Over-engineered and Over Budget

longknife

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Sep 21, 2012
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We all know the big push for repairing and improving this country's infrsastructure; the highways, bridges, and other facilities. All well and good. But, what is the main thing we face in getting those things done? Here's a perfect example from Wisconsin:

A bridge project in the town of Sylvan in Richland County is a good example of this issue. The design and oversight costs of this project were 37 percent of the total project cost of $362,094.94. We spent $47,306.48 for design, $15,000.00 for design oversight and $70,000 for construction oversight. The actual construction cost is $229,788.46

$132,306 just for oversight and design! And here's the bridge the article refers to:



Good Lord in heaven! How in the world can anyone consider three hundred and sixty-two thousand for that dinky little bridge! Somebody got a whole lot of bucks in their politically connected pockets. And it's not just there but all over the country.

Full story @ Over-engineered and Over Budget | Boots & Sabers
 
Something similar in the landscape business. Often a customer is charged the cost of the tree, installation and the cost of the tree. Not a typo. Yep, seems some landscapers like to guarantee the tree's replacement. Thing is, I have over a 90% live tree rate on deciduous.

What that county should have done is cash out with the state and fund the bridge with state specs. The state keeps a percentage and the bridge gets build to good specs with less money spent. Even this is insanity, but seems to make everyone in government happy.
 
This is a state issue.

I'm surprised at how often folks don't understand which infrastructure responsibilities are those of the state, and those of the federal government.


I agree, this is wasteful, and it is probably common across the nation, but it needs to be addressed at the local level.
 
We all know the big push for repairing and improving this country's infrsastructure; the highways, bridges, and other facilities. All well and good. But, what is the main thing we face in getting those things done? Here's a perfect example from Wisconsin:

A bridge project in the town of Sylvan in Richland County is a good example of this issue. The design and oversight costs of this project were 37 percent of the total project cost of $362,094.94. We spent $47,306.48 for design, $15,000.00 for design oversight and $70,000 for construction oversight. The actual construction cost is $229,788.46

$132,306 just for oversight and design! And here's the bridge the article refers to:



Good Lord in heaven! How in the world can anyone consider three hundred and sixty-two thousand for that dinky little bridge! Somebody got a whole lot of bucks in their politically connected pockets. And it's not just there but all over the country.

Full story @ Over-engineered and Over Budget | Boots & Sabers



They should have asked Trump.........under budget and under schedule

Far too much waste in government

I remember the military paying $1500 for a screw. The exact same specs and even the same manufacture, you could get for a 25 cents at a local hardware store rather than wait a week or two for it to be shipped up to alaska.

I found a lot of them but at the time no one seemed to care. Almost everything used by the military or government was over charged, even paper and type writer ribbons. Even paper clips were more than double local prices....and most things in alaska were already higher priced than the lower 48.
 
This is indeed a state, or local, issue. It is wasteful, but easy to understand. You need a bridge built and hire a construction crew. They must get plans from a reputable source, say the governors brother-in-law. Then a second opinion is needed for safety reasons so the plans get sent to the state house speaker's cousin for review. After this, the material must be shipped by local shippers so the local mayor's brother's trucking firm is used for hauling. During construction the work is inspected for quality control by the local party boss' son. When all is said and done you have an new $200,000 bridge that only costs $500,000. Of course that means the locals have to put off fixing that other dilapidated bridge, but hey, you can't have everything.
 
This is a state issue.

I'm surprised at how often folks don't understand which infrastructure responsibilities are those of the state, and those of the federal government.


I agree, this is wasteful, and it is probably common across the nation, but it needs to be addressed at the local level.

You are correct. However, there is one pure federal responsibility and that is the Interstate Highway system. That is in serious repair and needs to be fixed. But, the way the feds work is really going to turn it into a long term boondoggle with delays and overruns.

I'm sure there are others but this is the first to come to mind.
 
This is indeed a state, or local, issue. It is wasteful, but easy to understand. You need a bridge built and hire a construction crew. They must get plans from a reputable source, say the governors brother-in-law. Then a second opinion is needed for safety reasons so the plans get sent to the state house speaker's cousin for review. After this, the material must be shipped by local shippers so the local mayor's brother's trucking firm is used for hauling. During construction the work is inspected for quality control by the local party boss' son. When all is said and done you have an new $200,000 bridge that only costs $500,000. Of course that means the locals have to put off fixing that other dilapidated bridge, but hey, you can't have everything.

Awesome post. Thank you.
 
This is a state issue.

I'm surprised at how often folks don't understand which infrastructure responsibilities are those of the state, and those of the federal government.


I agree, this is wasteful, and it is probably common across the nation, but it needs to be addressed at the local level.

You are correct. However, there is one pure federal responsibility and that is the Interstate Highway system. That is in serious repair and needs to be fixed. But, the way the feds work is really going to turn it into a long term boondoggle with delays and overruns.

I'm sure there are others but this is the first to come to mind.

That's true, except for the globalist trade routes.

That is where all of the infrastructure money is being spent. Those routes are fine, in fact, pristine. And they always have money to build and expand on them.

And when they don't? They privatize them.

Routes that hook up Mexio-Canada and the U.S. are actually in quite good shape. I have a cousin that is an OTR driver, they say they all know that you take

At least in this state. And the roads in this state suuuuuuuuuuuuuck. At this point, I'll drive 20 minutes out of my way just to drive on I-75 because I KNOW it will be 50% to 75% better than any other road in the state. Especially in the winter it will be clear. Who wants to put that extra wear on ones shocks and struts?

And I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that the Interstates leading away from the busiest ports in the nation are in fine shape as well. As long as the goods being off loaded from other nations is getting to market. . . . .

OTR.
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RAIL.
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If it isn't along these federal lines, yes, it is going to shit, and the elites don't really give a shit about it until the constituents start to bitch.
 

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