[Superman]

In a recent meeting among smart guys, engineers, I briefly entered into an existing discussion about our local WSDOT. Now, these are smart guys who I respect. Their ability to solve engineering and construction problems is impressive. Their general intelligence is impressive. In this same meeting, hilariously, the guys noticed how much we use acronyms, and they seamlessly entered into a several-sentence discussion that included no words whatsoever. It was very amusing and impressive.

But I guess smart guys can be just as captured by McPolitics as anyone. In the WSDOT discussion, there was plenty of eye-rolling and backhanded criticism of WSDOT. So, I reported that my experiences with WSDOT over the last fifteen years have been very professional. The engineers straightened up and asked about my experiences. I reported that my very positive impressions were mostly in the areas of design and contract administration. They agreed. On those two measures, WSDOT is very effective and professional. Their smiling, backhanded criticisms were in the area of politics and money-wasting.

So, I reported that both sides of the legislative aisle have been in agreement for more than ten years that we are WAY behind in transportation infrastructure, that WSDOT needs money in order to accomplish the needed construction and maintenance, and that the voters have the impression that taxes are unnecessary so no one is willing to support ways to get WSDOT the funding they need. In the meantime, there has been the pageantry of a "witch hunt" of WSDOT. Legislators and their committees have, rather than solve the problems, been commissioning studies and audits of WSDOT with the dishonest pretense of looking for "efficiencies." At this point, no committee can think of an audit that has not already been ordered and delivered. We've squeezed every possible drop from that washrag. Everyone agrees. Except, of course, the am radio talk show guys. Who apparently have engineers in the audience. The engineers had no intelligent response to the information I provided to them, and now it seems clear they do not want to talk about transportation matters any more, or WSDOT. Apparently, it's fun to pretend that all our problems are caused by lazy, in efficient gubmint workers. Even if you're otherwise very smart. And even if all the objective evidence disagrees.