con job

Not only does the Silver Spring Transit Center go down as the worst public construction job in Montgomery County history, but also the SSTC may go down as the greatest con job in the County's history.


"It's all the private companies' fault." Don't believe it! The Silver Spring Transit Center is Montgomery County's project! 

• Montgomery County conceived the project!
• Montgomery County noncompetitively selected the private companies to design, build and inspect it!
• Montgomery County is owner of record!
• Montgomery County is project manager!
• Montgomery County issued the construction permits!
• As with all other construction projects in the County, Montgomery County has the responsibility to review, to issue permits, to inspect and to approve all construction within its boundaries.
• Further, Montgomery County was construction manager for the Silver Spring Transit Center with County employees on site full time during construction!

Report: Problems with Silver Spring Transit Center may have been known years ago | WJLA.com

https://www.ignet.gov/sites/default/files/files/FAEC-Presentation-Project-Management-Deficiencies-in-Constructing-the-SSTC.pdf

• Montgomery County's IG knows that it's Montgomery County's project!

The Silver Spring Transit Center is Montgomery County's project. The County's (David Dise, Isiah Leggett, Roger Berliner, et al) failure to take responsibility for its own project is a con job.


www.montgomerycountymd.gov/DGS-BDC/Resources/Files/SS/509974/SSTC-Report-March-15-2013.pdf

"It's safe." That's what we've been hearing for more than two years from Montgomery County and their paid and unpaid consultants. David Dise, Director of Montgomery County's Department of General Services, has gone so far as to say on numerous occasions that "The SSTC absolutely will be safe". Is Dise a seer? Can he predict the future? Does he have x-ray vision? Can he look inside the SSTC's hardened concrete frame and assure us that there are no as-of-yet undetected defects? Preposterous!

Are unfounded and irresponsible claims about the SSTC's safety part of the con job?

Let's hope not.

Finally, why did Montgomery County non-competitively choose private companies Foulger Pratt, Parsons Brinkerhoff & Balter Co. to provide their services for the "monumental debacle", boondoggle, grossly over budget, grossly overdue, severely flawed, SSTC? Taxpayers have had enough already!

SSTC: Never have so many failed to understand what so few understand.

‘Spring’ likely to become summer before Transit Center fixes completed - The Washington Post 

According to councilman Phil Andrews, the “monumental debacle” SSTC is the worst public works construction project in the county’s history. That’s true. It may also be the biggest con job in the county’s history.

How can David Dise have any credibility with all of his “it’ll be done by” dates that have come and gone? How can anyone believe his “the SSTC will absolutely be safe” public statements that he (and other Montgomery County officials and paid and unpaid consultants) have made on numerous occasions? Are they seers? Can they look into the future? Do they have x-ray vision, like Superman, where they can see inside the SSTC’s hardened concrete frame and assure the public that there are no more, as-of-yet undetected, fatal flaws? 

You can also put the numerous “the public won’t pay for repairs” public statements into the “are they seers?” category. Then there are statements by Dise et al that the county bears no responsibility for this fiasco, despite the fact that it’s the county’s project. Not only does the county have responsibility to review, issue permits, inspect and approve all construction, both public and private, within its boundaries, but also the county was construction manager for the SSTC with a team of full time county employees on site during construction. And BTW, the county itself noncompetitively chose the private companies that it says bears 100% of the responsibility for the “monumental debacle” SSTC. 

The SSTC is not only the worst public works construction job in Montgomery County history; but also the rubbish being spread by Dise and others at the county is the biggest con job in the county’s history.

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Crews-Responding-to-Watergate-for-Report-of-Collapse-302150191.html

To those who take the Silver Spring Transit Center lightly, I call your attention to the Watergate garage. The circumstances are different. Watergate garage: water main break, heavy saturated soil, 50 year old structure, last inspected?, maintenance?... SSTC: design, construction & inspection flaws, understrength & overstressed concrete, under reinforced, ... One only needs to look at the videos/photos of Watergate to understand the consequences when parking garages collapse.