behind closed doors

Personally, I've never been fond of decisions involving public money that are made from behind closed doors. 

Public-private partnerships allow your government to non-competitively award public contracts to private companies, even though contracts with private companies are awarded competitively for most public works projects. Typically, private companies compete in open competition with other private companies for public contracts.

Deciding to award public contracts non-competitively to private companies from behind closed doors is bad enough; however, when the practice results in a "monumental debacle", injury is added to insult. Such is the case with the Silver Spring Transit Center.

On the heels of the "monumental debacle" Silver Spring Transit Center comes another public-private partnership--the Purple Line. Again, public contracts have been and will be awarded non-competitively to private companies based on what goes down behind closed doors. 

The BIG difference between the public-private partnership Silver Spring Transit Center and the public-private partnership Purple Line is that the projected cost for the SSTC was $20 million 20 years ago. The current projected cost for the Purple Line is $2.45 BILLION, which is more than 17 times the SSTC's current projected cost of $141 million and more than 122 times the SSTC's original projected cost of $20 million. One would think that should give the taxpaying public pause.

failed Silver Spring Transit Center public-private partnership

There are better things to do with public money than to waste it on a "monumental debacle". The public-private partnership Silver Spring Transit Center is severely flawed, grossly overbudget and years overdue. The SSTC is clearly a "monumental debacle". 

The SSTC public-private partnership is publicly funded by 53% federal funds, 11% state (MD) funds and 36% county (Montgomery) funds. Twenty years ago Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan said that the $20 million transit center will be complete in
1998. Today the $140+ million SSTC is undergoing "repairs". It hasn't opened to the public and it hasn't seen its first fully-loaded bus. Whether or not METRO, which is concerned about the SSTC's severe cracking continuing into the future, accepts the SSTC to operate and maintain remains to be seen. 

When Larry Hogan campaigned for governor, he promised to kill the public-private partnership Purple Line. Now Governor Hogan is waffling. Funding for the projected $2.4 BILLION public-private partnership Purple Line is 68% federal, 20% state (MD), 8% county (Montgomery & Prince George's) and 3% private. At the projected $2.4 BILLION taxpayers are on-the-hook for more than 10 times with the public-private partnership Purple Line as compared to the public-private partnership Silver Spring Transit Center!

One of the unasked questions with the Silver Spring Transit Center "monumental debacle" is why did Montgomery County non-competitively choose private company Parsons Brinckerhoff to provide the structural design for the SSTC, private company Foulger Pratt to build it and private company Balter to inspect and test concrete and to serve as special quality inspector? Private companies providing services on most public works projects are selected competitively in open competition with other private companies. Don't you think that it would be wise for the public to know the answer to this question before public funds are committed to another public-private partnership, and the same "monumental debacle" mistake is made again?

zealots

Purple line backers protest indefinite delay

zeal·ot

ˈzelət/

noun

a person who is fanatical and uncompromising in pursuit of their religious, political, or other ideals.

synonyms: fanatic, enthusiast, extremist, radical, diehard, true believer, activist, militant;

A zealot is a person whose zeal for their cause trumps reality.

The public-private partnership Silver Spring Transit Center is a "monumental debacle". It is severely flawed, over-budget and overdue. Tens of millions in public funds are being spent for "repairs" before the SSTC opens to the public and before it has seen its first fully loaded bus. Most recently, Montgomery County approved more than $20 million in county funds, including $5 million from other public works projects, to pay for "repairs" to the severely flawed, public-private partnership SSTC.

During his campaign for governor, Larry Hogan promised to kill the public-private partnership light rail Purple Line. Now, as governor, he's waffling. Why, on the heels of the disaster SSTC public-private partnership, would taxpayers support another PPP with a $2.4 BILLION 
projected cost, before we know how and why the "monumental disaster" SSTC PPP failed so miserably? Why did Montgomery Co. non-competitively chose private companies Foulger Pratt, Parsons Brinkerhoff & Balter Co. to provide their services for the SSTC, when most private companies are selected competitively for public works projects? 

Stop the madness, Gov. Hogan! Don't listen to the "broken record" zealots! Don't make the same mistake twice! NO Purple Line until taxpayers get some answers! 


Finally, here's a classic example of zealots' barnyard logic. Zealots are quite willing to spend your $ ($1.629 BILLION, the federal government's share, which is 2/3 of the total $2.45 BILLION) for their pet project. Or is it that zealots don't value your $ the same way that they value their money? An outstanding example of zealotry, and zealots' barnyard logic!

Canceling the Purple Line would cost more than it would save - Greater Greater Washington 

The numbers in this article are deceiving. An earlier Greater Greater Washington article states that the federal government's share of the $2.45 BILLION total is $1.629 BILLION, or 2/3 of the total (as opposed to the roughly $923 million, or 38% of the total, shown in this later article). Figures lie, and liars figure.

Another public-private partnership ripoff

Right on the heels of the "monumental debacle" Silver Spring Transit Center public-private partnership comes the MUCH BIGGER Purple Line public-private partnership.

Purple Line: It's not the cost, it's the country club - Greater Greater Washington

68% of the WHOPPING $2.4 BILLION projected cost for the Purple Line are federal funds! MD chips in 20%, 8% from Montgomery & Prince George's Counties combined, and private funding makes up the rest at 3% of the total.

Federal funding is 53% of the total for the "monumental debacle" public-private partnership Silver Spring Transit Center. The federal dollars wasted on that lemon look like a bargain when compared to the projected $1.629 BILLION that federal taxpayers will be on the hook for with the public-private partnership Purple Line.  (The projected cost for the lemon Silver Spring Transit Center was $20 million ten years ago. Today the cost for the SSTC stands at $141+ million, and it hasn't opened to the public yet!) 

Noncompetitive contracting practices that result in a defective transit center or light rail line, with costs and schedule that are grossly inflated, don’t advance the cause for transit any more than $640 toilet seats, $7,600 coffee makers and $436 hammers advance the cause for national defense.

Wise up, taxpayers! Tell MD Gov. Hogan to make good on his campaign promise to kill the public-private partnership Purple Line NOW!

Will history repeat itself with the Purple Line?

One of the unasked questions of the Silver Spring Transit Center "monumental debacle" (as Montgomery County Councilman Phil Andrews calls it) is: Why did Montgomery County non-competitively choose private companies Parsons Brinckerfhoff to structurally design the SSTC, Foulger Pratt to build it and Balter Co. to inspect concrete and serve as special quality inspector?

The short answer is: because they can. Public-private partnerships allow government to non-competitively choose to give public contracts to private companies, even though private company contracts for most public works projects are the result of open competition.

The real answer is that we don't know why Montgomery County chose these three specific private companies to design, build and inspect the SSTC. In the more than two years since the SSTC's numerous structural defects became known not one of the many news media outlets (print, TV, radio, internet) covering the SSTC has asked the question. The public hasn't demanded an answer. And, Montgomery County hasn't volunteered why they really chose these three specific private companies to design, build and inspect the SSTC. One can only imagine why.

The Purple Line will be a public-private partnership, just like the Silver Spring Transit Center. Will history repeat itself with an even more costly "monumental debacle"? 

When Larry Hogan campaigned for governor, he promised to kill the Purple Line public-private partnership. Now, Governor Hogan is waffling.

Have you had enough, taxpayers? If so, then I suggest that you contact Governor Hogan and tell him so.

It's ironic that the PPP Purple Line will connect to the severely 
flawed, grossly overdue, grossly over-budget, 
"monumental debacle", PPP Silver Spring Transit Center