Her Way or the Ugly Highway

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On September 5, 2006, President Bush nominated Mary Peters as Secretary of the Department of Transportation. PR firms should be thrilled. During her short tenure as head of the Federal Highway Administration she made plans to spend an average of $8 million for the services of private PR firms, including almost $3 million a year to "advertise visually-appealing highways and routes." Despite a chorus of criticism, Peters is holding firm to her belief that the plan, which was written with PR as its base, is critical to "position the brand" and "develop a core identity." If Peters is confirmed as Transportation Secretary she will succeed Norman Mineta, the final member of Bush's Cabinet who was a Clinton appointee.