Monday, August 12, 2013

Confession of a Retired Politician

News that the [San Francisco Bay Area] Transbay Terminal is something is something  like $300 million over budget should should not come as a shock to anyone.

We always knew that the initial estimate was way under the real cost.  Just like we never had a real cost for the Central Subway or the Bay Bridge or any other massive construction project.  So get off it.

In the world of civic projects , the first budget is really just a down payment.  If people knew the real cost from the start, nothing would ever be approved.

The idea is to get going.  Start digging a hole and make it so big, there's no alternative to coming up with the money to fill it up.

The foregoing explanation of how the government works, gulling gullible taxpaying suckers, is from former San Francisco Mayor and California Assembly Speaker Willie Brown's July 28 San Francisco Chronicle column.



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