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'''Ray Anderson Barnhart''' (January 12, 1928 – May 26, 2013) was a [[business]]man and [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[politician]], formerly from Pasadena in Harris County in [[suburb]]an [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], [[Texas]].​

'''Ray Anderson Barnhart''' (January 12, 1928 – May 26, 2013) was a [[business]]man and [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[politician]], formerly from Pasadena in Harris County in [[suburb]]an [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], [[Texas]].​

 

From February 12, 1981 to December 31, 1987<ref>[https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/highwayhistory/barnhart.cfm]</ref>, Barnhart was director of the Federal Highway Administration under [[U.S. President]] [[Ronald W. Reagan]]. In 1976, he, along with [[Ernest Angelo, Jr.]], of [[Midland]], and [[Barbara Staff]] of [[Dallas]] were co-chairmen of the Reagan presidential [[primary]] campaign against sitting President [[Gerald  Ford]]. From 1973 to 1974, Barnhart was a one-term member of the Texas House of Representatives. He previously served on the Pasadena City Council from 1965 to 1969.<ref name=whow>''Who's Who in America, 1984–1985'', 43rd ed., [[Chicago]]: Marquis Publishers, p. 175.</ref>​

From February 12, 1981 to December 31, 1987<ref>[https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/highwayhistory/barnhart.cfm]</ref>, Barnhart was director of the Federal Highway Administration under [[U.S. President]] [[Ronald W. Reagan]]. In 1976, he, along with [[Ernest Angelo, Jr.]], of [[Midland]], and [[Barbara Staff]] of [[Dallas]] were co-chairmen of the Reagan presidential [[primary]] campaign against sitting President [[Gerald  Ford]]. From 1973 to 1974, Barnhart was a one-term member of the Texas House of Representatives. He previously served on the Pasadena City Council from 1965 to 1969.<ref name=whow>''Who's Who in America, 1984–1985'', 43rd ed., [[Chicago]]: Marquis Publishers, p. 175.</ref>​

Barnhart's political interest began with two terms on the city council in Pasadena, which he describes at the time as "a lovely community but politically corrupt."<ref name=statement>Statement of Ray Barnhart, January 7, 2010.</ref> He and other businessmen worked to establish a mayor-council form of government to replace the city commission government then in place in Pasadena and first used in 1901 in nearby Galveston, Texas|Galveston]]. "We found it was hard to get good people to run for the city offices," he said. After two terms on the council, Barnhart ran unsuccessfully for mayor but was defeated by Clyde Doyle, a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]].<ref name=statement/> In Texas, municipal offices are technically non-partisan, and hence no party labels appear on the ballot. Barnhart recalls that a half dozen Pasadena officials were indicted in the late 1950s and early 1960s for public corruption.<ref name=statement/>​

Barnhart's political interest began with two terms on the city council in Pasadena, which he describes at the time as "a lovely community but politically corrupt."<ref name=statement>Statement of Ray Barnhart, January 7, 2010.</ref> He and other businessmen worked to establish a mayor-council form of government to replace the city commission government then in place in Pasadena and first used in 1901 in nearby Galveston, Texas|Galveston]]. "We found it was hard to get good people to run for the city offices," he said. After two terms on the council, Barnhart ran unsuccessfully for mayor but was defeated by Clyde Doyle, a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]].<ref name=statement/> In Texas, municipal offices are technically non-partisan, and hence no party labels appear on the ballot. Barnhart recalls that a half dozen Pasadena officials were indicted in the late 1950s and early 1960s for public corruption.<ref name=statement/>​

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In 1972, Barnhart was elected to a two-year term in revised District 100 (previously District 24-6)<ref>Because of changes in district lines over the years, District 100 is now in [[Dallas]], rather than Harris County.</ref> in the state House of Representatives, when President [[Richard M. Nixon and [[U.S. Senator]] [[John Tower]] were heading the state Republican ticket, along with the defeated gubernatorial nominee [[Henry C. Grover]] of Houston. Barnhart's House colleagues included Ray Hutchison of Dallas and Kay Bailey Hutchison|Kay Bailey]] of Harris County. The two married during their common legislative tenure, and Kay Bailey Hutchison went on to the [[United States Senate]] in 1993. In the 1974 session, the legislature became an ''ex officio'' constitutional convention headed by Speaker Price Daniel, Jr., of Liberty, Texas. In the deliberations Barnhart opposed a motion to "guarantee equal educational opportunity and free public schools" to all citizens. As drafted, Barnhart said that the motion, offered by the [[University of Texas]] Board of Regents chairman Frank Erwin would have prevented the state from charging tuition and fees at its public colleges and universities. Legislators acting as delegates fell three votes short of the 121/188, or 2/3 supermajority needed to adopt the new constitution. The state is hence still governed by the Texas Constitution of 1876. In 1974, a strongly Democratic year nationally as well as in Texas, Barnhart was defeated for a second term in the legislature by the Democrat Bill Caraway. Barnhart recalls that certain members of the Sagemont Church, a mission of First [[Baptist]] Church of Pasadena, organized in 1966 by founding pastor John D. Morgan,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sagemontchurch.org/about/the-sagemont-story/|title=Biographical Data|publisher=Sagemontchurch.org|accessdate=July 20, 2014}}</ref> worked against Barnhart because of his [[conservative]] fiscal policies and succeeded in bringing about the freshman lawmaker's defeat. Barnhart added that the long-serving pastor John Morgan had no role in the political action.<ref name=statement/>​

In 1972, Barnhart was elected to a two-year term in revised District 100 (previously District 24-6)<ref>Because of changes in district lines over the years, District 100 is now in [[Dallas]], rather than Harris County.</ref> in the state House of Representatives, when President [[Richard M. Nixon and [[U.S. Senator]] [[John Tower]] were heading the state Republican ticket, along with the defeated gubernatorial nominee [[Henry C. Grover]] of Houston. Barnhart's House colleagues included Ray Hutchison(1932-2014) of Dallas and Kay Bailey Hutchison|Kay Bailey]] of Harris County. The two married during their common legislative tenure, and Kay Bailey Hutchison went on to the [[United States Senate]] in 1993. In the 1974 session, the legislature became an ''ex officio'' constitutional convention headed by Speaker Price Daniel, Jr., of Liberty, Texas. In the deliberations Barnhart opposed a motion to "guarantee equal educational opportunity and free public schools" to all citizens. As drafted, Barnhart said that the motion, offered by the [[University of Texas]] Board of Regents chairman Frank Erwin would have prevented the state from charging tuition and fees at its public colleges and universities. Legislators acting as delegates fell three votes short of the 121/188, or 2/3 supermajority needed to adopt the new constitution. The state is hence still governed by the Texas Constitution of 1876. In 1974, a strongly Democratic year nationally as well as in Texas, Barnhart was defeated for a second term in the legislature by the Democrat Bill Caraway. Barnhart recalls that certain members of the Sagemont Church, a mission of First [[Baptist]] Church of Pasadena, organized in 1966 by founding pastor John D. Morgan,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sagemontchurch.org/about/the-sagemont-story/|title=Biographical Data|publisher=Sagemontchurch.org|accessdate=July 20, 2014}}</ref> worked against Barnhart because of his [[conservative]] fiscal policies and succeeded in bringing about the freshman lawmaker's defeat. Barnhart added that the long-serving pastor John Morgan had no role in the political action.<ref name=statement/>​

==National politics==

==National politics==

Despite the need for highway improvements and increasing fuel prices of recent years, Texas has not raised its 20-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax since the early 1990s, and the diesel tax has been unchanged even longer. In 2008, Barnhart said that only twenty-three states had increased the fuel tax. In a letter to Democratic state Senator Kirk Watson of [[Austin]], Barnhart said that the legislature, not the Texas Department of Transportation, is responsible for problems involving highways. "If the legislature had acted when I warned them fifteen years ago, Texas highway problems wouldn't be as critical as they are today. They [legislators] didn't have the guts to deal with the big truck lobby," Barnhart said in an interview. Barnhart said that 18 wheelers and other large trucks place excessive strain on state highways, but the legislature has not increased the diesel tax to maintain the transportation network. A $5 billion bond package Texas voters approved in November [2007] won't be enough to alleviate some of those problems because the state needs much more than that amount just to maintain its highway system.<ref name=txdot>{{Cite web|url=http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/021808/loc_248117883.shtml|author=Enrique Rangel|title=TxDOT traveling bumpy road|date=February 18, 2008|publisher=''Lubbock Avalanche-Journal''|accessdate=February 1, 2010}}</ref>​

Despite the need for highway improvements and increasing fuel prices of recent years, Texas has not raised its 20-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax since the early 1990s, and the diesel tax has been unchanged even longer. In 2008, Barnhart said that only twenty-three states had increased the fuel tax. In a letter to Democratic state Senator Kirk Watson of [[Austin]], Barnhart said that the legislature, not the Texas Department of Transportation, is responsible for problems involving highways. "If the legislature had acted when I warned them fifteen years ago, Texas highway problems wouldn't be as critical as they are today. They [legislators] didn't have the guts to deal with the big truck lobby," Barnhart said in an interview. Barnhart said that 18 wheelers and other large trucks place excessive strain on state highways, but the legislature has not increased the diesel tax to maintain the transportation network. A $5 billion bond package Texas voters approved in November [2007] won't be enough to alleviate some of those problems because the state needs much more than that amount just to maintain its highway system.<ref name=txdot>{{Cite web|url=http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/021808/loc_248117883.shtml|author=Enrique Rangel|title=TxDOT traveling bumpy road|date=February 18, 2008|publisher=''Lubbock Avalanche-Journal''|accessdate=February 1, 2010}}</ref>​

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Republican former state Representative Carl Isett, a Republican from [[Lubbock]], said that Barnhart made some valid points in his assessment but is too prone to blame the legislators for financial woes of TxDOT: "It's a combination of those factors. We have not given them everything they wanted but we have given them a lot. We try to fund more money for roads but a lot of that money comes from the feds." Isett said that critics blame the legislature "every time something goes wrong."<ref name=txdot/>​

Republican former state Representative Carl Isett, a Republican from [[Lubbock]], said that Barnhart made some valid points in his assessment but is too prone to blame the legislators for financial woes of TxDOT: "It's a combination of those factors. We have not given them everything they wanted but we have given them a lot. We try to fund more money for roads but a lot of that money comes from the feds." Isett said that critics blame the legislature "every time something goes wrong."<ref name=txdot/>

==Later life==​

==Later life==

During his highway tenure, the Barnharts resided in Falls Church, [[Virginia]]. The couple has two daughters, Whitney Allison Barnhart (born 1948), formerly Whitney Ziegler,<ref name=whow/> of [[Shadyside, Ohio|Shadyside]] in Belmont County, Ohio, and Mallory Ann Barnhart Rousellot (born 1955) and husband, Mark W. Rousellot (born 1954), [[rancher]]s from Sonora in Sutton County, Texas. Mallory Rousellot owns a restaurant in Sonora known as Mercantile on Main, located at the foot of the hill on which sits the county courthuse. Mallory Rousellot is a former board member of the Sonora Independent School District and has been the chairman of the Sutton County Republican Party. The Barnharts relocated to Mrs. Barnhart's home county and resided in St. Clairsville, Ohio,] within the Wheeling, West Virginia Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area]]. Barnhart had serious health problems in later years and underwent various medical treatments in Wheeling.<ref name=statement/>​

During his highway tenure, the Barnharts resided in Falls Church, [[Virginia]]. The couple has two daughters, Whitney Allison Barnhart (born 1948), formerly Whitney Ziegler,<ref name=whow/> of [[Shadyside, Ohio|Shadyside]] in Belmont County, Ohio, and Mallory Ann Barnhart Rousellot (born 1955) and husband, Mark W. Rousellot (born 1954), [[rancher]]s from Sonora in Sutton County, Texas. Mallory Rousellot owns a restaurant in Sonora known as Mercantile on Main, located at the foot of the hill on which sits the county courthuse. Mallory Rousellot is a former board member of the Sonora Independent School District and has been the chairman of the Sutton County Republican Party. The Barnharts relocated to Mrs. Barnhart's home county and resided in St. Clairsville, Ohio,] within the Wheeling, West Virginia Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area]]. Barnhart had serious health problems in later years and underwent various medical treatments in Wheeling.<ref name=statement/>​

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