamount to “Transportation Schemes”. They charge the State astronomical amounts of money to develop and make project proposals, we don’t need, can’t afford, and have yet to secure financing for the design or construction. It is my opinion that the Rt 301 project is one of these schemes. Using these consultants can be avoided by using what is already there for us at no extra cost. In fact it would save us millions.
Every state uses MPOs (Municipal Planning organizations) funded by both the States and the Feds. NCC has WILMAPCO (Wilmington Area Planning Council). They gather all the information needed to make well informed decisions on transportation projects. They make priority lists that should be used by DelDOT, but that is not always the case. Too often DelDOT ignores information WILMAPCO comes out with and chooses to listen to the consultants who seem to be the only ones who have anything thing to gain.
I consider myself a watchdog of the people’s money and of a broken system that desperately needs oversight and strong fiscal leadership. Running for public office has opened my eyes to all that needs to get accomplished in this state and country when it comes to our infrastructure. I won’t be stopping my pursuit of fiscal justice any time soon and it’s my hope that more of us start demanding that we repair our wrongheaded ways. This country was founded on principles that we can all get behind. How is it that we have lost our way so profoundly?
