FDOT's Kopelousos gets hammered again by critics

Since I last wrote about FDOT and its director Stephanie Kopelousos on May 31st, http://southbeachhoosier.blogspot.com/2008/05/south-florida-transit-issues-and-govt.html , I added her to my list of Google Alerts and that move finally paid dividends recently in a way that I'd hope it would.
Monday's Naples News had an editorial that spoke volumes and that seemed to be reading my mind for the past two years.
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http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2008/jun/16/editorial-fdot-bumbles-again-privatization-meeting/


Naples News
Editorial: FDOT bumbles again with privatization meeting site
By Staff Reports
Monday, June 16, 2008


Florida Department of Transportation officials concede they have some public relations fence-mending to do on the Alligator Alley privatization project.


They tell our editorial board that both timing and location of an April meeting for a would-be contractors to collect tolls were off target. Florida DOT Secretary Stephanie Kopelousos says there should have been more than a week of advance notice, and the meeting should have been held in Southwest or South Florida rather than Orlando, which she says was chosen for the convenience of businesspeople.


Yet, look where the next big meeting, on Friday, to review those applications from eight firms is to be held: Tallahassee.


How convenient for FDOT officials.


Vocal, watchdog citizens who want to see and hear everything for themselves — and give FDOT a piece of their mind — are out of luck, unless they are up for a long, expensive drive or very expensive plane ride.


The FDOT is not helping itself win friends and influence citizens when saying one thing and doing another.
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See also:
SPECIAL REPORT: Alligator Alley could fall into international hands
By Leslie Williams
June 14, 2008
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2008/jun/14/special-report-alligator-alley-could-fall-internat/