What DelDot needs is management talent — What it gets is national political savvy

Future Presidential Candidate, Jack Markell, has appointed the Associate Administrator – Policy & Government Affairs at the Federal Highway Administration to be his choice to head Delaware’s Transportation Department (DelDot). DelDot has been a thorn in the Presidential aspirant’s hindquarters since he was elected to his current stepping stone, Delaware’s Governor. DelDot has this pesky problem of generally being corrupt and mismanaged from the top (Note: I’ve worked directly with some folks down the chain who are outstanding public servants truly interested in being members of a professional transportation management enterprise — sadly, this vision is not shared in the Governor’s office).

From an email from Acting Secretary Cauley:

In a few minutes, Governor Markell will announce that he has chosen Shailen Bhatt, Associate Administrator for the Federal Highway Administration, as his nominee for DelDOT Secretary.  If confirmed by the Senate, Shailen will be the Department’s ninth Secretary of Transportation.

You’ll note that the acting Secretary has left out the reference to “Policy & Government Affairs” — which is also in the appointee’s job title. Given the press release, one might even come away with the belief that the new appointee has some management skills and experience — experiences that, other than DEDO, the Markell Administration woefully lacks.

So, no real management experience, then what does the appointee, Mr. Shaileen Bhatt, have that others lack? Mr. Bhatt’s  prior position was the Regional Field Director for Obama for America.

So, the future Presidential aspirant — who has spent the last year or so networking with national Democratic fundraisers; whose previous private sector experience consists primarily of raising money to pump up Nextel stock prior to its collapse; whose 10 years of tenure as State Treasurer is notable only in his time spent networking nationally to run for Governor and paying $1 million bills with credit cards — has now asked to put into place a well-connected President Obama field director as the DelDot Director.

And this will solve DelDot’s problems, how? It won’t. But it does help the Presidential aspirant for 2016…

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