Obama taps Charlotte mayor to lead Transportation Department, official says (Race a factor)

washington post ^ | 4/28/2013 | By Juliet Eilperin

[tobyhill]

President Obama plans to nominate Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx to serve as transportation secretary, a White House official said Sunday.

Foxx, who would succeed Ray LaHood, would be the first African American nominated to serve in the president’s second-term Cabinet. Obama, who has had several Latino, African American and female Cabinet members step down in recent months, has come under fire for not doing enough to ensure diversity among his top advisers.

The White House official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the announcement had not been made, said, “As mayor of one of America’s most vibrant cities, Anthony Foxx knows firsthand that investing in world-class infrastructure is vital to creating good jobs and ensuring American businesses can grow and compete in the global economy.”

The people who were informed of Foxx’s selection asked not to be identified because the president has not made a formal public announcement.

Foxx, whose city hosted the Democratic National Convention last year, has pushed to expand public transit options for Charlotte while serving as mayor. The city has started building the Charlotte Streetcar Project, one of several electric transit systems underway in the country, and is expanding the LYNX light-rail system so it can reach the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

[Venturer]

Competence is not a factor either.

[struggle]

Holy crap - because Anthony Foxx is willing to spend millions upon millions on a crappy streetcar but not on finishing the 485 loop.

[happyhomemaker]

#blackfatigue....can we get a witness...

[Chode]

the incompetent appointing the incompetent is a surprise??? feh...

[DaveA37]

Is the guy not only black but also a muzzie? It would certainly fit the pattern of odumbo’s appointments.

[Chode]

same-same