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Buffalo News writes a kiss-a$$ article...


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That's news? What would really be newsworthy is a project coming in on time and/or at or near budget.

 

Kind of like the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge in SF. Oh wait no.........

 

The original bridge, which is about 4.5 miles took three years to build (1933-36) at a total cost of $77mil. That's about $1bil in today's dollars.

 

Fast forward to today. They are replacing the easter span between Treasure Island and Oakland. The construction, which is about half the length of the original span, will take about 11 years to build at a cost of $6.3bil.

 

So now (even with advanced techniques) it takes four times as long to build something half the length at six times the cost. WTF!?!? :wallbash:

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Kind of like the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge in SF. Oh wait no.........

 

The original bridge, which is about 4.5 miles took three years to build (1933-36) at a total cost of $77mil. That's about $1bil in today's dollars.

 

Fast forward to today. They are replacing the easter span between Treasure Island and Oakland. The construction, which is about half the length of the original span, will take about 11 years to build at a cost of $6.3bil.

 

So now (even with advanced techniques) it takes four times as long to build something half the length at six times the cost. WTF!?!? :wallbash:

 

Lots of toxic waste to dispose of (aside from the entirety of the existing span - no doubt covered in lead paint - I'll bet all the sediment they dredge for the new pilings is classified as "toxic waste"), wildlife protection (no doubt there's some sort of rare snail who's habitat is being disrupted or something), environmental clean-up (can't have the workers leaving McD's bags laying around). And labor IS more expensive than in the depths of the Great Depression, as well as the lives of workers - rule of thumb back in the 30's was one death per million spent on a bridge. Could you imagine the shitstorm if 77 workers died building the new span?

 

Then there's zoning, kickbacks, building codes that have to be met (I'm sure codes are stricter now than in the 30's), indirect expenses such as detouring traffic. And probably $30M for "educating" people on the mere existence of the bridge - never mind another $20M for pedestrian safety, $30M for cyclists' safety, $10M for the "Bay Bridge - What It Means To Your Gay Lover And You" campaign, $50M to fund the Bay Bridge Homeless Shelter...

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Lots of toxic waste to dispose of (aside from the entirety of the existing span - no doubt covered in lead paint - I'll bet all the sediment they dredge for the new pilings is classified as "toxic waste"), wildlife protection (no doubt there's some sort of rare snail who's habitat is being disrupted or something), environmental clean-up (can't have the workers leaving McD's bags laying around). And labor IS more expensive than in the depths of the Great Depression, as well as the lives of workers - rule of thumb back in the 30's was one death per million spent on a bridge. Could you imagine the shitstorm if 77 workers died building the new span?

 

Then there's zoning, kickbacks, building codes that have to be met (I'm sure codes are stricter now than in the 30's), indirect expenses such as detouring traffic. And probably $30M for "educating" people on the mere existence of the bridge - never mind another $20M for pedestrian safety, $30M for cyclists' safety, $10M for the "Bay Bridge - What It Means To Your Gay Lover And You" campaign, $50M to fund the Bay Bridge Homeless Shelter...

 

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Barney Frank could teach that class for a cool 15 mil..........

 

Ooops, over budget!!

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Kind of like the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge in SF. Oh wait no.........

 

The original bridge, which is about 4.5 miles took three years to build (1933-36) at a total cost of $77mil. That's about $1bil in today's dollars.

 

Fast forward to today. They are replacing the easter span between Treasure Island and Oakland. The construction, which is about half the length of the original span, will take about 11 years to build at a cost of $6.3bil.

 

So now (even with advanced techniques) it takes four times as long to build something half the length at six times the cost. WTF!?!? :wallbash:

 

This had me scratching my head. How is that possible?

 

 

Lots of toxic waste to dispose of (aside from the entirety of the existing span - no doubt covered in lead paint - I'll bet all the sediment they dredge for the new pilings is classified as "toxic waste"), wildlife protection (no doubt there's some sort of rare snail who's habitat is being disrupted or something), environmental clean-up (can't have the workers leaving McD's bags laying around). And labor IS more expensive than in the depths of the Great Depression, as well as the lives of workers - rule of thumb back in the 30's was one death per million spent on a bridge. Could you imagine the shitstorm if 77 workers died building the new span?

 

Then there's zoning, kickbacks, building codes that have to be met (I'm sure codes are stricter now than in the 30's), indirect expenses such as detouring traffic. And probably $30M for "educating" people on the mere existence of the bridge - never mind another $20M for pedestrian safety, $30M for cyclists' safety, $10M for the "Bay Bridge - What It Means To Your Gay Lover And You" campaign, $50M to fund the Bay Bridge Homeless Shelter...

 

....and sadly, it all makes 'sense' now. :doh:

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This had me scratching my head. How is that possible?

 

 

 

 

....and sadly, it all makes 'sense' now. :doh:

 

And I even forgot the $100M for the "Seatbelts save lives on the Bay Bridge" and "Speed Kills on the Bay Bridge" campaigns, and another $100M for Homeland Security's mandatory risk mitigation planning against terrorism...

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<br />And I even forgot the $100M for the "Seatbelts save lives on the Bay Bridge" and "Speed Kills on the Bay Bridge" campaigns, and another $100M for Homeland Security's mandatory risk mitigation planning against terrorism...<br />
<br /><br /><br />

 

Throw in another $200 mil for mandatory detention centers for US citizen terrorists.

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Lots of toxic waste to dispose of (aside from the entirety of the existing span - no doubt covered in lead paint - I'll bet all the sediment they dredge for the new pilings is classified as "toxic waste"), wildlife protection (no doubt there's some sort of rare snail who's habitat is being disrupted or something), environmental clean-up (can't have the workers leaving McD's bags laying around). And labor IS more expensive than in the depths of the Great Depression, as well as the lives of workers - rule of thumb back in the 30's was one death per million spent on a bridge. Could you imagine the shitstorm if 77 workers died building the new span?

 

Then there's zoning, kickbacks, building codes that have to be met (I'm sure codes are stricter now than in the 30's), indirect expenses such as detouring traffic. And probably $30M for "educating" people on the mere existence of the bridge - never mind another $20M for pedestrian safety, $30M for cyclists' safety, $10M for the "Bay Bridge - What It Means To Your Gay Lover And You" campaign, $50M to fund the Bay Bridge Homeless Shelter...

 

Don't forget a dozen or so signs at $10,000+ apiece to declare that the project was funded, in tiny part, by Obama.

 

Throw in another $200 mil for mandatory detention centers for US citizen terrorists.

 

That's what the FEMA camps are for, duh.

 

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Barney Frank could teach that class for a cool 15 mil..........

 

Ooops, over budget!!

 

That's perfectly acceptable. Mr. Frank intends to hire 68 union teaching assistants and 421 illegal immigrants. Going overbudget is fine, so long as the money is being spent the correct way.

 

Teach union, live longer!

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