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It
was only a matter of time, the Blue Dog knew, before
someone at the Virginia Department of Transportation
would respond to his criticism of that state
bureaucracy.
Several
weeks ago, the Augusta Free Press reported
that the VDOT officials and VDOT Commissioner Philip
Shucet were sensitive to our criticism of
notification of the media concerning the six-year
planning public hearings.
Yes,
the Blue Dog has been a very baad dawg of late.
For
the record, the Blue Dog is not the first individual
who's ever picked a fight with the VDOT commissioner
about public-forum notices or matters dealing with
wasteful state transportation spending.
Past
criticism of VDOT is more than justified.
Sure,
VDOT complies with state law, but according to the
VDOT Web site, "VDOT believes in developing and
maintaining solid media relations. The department
has a strong team of public-relations professionals
ready to provide prompt and accurate information to
the media and public."
Those
antiquated notifications are the Blue Dog's bone of
contention.
The
Blue Dog received a polite correspondence from
Shucet, headlined, "Bad Dog, Bad Dog," in
reply to an article on VDOT that had been reprinted
in Bacon's Rebellion.
Shucet
wrote, "Paid advertisements for the six-year
improvement program pre-allocation hearings were
placed in local newspapers about four weeks in
advance of the hearings. At the same time, the
notice was placed on the public meetings calendar on
our Web site. The ads ran again about two weeks
before the hearings. We followed those up with
press releases that were picked up by news
outlets."
Yes,
Mr. Shucet, there's no argument there, but what
about additional media press releases?
Without
a doubt in our mind, the VDOT media releases were
only 24 hours in advance - and I double-checked the
state Web site to verify this, as did with other
Shenandoah Valley reporters.
The
six-year transportation plan is the heart of VDOT's
mission statement for future road construction, and
public participation is a must.
The
Blue Dog is sticking to his story that the short
notice was inconsiderate, but not deliberate.
And
that's where we, Shucet and the Blue Dog, agreed to
disagree.
As
AFP editor Chris Graham commented,
"Newspapers don't do business by scouring the
legal-ads sections - reporters can't verify anything
there."
The
Blue Dog fully concurred with the editor.
Matter
of fact, the Blue Dog can barely stand reading
through competitor's newspaper editorials in the
Shenandoah Valley. Why would I ever bother to spend
my loose change purchasing those newspapers and
reading the back pages containing the local and
state mandated advertisements?
Another
editor defended Shucet, and told me to cut him a
break, saying, "To his credit, VDOT
commissioner Phillip Shucet inherited a very
entrenched Democrat bureaucracy along with a
bloated, misappropriated transportation
budget."
He
said, "Shucet has been fighting a decades long
culture of Democrats covering for each other with
paper (work)."
A
government watchdog and fair-weather
environmentalist commented, "VDOT has to be one
of the worst lose-lose positions in Virginia state
government, but not the only one. A thin budget
and a huge list of infrastructure projects mostly
dominated by the highway contractors are the wrong
way to go in the 21st century."
In
the past, the VDOT mission statement has never
included the saving of taxpayer dollars.
Shucet
said that VDOT saved $40,000 taxpayer dollars
"by not flying and driving people all around
the state, and by combining meetings."
Saving,
Not Paving
In
an exclusive interview with the Blue Dog, Shucet
noted three specific examples of other cost savings.
"One,
we are doing more with less - we have reduced our
salaried work force by nearly 1,000 people since I
joined VDOT in April 2002, avoiding an additional
expense of nearly $50 million annually. This is a
recurring savings," Shucet said.
"Two,
we are putting more control in the hands of people
in the field, and as a result working smarter - for
example, last year we gave each district a specific
budget for snow removal and ice control. By being
accountable for their budgets, the districts spent
an average of 16 percent less per each snow event,
yet experienced more snow than the past 10-year
historical average," Shucet said.
"Three,
we are using more common-sense programs - VDOT’s
Rural Rustic Road program has saved nearly $16
million over the past 24 months. This program is now
in place throughout the state and will continue to
accrue savings as low-volume unpaved roads are
surfaced at costs generally 75-90 percent lower than
previous more traditional methods," Shucet
said.
OK,
Shucet appears to be on the right path of saving,
not paving.
Shucet
wrote in his e-mail, "If you want to offer some
constructive criticism on how we can improve our
public notices, we'd be pleased to listen."
With
that said, let's try to sort our challenges out, Mr.
Shucet.
Information
Highway
Granted,
state law mandates public-hearing notifications and
VDOT follows those guidelines, but the laws, like
Virginia transportation planning, have become a
paradigm to the past.
Fewer
and fewer people
watch TV's six o'clock news and read hardcopy
newspapers.
Most
receive their news via the Internet. It's real time
up-to-date news that is unfiltered by biased
networks and publishers. It's the future, and it's
happening now.
That
VDOT buggy whip doesn't work well with the
information highway.
Hey!
And it's a fact - VDOT workers obviously know how to
use computers and surf the 'Net.
After
all, VDOT fired and suspended 86 workers for
Internet misuse and misguided Website hits on
government time back in 2002.
Exactly
who is the "bad dog, bad dog" lately?
VDOT
does have a great Web site and a well-staffed,
professional public-relations department.
The
new technology used at the VDOT Smart Traffic Center
is state of the art. It's government actually doing
something proactive for a change.
Let's
start using these Internet tools for the public's
advantage.
Surely,
in our age of electronic information, VDOT can
contact more than the "state-required"
local newspaper vendors - and work on sending out
multiple electronic media releases on any subject
matter with ease. Just hit the send button, guys and
gals.
Shucet
replied, "We already go beyond what is state
required. But you’re correct. We can – and will
– do better."
"Thanks
for keeping us on our toes."
A
few years ago, I assisted a local campaign who's
message was based on "returning local
government back" to the days of "the
customer first" philosophy. Basically, the
message said the taxpayers are the customers, and
government was the service provider.
Like
most who have experienced government firsthand, be
it local, state or federal, those governmental
offices usually lack honest and friendly customer
service along with open and honest public relations.
Judging
from my past
experiences, the Blue Dog would characterize VDOT
and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
public-affairs offices as very standoffish. E-mail
replies are often terse responses that are carbon
copied to other government officials and political
cronies throughout the state.
Hmm
... that's a case of lowbrow politics.
Maybe
that's force of habit with them - and a natural
human reaction to an often hostile and argumentative
public, along with a media that demands immediate
answers to questions.
Just
remember, communications with your customers, the
taxpayers, is not a competitive sport.
And
the Blue Dog believes Commissioner Shucet has a high
regard for civility - with reference to Virginia
citizens and the press.
The
Blue Dog appreciated his time with the interview
process.
VDOT
is very open to criticism under Shucet's watch.
--
November 15, 2004
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