IN a nation built on a system of checks and balances, `trust me` has never been good enough. So there`s reason to wonder about a recent decision by the State Transportation Board. Last month, this little-known state board made a quick decision to strip funding from safety improvements on two deadly stretches of state highway in favour of a road widening thatwas not recommended by the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT).

Approved was a $66million project to improve a stretch of Arizona 260 west of Interstate 17. Called Thousand Trails, this project will be the state`s biggest rural-highway project in the next five years. ...

In all fairness, there also were safety concerns about Thousand Trails, and there is no suggestion that anything illegal or unethical took place.

Transportation boards exist in many states to take the politics and corruption out of transportation planning. The members of Arizona`s volunteer board are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate. They actedwithin their authority.... But there are reasons to question how the system is working.

Requests for board correspondence have been denied by ADOT.... The state`s openrecords laws, though, apply to all public bodies with appointed members. ... Nor is there any mechanism to assure that the decisions the board makes are responsive to public opinion.Former board member Felipe Zubia reportedly lobbied current board members in favour of fund-ing for Thousand Trails. He`d been off the board more than a year, so under state law, he did nothing wrong. But he had access the average citizen lacks. ...

Few members of the public attend the meetings of this powerful board.... That leaves scant citizen input to balance lobbying by those with something to gain....The decision to fund this project was made in two weeks.

As volunteers, board members likely are motivated by the desire to serve the public`s best interests. But the lack of oversight and accountability is troubling.... (July 5) •