Transportation Secretary Doug MacDonald's Swearing In (As Written)

February 22, 2006

Thank you all for being here.

In particular, we have three of the Regional Administrators with us here today:
� Randy Hain - Olympic Region Administrator (Tumwater)
� Don Wagner - Southwest Region Administrator (Vancouver)
� Don Whitehouse - South Central Region Administrator (Yakima)

Also, I�d like to welcome Doug�s sister Leslie MacDonald. Thank you again for joining us.

Doug, I am pleased today to make your appointment as Secretary of the Department of Transportation official. It�s a day of celebration; it�s also a day when we reaffirm our trust and faith in you to lead the Department that is so critical to the safety of Washingtonians.

It seems every time we�ve attempted to administer the oath, Mother Nature had other plans. I applaud the DOT and Doug�s leadership to fix and keep our roads and bridges open and safe, despite our record winds and rain this winter. Your work is not only a matter of safety and convenience to Washington motorists; more importantly, it is a lifeline of our economy.

The people of Washington agree, they voted against 912. They understood that problems with our infrastructure and congestion cannot be ignored. They also told us they expect their tax dollars to be spent wisely and that we remain accountable.

You and all the staff have a huge job ahead of you. You maintain countless highways and facilities. In addition, you keep our mountain passes clear and safe, operate airfields across the state, a fleet of ferries, and one of the largest public transit services in the state. Congratulations and thank you to all the employees of the department for their hard work and dedication.

As you renew your efforts, I ask that you focus on the following priorities, which I believe will be keys to our success:

Strive to deliver all construction projects on time and on budget.

Be open and honest with the public. Consistency and success in this area is the key to continuing to build public trust.

I will be holding the department to a new level of accountability. You need to develop a high performance culture. I ask that you immediately implement a plan to become more innovative and responsive.

Again, I congratulate you for your great work and look forward to working with you on the challenges ahead.

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