... and they haven't even started construction.
People, WHAT DO YOU THINK THEY'RE DOING TO US HERE?????????
KING 5 reports:
These people are screwing us sideways... and our government is HELPING them!
MAJOR hat tip to Orbusmax.
More:by SUSANNAH FRAME / KING 5 News
Bio
Email Follow: @SFrameK5Posted on March 17, 2011 at 10:51 PM
Updated Friday, Mar 18 at 6:18 AM
SEATTLE -- For any construction project, planning is key. And to replace the 520 bridge across Lake Washington for safety reasons, the State of Washington has planned, and planned, and planned some more -- 14 years of it.
Jonathan Dubman, a Montlake resident, is a die-hard 520 community activist who's attended hundreds of planning meetings. He's been there from the beginning leading citizen input.
"This has been an incredibly frustrating process," Dubman said. "This project had a reputation for being divisive and for inaction about a decade ago. And I never thought that we would still be here in 2011 having these conversations without having really started construction on the project."
The State of Washington is still having the conversation and spending. The KING 5 Investigators have obtained billing records going back to 1997 when work to replace the bridge first began. The reporters found while nothing significant has been built, plenty has been spent.
So far, taxpayers have paid more than $377 million on studies, planning, buying properties and a small amount of construction. Roughly $20 million has been spent on preparing for tolling. Citizens of Seattle chipped in more. Seattle spent another $1 million for additional studying. All of it totals to 398 million tax dollars spent so far.
"It's extraordinary!" said Mike Ennis, Washington Policy Center's Transportation Expert. "The original bridge cost $34 million to build in 1963. Adjusting for inflation, in 2011 dollars, the existing bridge had a total cost 0f $245 million. They've already spent more in just planning and design than the cost of the original bridge structure. You have to ask yourself as a taxpayer, what are they doing to increase these costs?"
The majority of the money has gone to a long list of consultants for engineering, project management and community relations. Consultants are not cheap. The state has paid nearly $7.7 million to one community relations firm, EnviroIssues, to gather public opinion and get the word out about 520.
"I think in today's climate, a lot of people would be outraged that the state is spending this kind of money without getting any real benefit on the ground," said Dubman.
Of course with any job, time is money -- and the 520 bridge timing got off course. In 2001, after already studying the project for four years, the WSDOT put out these messages for the public: A final design should be in place by winter, 2002. Construction begins in mid-2004, if financing is available. Off-peak tolling would be $0.80.
This is crime, plain and simple. These slime could teach the Mafia a thing or two.
And they are doing ther EXACT same thing, RIGHT HERE.
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1 comment:
oh $hit!. Do you not see the same template that they are using Highway 520 that they are using on the Columbia River Crossing Project?
All I can say is, time to call out Paula Hammond. Enough is enough.
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