We (bH bloggers and commenters) have speculated before on any connections the winning red light camera vendor (ATS) might have with MayorWhiteChiefHurtt. Today Kristen Mack has the details:
HPD maintains that ATS won because it had the best overall package.
As is typical in efforts to land profitable city contracts, someone on every side has some City Hall connection.
ATS’ ties are through former Texas Land Commissioner Gary Mauro, a good friend of White.
Mauro, though, says he was hired to consult ATS, not to lobby City Hall.
[snip]
The council approved the use of cameras to catch red-light violators in December 2004.
Those plans were stalled while the city fought legislative attempts to ban red-light cameras last year. Helping the city in the fight were prospective vendors, hoping for the lucrative city business.
The city won in Austin, with help from former City Councilman Bert Keller, who is vice president of sales for the southeast region for Rhode Island-based Nestor Traffic Systems. Nestor believed it could win the contract if the city kept the right to install red light cameras. But Nestor placed third among the three bidders.
Lawyer Darryl Carter, who lobbies on behalf of Dallas-based ACS, also kept close tabs on key developments in Austin.
ACS, which placed second, hasn’t publicly fought the outcome — possibly because it has a motivation for maintaining warm relations with the city. ACS already collects city ambulance fees and is in line for a lucrative parking meter contract.
[snip]
By contrast, ATS, which didn’t lobby at the Legislature, seemed to arrive out of nowhere. Based on the way business is usually done at City Hall, watchers were wondering how ATS was connected.
All they’ve been able to find is Mauro’s longtime ties to White. Both worked in 1975 for then-U.S. Rep. Bob Krueger, D-New Braunfels. City Hall chatter to the contrary, Krueger says he has no ties to ATS.
But Mauro and White have other political connections. Mauro headed Bill Clinton’s presidential campaigns in Texas. White worked in Clinton’s administration as a deputy energy secretary.
That’s good stuff from Mack…and some sunshine that needs to shine.
Let’s not forget that the rules were changed during the camera test period, and that Nestor used collision-avoidance technology — technology the city doesn’t want to use.
But rest assured, Mayor White is still protecting Houstonians from red light camera shenanigans.
