LOL!!! Far be it from me to say that the TX Legislature will do anything -- beyond getting more crooked and less competent! '-)
FYI, it is the bureaucratic leadership of TXDOT that I see as evil -- not the engineers...
Some in the US Congress have become alarmed over this also because they are now realizing that the PPPs cut them out of the loop also. Democrats Oberstar and DeFazio, who have leadership positions, recently wrote a letter to all the states' governors and legislatures warning of "repercussions" over the PPPs. This caused an uproar in the transportation industry and they backed off, acknowledging a need for both private money and public money. They are backing the 5 cent increase in federal gas taxes. That is a 27% increase.