It was a matter of time until Seattle, which views the rest of the states as their own personal ATM, came a-callin' for more money.
The deal, of course, was that Seattle would not GET any state money to build their stupidity beyond the intyial rip off the democrat-controlled legislature agreed to. But those watching closely knew that the home of the floating bridge disaster where $400 million was wasted before a shovel full of dirt was turned and then additional hundreds of millions was wasted because of piss-poor designs by the sainted WADOT would demand the state bail them out.
Here we see a true example of the "camel's nose under the tent-flap" approach to raping our wallets... still stinging from the GOP-controlled senate sell out on the gas tax scam.
The amount? A paltry $12 million.... chump change. Think of it in terms of what lobbyists used to spend on legislative meals compared to the entirety of the state budget... somewhere in the mid $30's of the billion variety.
Raise you hands, readers, if you actually believe that $12 million is anything BUT a trial balloon.
Raise your hands if you actually think for a moment that if the legislature goes along with this scam, there won't be additional BILLIONS being piped to Seattle over time?
The GOP won't do anything about it. What did they do about the gas tax increase?
And here is the chief shill of the gas tax, Transportation Chair and alleged Republican State Senator Curtis King (Who, by the way, actually DOES represent part of Clark County down by Washougal) trying to defend the indefensible, and, frankly, lying during the course of an interview:
Bertha has completely entered the Seattle tunnel repair pit on the waterfront. (Washington State Department of Transportation photo)
A little while ago... some 6 years, to be precise, I pointed out the conditions we now are beginning to face as a result of Seattle's stupidity and their decision to do what they always do: pick THE most expensive option out of all of those available.
It's not that I can tell the future, per se', but anyone with any experience in government generally and watching projects spin out of control specifically knew going in that these things follow a pattern where those shilling the scam like the CRC rip off, ALWAYS over-promise and ALWAYS under-deliver and ALWAYS lie.
I wrote:
The FINAL cost?
$22 Billion, including interest. The same kind of scam Sound Transit ran, if memory serves.
Mark my words:
Unless the legislature immediately slams the door shut in the face of Seattle, this will only be the first time these scum come begging to put THEIR hands in OUR wallets.
Neither Seattle NOR the contractors have been provided with any particular reason to keep costs down and to stick to their planned budget. Because if they HAD such and incentive?
They wouldn't be opening up the pipeline to our money.
Remember: most of these costs could have been avoided had the clowns running the show stuck with fixing the viaduct instead of being so damned concerned about the esoteric crap about how it "looked" over how it FUNCTIONED.
The costs for the repairs to Bertha are expected to top $145 million... in large part because the design specs for Bertha DID NOT INCLUDE A CAPABILITY FOR THAT JUNK HEAP TO GO INTO REVERSE!!!!
Bertha itself cost $85 million. I have yet to see WHY it couldn't have been allowed to just sit there while Hitachi built ANOTHER one (This time with an "R" on the PRNDL, as my daughter says) and then use the SECOND one to bore through to the FIRST one from the OPPOSITE DIRECTION to save us a paltry 35 to 40 million dollars, counting for some level of inflation.
Did they do that? HELL no... after all, this cash they're vaporizing through isn't THEIR money... it's OUR money.
The deal, of course, was that Seattle would not GET any state money to build their stupidity beyond the intyial rip off the democrat-controlled legislature agreed to. But those watching closely knew that the home of the floating bridge disaster where $400 million was wasted before a shovel full of dirt was turned and then additional hundreds of millions was wasted because of piss-poor designs by the sainted WADOT would demand the state bail them out.
Here we see a true example of the "camel's nose under the tent-flap" approach to raping our wallets... still stinging from the GOP-controlled senate sell out on the gas tax scam.
The amount? A paltry $12 million.... chump change. Think of it in terms of what lobbyists used to spend on legislative meals compared to the entirety of the state budget... somewhere in the mid $30's of the billion variety.
Raise you hands, readers, if you actually believe that $12 million is anything BUT a trial balloon.
Raise your hands if you actually think for a moment that if the legislature goes along with this scam, there won't be additional BILLIONS being piped to Seattle over time?
The GOP won't do anything about it. What did they do about the gas tax increase?
And here is the chief shill of the gas tax, Transportation Chair and alleged Republican State Senator Curtis King (Who, by the way, actually DOES represent part of Clark County down by Washougal) trying to defend the indefensible, and, frankly, lying during the course of an interview:
Listen: Dori not surprised contractor asked for $12 million for Seattle tunnel repair pit
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Bertha has completely entered the Seattle tunnel repair pit on the waterfront. (Washington State Department of Transportation photo)
Taken from Friday's edition of KIRO Radio's Dori Monson Show.
For months and months, I've had several local lawmakers try to tell me that the tunnel project is not over budget and it's not going to be over budget, which is insane.
And now, we found out that Seattle Tunnel Partners is asking the state - the taxpayers - for an extra $12 million for the repair pit. That's on top of the $150 million or so that they've already asked for.
I've predicted at least a billion in overruns. You've heard me. I get upset when politicians have the audacity to tell me that this thing is not over budget. I had state Senator Curtis King on with me about a month ago.
This is what I asked him:
"You're asking us to give more money to the state Department of Transportation that is hundreds of millions over budget on the 520 project, that is overseeing the Seattle tunnel and that is going to be billions of dollars over budget. I don't care what anyone says, that's going to be billions over budget if it ever gets built at all - why should we give more money, right now, to an agency that's had a lot of trouble keeping any mega-project on budget?"
"So there's a variety of reasons. First of which, I would say I'd disagree that you're going to be billions over," King said. "That has not even been close to being determined yet. You're making assumptions there."
"No, I'm making projections based on expertise."
"Well, we're not over budget yet. That's all I can tell you," King said.
But Seattle Tunnel Partners Friday asked the taxpayers for $12 million. And I know that there's going to be a long legal fight over who's going to pay all these overruns. It's the state's contention that Seattle Tunnel Partners will have to pay for all of it.
I'm telling you right now, they have a history of sticking it to the taxpayers in the public projects that they've done and if it does run up to a billion dollars, they could declare bankruptcy on this project.
A lot of people are saying but that would kill their business down the road. You know what, if it's a choice between killing their business or paying a billion dollars, they would kill their business and keep the billion that they have.
So once again, our predictions have proven to be correct and the politicians who try to sell you and me a bill of goods are proven incorrect. And the beat goes on.
Taken from Friday's edition of KIRO Radio's Dori Monson Show.
SK
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It's not that I can tell the future, per se', but anyone with any experience in government generally and watching projects spin out of control specifically knew going in that these things follow a pattern where those shilling the scam like the CRC rip off, ALWAYS over-promise and ALWAYS under-deliver and ALWAYS lie.
I wrote:
The promised cost at the start of the Big Dig scam was $2.8 Billion.So now, instead of doing the right thing... instead of repairing and/or upgrading the Viaduct (much like we should be considering when it comes to the I-5 Bridge, but an unacceptable option to the downtown Mafia who demand loot rail at any price) the idiots running our government want the most expensive possible option: tearing down the viaduct and putting in a tunnel.Think "Big Dig," and what an utter, complete disaster that was and is. Think in terms of $4.25 billion only being the opening charge. Think in terms of additional, unspoken billions and tax increases to pay for it. Think in terms of special interests blowing holes in our collective wallets.
The FINAL cost?
$22 Billion, including interest. The same kind of scam Sound Transit ran, if memory serves.
Mark my words:
Unless the legislature immediately slams the door shut in the face of Seattle, this will only be the first time these scum come begging to put THEIR hands in OUR wallets.
Neither Seattle NOR the contractors have been provided with any particular reason to keep costs down and to stick to their planned budget. Because if they HAD such and incentive?
They wouldn't be opening up the pipeline to our money.
Remember: most of these costs could have been avoided had the clowns running the show stuck with fixing the viaduct instead of being so damned concerned about the esoteric crap about how it "looked" over how it FUNCTIONED.
The costs for the repairs to Bertha are expected to top $145 million... in large part because the design specs for Bertha DID NOT INCLUDE A CAPABILITY FOR THAT JUNK HEAP TO GO INTO REVERSE!!!!
Bertha itself cost $85 million. I have yet to see WHY it couldn't have been allowed to just sit there while Hitachi built ANOTHER one (This time with an "R" on the PRNDL, as my daughter says) and then use the SECOND one to bore through to the FIRST one from the OPPOSITE DIRECTION to save us a paltry 35 to 40 million dollars, counting for some level of inflation.
Did they do that? HELL no... after all, this cash they're vaporizing through isn't THEIR money... it's OUR money.
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