I don't think the arguments I've seen here will hold water for those who are able to actually change the methodology and management system via their political clout. As the project is very broadly laid out, the operating costs to those who benefit will decrease and tax takes will increase. It seems to me that if these power-structure folks were shown a way that they'd get more tax take or profit, they might join you. Otherwise, it looks like a done deal.
I agree. There is a lot of money to be made and those with the political
clout certainly won't let We The People get in the way.
Now, in the website about this deal, I've seen allegations that the proposed management group has some sort of background of corruption. If true, that's gotta be brought out. And, as always, there must be focus on how the project bids will be let, construction supervised, and the whole deal's financing. All other aspects are secondary or tertiary for those who could bring about changes.
This is just part of "doing business" in America --corruption, supposedly
sealed bids where everyone knows who will be picked in advance, and
when discovered, nothing really done about it. Kind of like Kofi Annan's
son's business deals or French banks taking a skim prior to the the Iraq
invasion by the US.
Everyone takes their turn making the big money and ignoring doing the
right thing. Same as it has always been, but America always talked like it
was better than all that. At least we could talk a good talk. It has been
the same attitude whether Repubs or Dems in office: Clinton allows
supercomputer sales to the Chinese (while Gore picks up campaign
contributions), Bush picks construction companies that his family and buddies
hold stock in.
I see this stuff at the local level, too, with things as mundane as sewer
lines. Someone is contracted to put in some kind of valves made of brass at
that price, but put in cheaper ones made of PVC. They pocket the
difference. A few years later, the line is torn up again because the cheaper
ones broke. No one investigates it even though there is physical evidence
sitting right there in the ground and signed purchase orders. When there's
no investigation, it means someone got paid off, and I'm not talking about
the cop on the beat.
We're talking about a little 6 figure deal in a little town. Imagine what's at
stake when it's 10+ figure deals such as those involving roads. It makes
it a lot easier to turn people with that kind of palm greasing money
available. Sure, there's court challenges for show, but we all know the
decision in advance. I've had ex officio commo with judges prior to hearings
and that was in relation to juvenile healthcare services when no real money
was at stake nor a business's profits. I can only imagine the pleading that
takes place with the usual line "it will cost us local/state/federal jobs"
prior to lining someone's pockets. The business owners make the money
and consolidate within their industry and the poltical owners increase
their hold on social power and consolidate control of the puiblic. Nothing
new since this is just the Golden Rule: He who holds the gold makes the
rules. When the rules involve ignoring the Constitution, they have no
problem doing it. Dems and Repubs have been doing it and their buddies
in the big companies have been doing it.
Art, you are probably old enough to remember that Standard Oil, Ma Bell,
and the railroads were "broken up" because too much power was
concentrated in too few hands at the time. This breakup has almost
reversed itself as the oil companies are back to 3 major players in this
country and one phone company sucks all the land lines back in. Sure
there's mobiles right now, but they'll eventually be consolidated as well.
This happened poltically as the states weakened vs the federal gov't
and now the federal gov't joins with the neighboring national gov'ts.
Nothing new since this political consolidation has happened since
"civilization" began. However, the founding of America was suppose
to be different. Only those ignorant of history would think America
would last forever --everything dies eventually. Beautiful flowers wilt
and drop their petals only to be replaced by weeds. It will take
careful planting and cultivation to make the garden grow again.
Our current America is nothing new anymore. It is returning to the old
weeds of history. I would have hoped we would have come farther by now,
but humanity remains grossly twisted like briars and the gardeners are too
few to keep up with the work at hand.
