Mary Peters Named To Succeed Norman Mineta

ANN REALTIME REPORTING 09.05.06 1525 EDT: President Bush has named Mary E. Peters, a former federal highway administrator, to succeed Norman Mineta as the next Secretary of Transportation.

"She's going to make an outstanding secretary of transporation," Bush said, according to the Associated Press. "It is a job that requires vision and strong leadership. Mary Peters is the right person for this job. She brings a lifetime of experience on transportation issues from both the private and the public sectors. "

Peters served as chief of the Federal Highway Administration from 2001 to 2005... where she was an advocate of tolls for building new highways.

"You just can't depend on the federal government to bring the money in that was around when the interstate system was first built," Peters said in a recent interview. Many aviation insiders fear that could be an ominous sign she will also support user fees -- tolls, by another name -- for general aviation pilots.

Peters faces confirmation for the post from the Senate, which meets this week following a one-month vacation.

Last year, there was speculation Peters would be a Republican candidate for governor of Arizona -- but she declined to run, citing the possible "distraction" of the fact she actually lived in Virginia.

Stay tuned to ANN as we bring you reaction from the aviation community on today's announcement.

FMI: www.dot.gov