Did You
I am in my early 50s
Working at the Texas DOT,
Part of my duties is to be a project
Manager for a national pool fund
To monitor traffic control ideas
Across the USA on congestion
Which is the original brainchild
Of Dr. Tim & Dr. David at
A&M who are a pair of
Very sharp cookies
But I have only a
Few minutes
Ago had to
Phone to
Issue a
Stop work
Order on the
Project because
There is no money
In the FHWA kitty when
My phone rings and I am
Talking to God or as close as
Is possible at A&M who demands
To know if I am the guy who just
Issued a stop-work order on the
Project to which I answer yes.
He asks why. I tell him and
Add that as soon as the
FHWA can fax me an
Authorization for the
Transfer of more
Funds to the
Project I
Will
Instantly
Lift the stop
Work order though
I have for months been
Trying to get my FHWA contact
To do just this but to my surprise I
Suddenly receive said fax of
Said authorization so I lift
The stop-work order and
Contact the FHWA to
Ask where the funds
Came from which
Had been lost in
Their system
For months.
They said
The that
A duplicate
Account had
Accidentally been
Created in Atlanta but
Now those funds were back
In the Washington DC bin
Where they could be
Counted and I saw
The efficacy of
Being God at
A&M or at
Least to
Talk to
Him
And I
Muse on
The more
Than a dozen
Unique and different
Financial systems of the
States in the pool fund that
Each insists on their very own
Non-compliance methodology
For rolling unused funds into
The project kitty all of which
Are new and exciting kinds
Of clerical bookkeeping
Transfer adventures
As a first time ever
Project Manager
Awaiting the
Next phone
Call asking
Did you ...
Did I
Mention
There was no
Pool fund guide
At that time so it
Was a matter of try
This or that like writing
Every state DOT or Highway
Dept. to ask if they’d like
To give us their unused
Funds through the
FHWA plus all the
Coordination so
Entailed a task
My boss’
Boss
Said to
Me while
Clapping me
On the back smiling,
“Well, this is a real career
Maker or breaker!”
Followed by a
Volley of
Did you ...