REPORT TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
By: Lawrence Olsen
(March 21, 2003)
TGR MOURNS RATZ
The Texas Good Roads family is mourning for our former president, William H. (Bill) Ratz of Houston. Bill died March 11 after a long illness. Bill faced his final battle with dignity, humor and his ever-present mischievous grin.
During his presidency, 1994-1995, Bill led TGR on several Washington Fly-Ins, working closely with his longtime friend and former neighbor, U.S. Representative Greg Laughlin of West Columbia, whom at the time served on the Public Works Committee.
Bill was a longtime force in the insurance and bonding industry. He is survived by wife Louise, daughter Leslie Easterling and son-in-law, Brandon, of Austin.
If one so desires, donations will be accepted to MD Anderson Hospital Prostrate Cancer Research c/o Dr. Christopher Logothetis, 1515 Holcombe, Box 427, Houston, TX 77030.
HOUSE TACKLES TORT REFORM
The Texas House of Representatives spent more than 20 hours debating H.B.4, which will limit lawsuits in both the medical area and other in significant changes in civil lawsuits. Late Thursday, the proponents, who were successful in fending off amendments for the near two-day slugfest, ran into a technical snag and referred the bill back to committee where it was immediately approved. The House will resume debate Monday.
Speaker Craddick announced at the start of the debate Wednesday that the House would adjourn Friday so that members could attend the funeral services for their colleague Representative Irma Rangel of Kingsville. Representative Rangel died Tuesday, having served 26 years in the legislature and being a strong supporter of funding the Good Roads program. In a gracious gesture, Governor Rick Perry has formally requested that Texas A&M University-Kingsville name its new pharmacy school for her. She sponsored legislation to create the school.
ROVE JOINS ELITE GROUP
The Texas Legislative Conference, the brainchild of the New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce, has named Karl Christian Rove Texan of the Year. Rove, senior advisor to George W. Bush, gratefully accepted the honor and praised those who had preceded him in receiving the honor, including his mentors in politics, President George H.W. Bush and President Bush. Rove also commented favorably on many of the other recipients, including the late George Christian, former Austin political guru and press secretary to President Johnson. In 1988, Rove and Christian teamed to head a special committee that mapped strategy for the successful Good Roads Proposition One campaign. Many TGR leaders were in attendance in the packed house of the New Braunfels Civic Center, including TGR executive committee member Johnny Weisman and his wife, Anne and TGR vice-president Bennie Bock.
REPORT TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
By: Lawrence Olsen
(March 7, 2003)
ATTORNEY GENERAL RULING FAVORS GOOD ROADS
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott recently ruled that vehicle registration fees are constitutionally dedicated for highway purposes, concurring in the view long supported by this association.
During the last session of the Legislature, a bill was defeated in the State Senate that would have increased vehicle registration fees by five dollars and earmarked the proceeds for trauma care centers. Among those leading the fight against the bill was Sen. Ken Armbrister who said he thought such a bill violated the state constitution. In fact, Armbrister wrote the attorney general, John Cornyn, to ask him to make such a ruling.
Proponents of using this funding mechanism have filed legislation this session to change the constitution. This is SJR 20 by Sen. Juan Hinojosa of McAllen. As a representative in the last legislature, Mr. Hinojosa successfully guided this bill through the House before it failed in the Senate.
INITIAL HEARING HELDS ON CLEAN AIR LEGISLATION
TGR has declared its support for House Bill 1365 by Rep. Dennis Bonnen of Angleton to fund the shortfall in the Texas Clean Air Act. The committee that Mr. Bonnen chairs, Environmental Regulation, held its first hearing on the bill this week that drew hours of testimony. Mr. Bonnen has proposed numerous means of funding the current shortfall for the Texas Clean Air Act. The original legislation, Senate Bill 5, was enacted last session but the major source of its funding was declared invalid by a district court after a suit brought by auto dealers. Mr. Bonnen has estimated that his legislation, after some fine-tuning and revisions to the original bill, will probably raise $165 million annually. When the legislation clears the House, Sen. Chris Harris of Arlington will handle it in the Senate. Failure to fund the bill this session could result in the cutoff of federal highway funds in Texas non-attainment areas.
KRUSEE, OGDEN ESTABLISH SUBCOMMITTEES
Sen. Steve Ogden, chairman of the new Infrastructure and Homeland Security Committee, told the Texas Transportation Institute in Austin recently that his committee may well have as much legislation dealing with the Homeland issues as it will dealing with TxDOT related matters. Toward that end, Chairman Ogden has named Jeff Wentworth to head a three-member subcommittee that will focus on Homeland security matters. Fellow subcommittee members are Eliot Shapleigh of El Paso and freshman Bob Deuell of Greenville.
In a similar vein, House Transportation Committee Chairman Mike Krusee of Williamson County has named four subcommittees and appointed his four freshman members to lead these panels. Ken Mercer of San Antonio will handle the Best Practices subcommittee which will look at other states’ approaches to highway programs; the T-3 subcommittee will be headed by Linda Harper-Brown of Irving and will focus on the next federal highway bill; Larry Phillips of Sherman will rule the TxDOT efficiency subcommittee and lastly, Timo Garza of Eagle Pass will likely have the busiest subcommittee, dealing with License Plates.
GOLF COMMITTEE NEEDS ‘TEAMS’
Golf committee chairman Dean Bernal encourages all members to sign for the upcoming Austin area tournament April 28. "We are excited because this is a brand new course, and I’m guaranteeing a beautiful day," said the long-time employee of the J.D. Abrams Co. in Austin. Click here for registration information.
REPORT TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
By: Lawrence Olsen
(February 26, 2003)
FEDERAL FISCAL YEAR FUNDING INCLUDES FULL AMOUNT FOR HIGHWAYS
President Bush ended months of Congressional wrangling February 20 with his signature on legislation that contained 11 of the 13 appropriation bills that totaled nearly $400 billion for the fiscal year that began last October 1. Since that time, the government had been operating on a series of continuing resolutions. Federal highway spending for this fiscal year, which will end September 30, is $31.8 billion, the same as last fiscal year. This should be a bit more than $2 billion in federal-aid highway reimbursements for Texas. Spending was also held constant for the Airport program at $3.4 billion nationwide. Work on the reauthorization of federal highway legislation should begin in earnest this spring.
GOVERNOR PERRY DELIVERS STATE OF STATE
Governor Rick Perry told the Legislature and the citizens of Texas that the state budget could be balanced without raising new taxes during his State of the State message February 11. Governor Perry listed several ways the state’s $9.9 billion shortfall could be solved. The largest of his suggestions was a call for a nine percent cut in state agency budgets, saving $3.8 billion. Mr. Perry also suggested borrowing $390 million from the state’s so-called Rainy Day Fund to help stem the budget shortfall. Eliminating loopholes for companies that now organize as limited partnerships, rather than corporations, would increase franchise taxes by $400 million, Perry estimated. Governor Perry also asked for support of his Trans-Texas Corridor plan and told legislators more highway funds could be generated by a change in the method of collecting motor fuels taxes. Comptroller Carole K. Strayhorn has said making such a change would not really generate more revenue.---
NEW COMMISSIONER CONFIRMED; FIRST BILL SIGNED---
Victor Carrillo of Abilene, chosen by Governor Perry to replace Railroad Commissioner Tony Garza, has been confirmed by the Texas Senate. Carrillo was formerly Taylor County Judge. Garza was appointed Ambassador to Mexico by President Bush.
This week Governor Perry signed Senate Bill 310 by Senator Troy Fraser and sponsored in the House by John Smithee. This legislation would compel insurance companies in Texas to share with the State Department of Insurance their pricing policies, how they use credit scoring and what rate increases they plan in the next six months. Look for more insurance bills throughout the 78th session.
CLEAN AIR ACTION IN THE OFFING
State Representative Dennis Bonnen of Angleton, chairman of the House Environment Regulation Committee, will soon introduce legislation to fully fund the Texas Clean Air Act. Last session, Senate Bill 5 was passed to accomplish the same purpose and to meet the clean air mandates handed down by the Environmental Protection Agency. However, a key portion of the act was found unconstitutional, and this finding undercut a major portion of the Act’s funding. Senator Chris Harris of Arlington will handle the bill on the Senate side.
GOLF COMMITTEE ACTS QUICKLY
While it may have been icy in Central Texas the last few days, the always-optimistic Golf Committee, under the leadership of Dean Bernal of J.D. Abrams, has been busy setting up a spring tournament in the Austin area. Tournament & registration information are enclosed but can also be found here.
REPORT TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
By: Lawrence Olsen
(January 31, 2003)
COMMISSION MEETS IN TYLER; TGR HOSTS BREAKFAST
More than 60 TGR leaders enjoyed a hearty buffet breakfast at Tyler’s Rose Garden Thursday and heard from Texas’ leading transportation officials. Transportation Commission Chairman Johnny W. Johnson of Houston told the group of highway supporters that this was a critical year for the Department because of constraints on state spending and because of the reauthorization of the federal highway legislation by the U.S. Congress. Commissioner Robert Nichols thanked TGR for its past support and urged those who were not members, to join. Mr. Nichols said that he was thrilled to have the Commission meet in his "backyard" as his home was just down the road a few miles in Jacksonville.
At a Tyler Chamber hosted banquet the previous night, Commissioner Ric Williamson of Weatherford, appointed by Governor Rick Perry in 2001, stressed that the East Texas area should explore the establishment of a regional mobility authority to expedite area highway projects.
TGR executive committee member Jeff Austin III did an excellent job of emceeing both events.
SPEAKER CRADDICK NAMES COMMITTEE LEADERS
House Speaker Tom Craddick revealed his choices for leadership Thursday in naming his fellow House colleagues to 42 committees. Included among his leaders were 14 Democrats. Republicans hold 88 seats to the Democrats’ 62. Only one committee chairman from last session, John Smithee of Amarillo, returns to his previous role as the leader of the much watched Insurance Committee. Chairing the House Transportation Committee will be Mike Krusee of Taylor. He will be joined on the nine-member committee by five fellow Republicans: Peggy Hamric of Houston, budget officer; Larry Phillips of Sherman, vice-chairman; Fred Hill of Dallas; Linda Harper Brown of Irving and Ken Mercer of San Antonio. Democrats on the committee are Pete Laney of Hale Center, former House Speaker; Al Edwards of Houston and Timoteo Garza of Eagle Pass. Hamric, Hill and Edwards served last session on the committee. Phillips, Mercer, Harper Brown and Garza are all freshmen.
As expected, Houstonian Talmadge Heflin of Houston will lead the Appropriations Committee. He will be joined by 16 other Republicans and 12 Democrats.
TEXAS POLITICAL FAMILIES CHALLENGE BUSH, ADAMS, KENNEDYS
We know that you’ve read about the political dynasties in America: the Adams of the 19th century, the Kennedys of the 20th century and the Bushes of the 20 and 21st century. Now we have a couple of Texas families to add to the list.
State Reps Jim Keffer of Eastland and younger brother Bill Keffer of Dallas form the first brother duo in the Texas House since 1947. Right after the Great War, brothers Doyle Willis of Fort Worth and Phil Willis of Kaufman both graced the Legislature with their presence. Phil stayed only a while but Doyle went to become a mini-legend. After a few terms in the House, Doyle was elected to the Senate where he served for ten years until beaten by Don Kennard. He returned to Fort Worth, served on the City Council and came to serve another 27 years in the Legislature before finally retiring in 1997. Last summer he celebrated his 94th birthday.
Eastland businessman Jim Keffer unseated an incumbent in 1996 and has quickly proven an able member. Mr. Craddick has named him as the Economic Development Committee Chairman. Younger brother Bill, a Dallas attorney, captured an open seat this fall. Both are Republicans.
The other prominent Texas political family is the Keels of Austin. Former prosecutor Terry Keel is one of a handful (three to be exact) Republicans elected in the still Democratic bastion of Travis County. After his service as Sheriff, Terry was elected to the Texas House in 1996. He succeeded his mother, Patty Keel, who was chosen in a special election that Terry chose not to participate in because he would have had to resign his Sheriff’s post before his term ended. Terry’s dad, Tom Keel, headed the Legislative Budget Board. Terry's sister, Mary Lou, is a district judge in Houston. Recently, Governor Perry appointed Patrick Keel, another brother, as a Travis County district judge. Keel’s cousin, John Keel who was raised by the Tom Keel family, has been the director of the Legislative Budget Board for several years, after holding numerous important state positions. Speaker Craddick has also named Representative Keel to lead the Criminal Jurisprudence Committee.
REPORT TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
By: Lawrence Olsen
(January 17, 2003)
FIRST LEGISLATIVE WEEK CHOCKED FULL OF ACTION
With Lt. Gov. elect David Dewhurst's announcement of his committee appointments Thursday afternoon, the opening week of legislative action, usually largely marked by ceremony, took on unusual significance. No one could recall a lieutenant governor making committee assignments prior to his official swearing in, but the successful Houston businessman pretty well silenced his naysayers by naming committee chairmen in a bipartisan fashion. He created two new committees, one for Infrastructure Development and Security and on Government Organization. The committees will be chaired by nine Republicans and six Democrats. The Senate has 19 Republicans and 12 Democrats. Previous lieutenant governors had appointed chairmen of both parties.
Bryan Republican Steve Odgen will chair the Infrastructure Development and Security Committee. In addition to dealing with legislation affecting Texas DOT, the committee will also consider matters dealing with homeland security. Governor Rick Perry last year named Mr. Dewhurst to lead an ad-hoc committee on homeland security that the governor recently disbanded. Joining Mr. Ogden on the committee will be: Gonzalo Barrientos (D-Austin) vice-chairman; Bob Deuell (R-Greenville); Rodney Elllis (D-Houston); Jon Lindsay (R-Houston); Frank Madla (D- San Antonio); Florence Shapiro (R-Plano); Eliot Shapleigh (D-El Paso) and Jeff Wentworth (R-San Antonio).
Chairing other key committees will be: Teel Bivins (R-Amarillo), Finance; Bill Ratliff (R-Mount Pleasant), State Affairs; Florence Shapiro (R-Plano), Education; Ken Armbrister (D-Victoria), Natural Resources.
Prior to the appointments, the Senate adopted its rules for this session and earlier in the week, all Senators drew lots to determine which Senators would run in two years and which would run in four years.
HOUSE ALSO ON MOVE; ADOPTING RULES
After electing Midland Republican Tom Craddick as its new Speaker on Tuesday, the House adopted measures spelling out internal expenditures and Thursday formally adopted its rules. The only real debate came over the new leadership's proposal to change the seniority rules for the Appropriations Committee. For the last several years, all committees were determined by a combination of speaker appointments and members requests, based on seniority. The new rules keep the seniority provision intact, except for the Appropriations Committee whose 29 members will now all be named by the Speaker. Austin Democratic freshman Eddie Rodriguez, a former House staffer, attempted to retain the current role but was defeated on a 105-39 vote, with only one Republican, Pat Haggerty of El Paso, joining the dissenters. Speaker Craddick has announced plans to add four new committees including one on border affairs, which may be chaired by Democrat Norma Chavez of El Paso.
GOVERNOR PERRY NAMES NEW RAILROAD COMMISSIONER
Governor Rick Perry has named Taylor County Judge Victor Carrillo to the vacancy on the three-member Texas Railroad Commission. Carrillo will fill the open slot created by former Commissioner Tony Garza's resignation last fall. President George W. Bush nominated Mr. Garza, former Cameron County Judge, as Ambassador to Mexico, and Garza was quickly confirmed by the U.S. Senate and sworn into office November 18, 2002. Mr. Carrillo was appointed by Governor Perry last year to the Texas County and District Retirement System. An attorney and former Abilene city council member, Carrillo was chosen to fill a vacancy in 2001 as county judge and was elected to a full four-year term last November. Previously, he worked as a geophysicist for Amoco Production Company and worked at the General Land Office for three years. Last week, Governor Perry reappointed State Insurance Commissioner Jose Montemayor to a two-year term in that high level post.
DATE SET FOR CONGRESSIONAL REPLACEMENT ELECTION: MAY 3
Both Texas and Washington observers were a bit shocked at the announcement, not long after the general election, by veteran Lubbock Congressman Larry Combest, of his resignation from Congress, effective May 31. Shortly after the first of the year, the former staffer for Senator John Tower, who succeeded Kent Hance in 1985, sent his formal letter of resignation to Governor Perry. Perry called for a May 3 election; those who desire to run must file by April 2. Thus far, no less than 10 aspirants have stated their desires to be the next member of Congress from the district which was created in 1934 and first elected George Mahon who served until 1978. When he left he was Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. He was succeeded by Kent Hance of Lubbock, a Democrat (at the time). In 1978, Hance bested a young Midland businessman who was making his first attempt at elective office: George W. Bush.
REPORT TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
By: Lawrence Olsen
(January 9, 2003)
COMMISSION ON ROAD TO EAST TEXAS
The Texas Transportation Commission will open the new year by having its first monthly meeting in Tyler January 30. The Commission will convene its session at the Rose Garden Center at 9 a.m., following a 7:30 a.m. breakfast hosted by Texas Good Roads. Tyler is just a few miles from the Jacksonville home of Commissioner Robert Nichols.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE SETS 2003 GOALS
President Fred Heldenfels convened the TGR executive committee this week to plan for the upcoming year. Mr. Heldenfels announced that the annual meeting will be June 30-July 2 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin. New committee member Jack Bowen of Victoria was named the winner of last year’s membership contest, securing 34 new members. Fellow board member Sherri Hull of Southwest Airlines presented him with two free round-trip tickets, courtesy of her employer.
Mr. Heldenfels stated that several TGR committees would be announced soon, including those dealing with membership development, annual meeting planning and the Golf Tourney committee.
Major legislative goals discussed were the full funding of the Texas Clean Air Act and securing monies for the Texas Mobility Fund.
Both Vice President Bennie Bock of Seguin and Victoria Waddy of San Antonio were absent because of attendance at the swearing in of Texas’ new U.S. Senator, John Cornyn. Mr. Cornyn was named to several vital committees, including the Environment and Public Works, which will write this year’s highway bill.
SPECIAL ELECTION CLOSES POLITICAL SEASON
Some 9000 residents of District 62 (Grayson and Fannin counties) trudged to the polls January 7 and gave Republican lawyer Larry Phillips of Sherman a near 2-1 victory over his Democratic challenger. The election was needed because of the resignation of incumbent Republican Ron Clark of Sherman who has been confirmed as a federal judge. This means the Republican margin in the 150 member Texas House of Representatives will stay at the 88-62 ratio established after the November general election. Midland Rep. Tom Craddick, the dean of the House, is expected to be elected Texas’ first Republican Speaker since Reconstruction when the 78th Legislature begins January 14. Craddick, a businessman, was elected in 1968 and joined eight other Republicans, in a distinct minority during the 61st session.
The 31-member Texas Senate will also meet January 14 to swear in those senators elected in November. Presiding over the Senate until the January 21 swearing of Lt. Goverrnor-elect David Dewhurst will be Lt. Gov. Bill Ratliff. There is speculation that the 31 members will draw lots on the opening day to decide which senators get two-year terms and which got four-year terms. This occurs after every redistricting election (once a decade when all 31 senators run).
Overshadowing the session will be the report of Comptroller Carole Strayhorn (formerly Rylander) that the state coffers could well face a shortfall of almost $10 billion during the next two years. The current budget is $114 billion.
REPORT TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
By: Lawrence Olsen
(November 25, 2002)
IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE?
No, but, there are two in the Senate. Last week the newest member of the state senate, Republican Kyle Janek, was sworn in. Janek, a medical doctor from Houston, was chosen in a special election to fill the slot vacated by the retirement of Senator J.E. "Buster" Brown of Lake Jackson. Brown was the longest serving member of his party in the Senate (Republican) having defeated long time incumbent, A.R. "Babe" Schwartz of Galveston in 1980. Brown resigned early to enter private business. A&M grad Janek, a native of Galveston where his father serves as a Democratic County Commissioner, was elected to the Texas House in 1994. On November 5, Rep. Janek actually won two elections: the special election to fill the remainder of the Brown term and the full Senate term. In January, Dr. Janek will be joined by fellow physician, Bob Deuell of Greenville who beat incumbent David Cain, in Senate District 2 (Dallas and northeast Texas). If one wants to be technical, Rep. Suzanne Hupp of Copperas Cove is a chiropractor as was Rep. Bob Glaze of Gilmer (who lost in the general election).
LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD APPROVES ESTIMATES
Meeting in Austin today, the ten-member Legislative Budget Board (LBB) has approved the state comptroller’s estimate rate of growth of the state‘s economy for the upcoming biennium. The LBB is required by law to hold a public hearing to review the Comptroller’s estimate and to adopt (or not adopt) the items of information. Comptroller Carole K. Rylander has estimated the rate of growth for the state’s economy of the fiscal years 2004 and 2005 will be total of 11.83 percent or an average of 5.9 percent yearly. This recommendation was approved by the LBB, but with dissenting votes from Senator Florence Shapiro and House members Talmadge Heflin and Ken Marchant. Both Heflin and Marchant were recently named to the LBB, replacing retiring members Rob Junell and Paul Sadler.
CONCRETE PAVING CONFERENCE SET DECEMBER 12-13
Long time Gifford Hill hand, Bob Lopez, now the executive director of the Cement & Concrete Promotion Council of Texas tells us that the 2nd Annual Concrete Paving Conference will be held in Austin, December 12-13, 2002 at the Austin DoubleTree Hotel. Design, construction, overlays, field practices and a myriad of other relevant topics to the industry will be covered during the two-day conference, including discussions regarding the monster project, State Highway 130. For more info, contact Bob Lopez, CCPC of Texas: 817/540-4437 (ccpcofc@earthlink.net) or Dan Rozycki, Transtec: 512/451-6233 (dan@thetranstecgroup.com).
MEMBERSHIP CONTEST CONTINUES THROUGH END OF YEAR
New executive committee member Jack Bowen of Fordyce, LTD in Victoria has surged to the lead in the membership contest. But there is still time for the rest of you to challenge the enterprising Mr. Bowen in an effort to win the Southwest Airlines tickets. If you have any questions, please give us a call.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL
TGR’s office will be closed Thursday and Friday for the Thanksgiving Holiday.
REPORT TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
By: Lawrence Olsen
(November 15, 2002)
2002 TxDOT Bridge Caryatid Award Memorandum
TEXAS CAPITOL: POLITICAL VERSION OF HOT STOVE LEAGUE
Old time baseball fans will remember that the period between the end of the World Series in October and the beginning of spring training in late February was referred to as the "hot-stove" league. That was when the keen observers of our national pastime would gather and discuss prospects for their favorite team for next year.
At the state capitol we are now undergoing some of the most intense hot stove league discussions for many years. That’s because of the sea change in the November 5 election shifting total power to the Republicans, for the first time in the Texas Legislature since reconstruction-era 13th session in 1873.
Speaker-apparent Tom Craddick of Midland has announced that a couple of former members, Bill Ceverha of Richardson and Bill Messer of Belton will head his transition team, joined by Austin public relations executive Bill Miller. Mike McKinney has announced that he will vacate the post of chief of staff under Governor Perry that he has held for more than a year. McKinney, a former legislator from Centerville, served with Representative Perry as a member of the House Appropriations Committee. Newspaper reports speculate that McKinney may be replaced by another former Perry House colleague, Mike Toomey, now a high dollar Austin lobbyist. Another former legislator, Cliff Johnson of Palestine, is being rumored to join the Perry team. Both Toomey and Johnson served in the second Clements administration.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the rotunda Lt. Gov.-elect David Dewhurst is meeting with his membership, hosting the Republicans for dinner earlier this week. Published accounts have Mr. Dewhurst interviewing ex- House member Bruce Gibson as a possible chief of staff. Gibson, formerly of Cleburne, has been an executive with Reliant (nee Houston Light & Power) for the last few years, after being a top staffer in Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock’s shop.
Back to the west side of the Capitol, with 102 pledges in hand, Mr. Craddick is in excellent shape to begin work on one of his main roles: naming of committee leaders. Of the 38 committees from last session, 17 committee chairs either didn’t seek reelection or lost; the remaining 27 were controlled by 12 Democrats and 9 Republicans. Whether Mr. Craddick, first elected in 1968, retains the current committee structure remains to be seen. Mentioned as key players for the Craddick team are Talmadge Heflin of Houston, Kenny Marchant of Coppell and Mike Krusee of Round Rock.
AND IN THE NATION’S CAPITOL
U.S. Rep. Larry Combest of Lubbock, who has represented the 19th congressional district since 1985, announced shortly after his overwhelming reelection November 5 that he would resign from the 108th Congress, effective May 31. Combest has been a strong TGR advocate in Congress (the only Texan of his party to vote to override President Reagan’s 1987 veto of the highway bill). Naturally the names of numerous elected officials from Lubbock and Midland-Odessa have been bandied about for this election which will likely occur next summer.
TGR MEMBER WINS INAUGURAL BRIDGE PRIZE
Eddie Evans of Falcon Steel Company in Kaufman has received the first Annual Bridge Caryatid Award. Bridge Division director Mary Lou Ralls announced this special recognition during the annual Transportation Short Course last month in College Station. For a full description of the award please see below.
2002 TxDOT Bridge Caryatid Award
TxDOT Memorandum
October 16, 2002
At the DE/DD/DO meeting next week, prior to the Transportation Short Course, the Bridge Division will acknowledge outstanding support from outside TxDOT with its first Annual Bridge Caryatid Award. The award recognizes individuals who have made exemplary contributions as partners with the Bridge Division in the development and implementation of an innovative product or program in Texas, or individuals with lifetime achievement represented by many years of successful interaction with the Bridge Division in the advancement of state-of-the-art technology in Texas. A detailed description of the Bridge Caryatid Award follows.
This years Bridge Caryatid Award winner is Eddie E. Evans, P.E., of Falcon Steel Company in Kaufman, Texas, which currently provides most overhead sign bridges and high-mast illumination poles in Texas. Eddie has been designing traffic structures for the State of Texas for almost 40 years, and TxDOT has repeatedly benefited from his input and assistance regarding fabrication and design. He has consistently contributed to the development of structures that not only satisfy code requirements but are also economical, durable, and easy to install and maintain. Eddie developed a commercial design that evolved into the standard sign bridge used by TxDOT today. His contributions to other traffic structures, such as high-mast illumination poles, have helped produce designs now standardized to the extent that shop drawing submission is no longer necessary and quality is readily assured, reducing District and Bridge Division workloads and easing shop inspection requirements. He has repeatedly rushed projects to meet schedules for the traveling public, often accommodating last-minute structural design changes.
Eddie is an outstanding representtive of the strong partnership between the private engineering and industrial sector and TxDOT that has produced the economical and efficient transportation system enjoyed by the citizens of Texas. We are honored to recognize Eddie and his contributions.
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