Pickett: Perry appoints rubber stamp

Gov. Rick Perry today announced that his former chief of staff Deirdre Delisi will be the next chairwoman of the Texas Transportation Commission.
She will replace the late Ric Williamson, who was chairman until his death late last year.
Groups like the Texas Association of Business praised the appointment of Delisi and of Fort Worth businessman Bill Meadows, who is vice chairman of the North Texas Tollway Authority. Meadows replaces transportation commissioner Hope Andrade, of San Antonio.
"With extensive backgrounds in policy and a deep commitment to Texas, their insight and experience will be an asset to the commission," TAB president Bill Hammond said in a press statement.
State Rep. Joe Pickett, D-El Paso, ever a TxDOT critic, was not as impressed.
Williamson was a fiery character who drew the ire of some in the legislature with his dogged commitment to toll roads and public-private partnerships to build them.
Pickett said Delisi would be a rubber-stamp of the Perry-Williamson roads agenda that had him and other legislators ticked.
"It's more of an agenda than of reaching out and trying to find a happy medium (with lawmakers) that works," Pickett said.