Not just Crumbling_pavement, Crumbling Capitol...

[Crumbled_pavement]

Costs rise as Capitol crumbles

Key parts of the antiquated U.S. Capitol campus are literally crumbling, desperately in need of more than $200 million in repairs.

Water is leaking through pin holes in the Statue of Freedom. Lead-based paint chips are flaking off the Rotunda walls and collecting on the tour route to the Capitol dome, putting visitors at risk. Last summer, a U.S. Capitol Police officer was injured when he was struck by a falling ceiling tile in the Cannon House Office Building. And in the garage of the Rayburn House Office Building, parts of the parking deck require a full concrete-slab replacement — and without it, vehicles could be damaged, according to previously unreleased committee testimony.

The Architect of the Capitol has asked for at least $216 million to help repair some of the historic structures within the Capitol, but his wish list has crashed into political reality: Lawmakers don’t want to be seen spending taxpayer money to spruce up their own offices while deficits spiral out of control.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories...#ixzz0sSGYJ9Co

[maxx]

That certainly was the hallmark of the W admin. Flush billions down Iraq but be very thrifty when it came to the infrastructure or agencies like FEMA, FDA, and EPA.

[Jimaz]

That certainly was the hallmark of the W admin. Flush billions down Iraq but be very thrifty when it came to the infrastructure or agencies like FEMA, FDA, and EPA.

Remember that rash of consumer poisoning events toward the end of his term? That is just bizarrely irresponsible to let things like that get out of control.

[Mikeg]

That certainly was the hallmark of the W admin.

When did George W. Bush veto a Congressional bill to fund the needed repairs at the Capitol?

[Mikeg]

Remember that rash of consumer poisoning events toward the end of his term? That is just bizarrely irresponsible to let things like that get out of control.

Don't you mean that it was bizarrely iresponsible of the Democrat-controlled Congress?

[ghettopalmetto]

Don't you mean that it was bizarrely iresponsible of the Democrat-controlled Congress?

And which regulatory agencies fall under the purview of the Congress, Mr. Sycophant?

[Detroitnerd]

It's cool. I bet in 10 years they're all in Costa Rica, laughing at the trillions they stole.

[Retroit]

Tear that schitt down! Where's the DCEGC when you need them?

[rb336]

Just for perspective -- $216 million is really not that much for the entire breadth of what needs to be done. unless of course you contract KBR to do it, then that will just cover mobilization costs

[Papasito]

Under the proposed budget, which now must be considered by Congress, overall spending by the State Department and related agencies would rise to nearly 54 billion dollars in 2010, a nine percent increase in the money to be spent in FY 2009.
http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=46782

We can send billions to ungratefuls in B.F.E. but we ignore the homeland time and time again.

[Gannon]

It's cool. I bet in 10 years they're all in Costa Rica, laughing at the trillions they stole.

I think you missed the memo, while Costa Rica remains a CIA stronghold, it will be Paraguay where these folks will go to escape criminal prosecution in either US or International courts.

[Detroitej72]

I think you missed the memo, while Costa Rica remains a CIA stronghold, it will be Paraguay where these folks will go to escape criminal prosecution in either US or International courts.

Since the CIA is overrun with noe-cons, I suspect they'll be just fine in Costa Rica.

[maxx]

I think you missed the memo, while Costa Rica remains a CIA stronghold, it will be Paraguay where these folks will go to escape criminal prosecution in either US or International courts.

The Bushes have bought property very close to a huge aquifer in Paraguay. When water gets short, guess who will be selling it?

[maxx]

http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=59973
"...for years, many veterans with PTSD who have tried to seek benefits – veterans of today’s wars and earlier wars – have often found themselves stymied. They’ve been required to produce evidence proving that a specific event caused their PTSD. And that practice has kept the vast majority of those with PTSD who served in non-combat roles, but who still waged war, from getting the care they need..."

Something else the shrub's admin. could have fixed if they didn't initiate these rules, but they didn't.
Thrifty, thrifty when it comes to benefiting the average citizen, even the military. Is it bad form to mention Walter Reed Hospital?

[Bearinabox]

This is nothing more than an Evil Socialist Fascist plot by Evil Socialist Fascist Kenyan Witch Doctor Obama to steal more of your precious jewels for Evil Socialist Fascist building maintenance projects. You know who else repaired government buildings as necessary? Hitler. I'm just sayin'.

[Patrick]

The nimrods in DC built the Capitol Visitor Center way over budget. It should have cost roughly $100 mil but ended up closer to $700 mil. When the Cap dome collapses then people might actually do something.

[Detroitej72]

The nimrods in DC built the Capitol Visitor Center way over budget. It should have cost roughly $100 mil but ended up closer to $700 mil. When the Cap dome collapses then people might actually do something.

Seeing as there were no unions and many of the workers were slaves, I wonder what caused the price increase?

[ghettopalmetto]

Seeing as there were no unions and many of the workers were slaves, I wonder what caused the price increase?

What in the hell are you talking about??? Slavery has been illegal in the District of Columbia for 147 years. Do you suppose the general contractor found a loophole?

Patrick--in your professional opinion, what *should* the Visitor Center have cost? On what assumptions do you base your cost estimate?

Thanks for the laughs, gentlemen. Once again, you reveal yourselves to be blindly ideological ranting ill-informed idiots, with not a shred of relevance or fact in anything you write.

[Patrick]

Patrick--in your professional opinion, what *should* the Visitor Center have cost? On what assumptions do you base your cost estimate?

My "assumptions" come from the Contacting Officers at GSA who worked on the project. I can't offer any stats but I heard this straight from the source on more than one occasion. I know firsthand how contractors work since I deal with them daily as a part of my job. The gov gets fleeced in all sorts of contracting vehicles and in many cases, local politicians get into the fight and side with a vendor from his or her district. Shit, whole consulting firms exist in the DC region that specialize in finding loopholes in the FAR.

Keep in mind that construction projects usually do not have a "firm fixed" price unless it is a revolving sort of project such as an IDIQ usually used by the DoD. The main issue is having outside forces meddle within a project after the shovel hits the ground. Either that or a vendor/contractor screws up or goes out of business.

[ghettopalmetto]

My "assumptions" come from the Contacting Officers at GSA who worked on the project. I can't offer any stats but I heard this straight from the source on more than one occasion. I know firsthand how contractors work since I deal with them daily as a part of my job. The gov gets fleeced in all sorts of contracting vehicles and in many cases, local politicians get into the fight and side with a vendor from his or her district. Shit, whole consulting firms exist in the DC region that specialize in finding loopholes in the FAR.

Keep in mind that construction projects usually do not have a "firm fixed" price unless it is a revolving sort of project such as an IDIQ usually used by the DoD. The main issue is having outside forces meddle within a project after the shovel hits the ground. Either that or a vendor/contractor screws up or goes out of business.

I'm not familiar with all the particulars of the Capitol Visitors Center project. But two rules in construction *always* hold true: 1) anytime you're digging underground and 2) anytime you're modifying an existing structure, expect to discover unforeseen and hidden conditions that require increases in price and schedule. Of course, it didn't help that materials prices [[especially steel) skyrocketed during the construction phase.

A typical source for enormous cost overruns, though, is when the project owner changes the programming requirements during the design phase, and even more so when this happens during construction. The events of September 2001 and the anthrax scares necesitated increased security measures which undoubtedly forced major redesigns in order to accommodate the increased scope, not to mention the expense of security devices.

My point is, there is no "should". If it were possible to get the building for $100 million, it would have happened. For what it's worth, Time reports the original budget at $265 million, as of 2000, with a scheduled completion date of 2004.

[Patrick]

Good point. A good example of construction overrun is our embassy compound in Baghdad . And it was awarded to a Kuwaiti company that ended up screwing up royally and the place is falling apart. That is why we need to enforce American-only rules.

[ghettopalmetto]

Good point. A good example of construction overrun is our embassy compound in Baghdad . And it was awarded to a Kuwaiti company that ended up screwing up royally and the place is falling apart. That is why we need to enforce American-only rules.

I don't think nationality has anything to do with quality of construction. If the Kuwaiti contractors fucked up the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, who kept them employed? Who is responsible for requiring that contractor to remediate the situation?

Ultimately, the owner assumes responsibility for the project once he signs off on the punch list. The only exception is if construction defects are discovered at a later date, but even then, there are statutes of limitations that apply.

[Patrick]

From what I have heard, the language barriers were the hardest to deal with. GWB kept em employed...guess he owed them a favor or so I heard.

[Gistok]

What in the hell are you talking about??? Slavery has been illegal in the District of Columbia for 147 years. Do you suppose the general contractor found a loophole?

Patrick--in your professional opinion, what *should* the Visitor Center have cost? On what assumptions do you base your cost estimate?

Thanks for the laughs, gentlemen. Once again, you reveal yourselves to be blindly ideological ranting ill-informed idiots, with not a shred of relevance or fact in anything you write.

GP.... maybe you should understand that the slavery comment was geared to the US Capitol and not the former DC Train station [[Visitors Center) which is of more recent vintage...

Maybe this will bring you up to speed before going Ad Hominem again...

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/socia...ydc_01-16.html

[ghettopalmetto]

I know what Detroitej72 was trying to say. It was a bullshit comment with a completely incorrect reference.

There's nothing ad hominem about calling that "idiotic" when the commenter doesn't do the most basic of reading.