A sad tale

Montgomery County Plans to Turn Silver Spring Transit Center Over to WMATA Soon - Bethesda Beat

"The $140 million bus depot connected to the Silver Spring Metro station is about $50 million over budget and four years behind schedule due to construction and structural issues."  

How NOT to manage a public works project: 

1. Pick your private business buddies to do the work (public-private partnership), instead of competitively selecting private contractors for your public project, as is done with most public works projects. 
2. Select problem-plagued WMATA to be your public partner.
3. Choose the wrong manager (https://www.ignet.gov/sites/default/files/files/FAEC-Presentation-Project-Management-Deficiencies-in-Constructing-the-SSTC.pdf). 
4. Turn a blind eye to your own (Montgomery County) building inspector who found problems with the design before construction began (Report: Problems with Silver Spring Transit Center may have been known years ago | WJLA.com). 
5. Don't inspect the construction (including concrete inspection & testing)--every minute, every day, every construction & inspection activity. 
6. Ignore problems as they arise (severely cracked concrete, etc.) www.montgomerycountymd.gov/DGS-BDC/Resources/Files/SS/509974/SSTC-Report-March-15-2013.pdf

"On June 9, the County Council appointed the law firm Saul Ewing, LLP—known for its work litigating Boston’s “Big Dig” project--to represent the county in legal issues concerning the transit center."

to be continued...

Silver Spring Transit Center 
Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center 
Montgomery County, MD 
WMATA 
Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) 
Federal Transit Administration (FTA) 
public-private partnership 
Purple Line 

Gov. Hogan cuts MD contribution to Purple Line by more than 75%

Hogan: State to pay $168M for Purple Rail line in DC area - WTOP

Gov. Hogan has the right idea! The rest of MD applauds you, Gov. Hogan!

Now, the Feds need to follow suit and cut the federal contribution to the Purple Line by 75+%. 

Montgomery County mismanaged the Silver Spring Transit Center public-private partnership into a "monumental debacle"--severely flawed and grossly overbudget and overdue. They (MD & the Feds) could do us all a favor by killing public-private partnerships altogether.

Leggett

Not only is Ike Leggett trying to bankrupt Montgomery County; but, he's also trying to bankrupt the state of Maryland--and, the entire USA too!

Purple Line: Leggett Sends Message to Governor Hogan (VIDEO) | Montgomery Community Media

Leggett sure is anxious to spend other people's money, the rest of MD outside Montgomery Co. and the other 49 states, District of Columbia and US territories, whether it's for "repairs" to the severely flawed, grossly over-budget and grossly overdue Silver Spring Transit Center, a public-private partnership, or $2.45 BILLION for the Purple Line public-private partnership. If all politicians were as spend-happy as Leggett, the whole country would have been bankrupt long, LONG ago.

Despite Cancer Treatment, Hogan Still Expected to Make Purple Line Decision by End of June - Bethesda Beat

Purple Line

Silver Spring Transit Center

Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center

Independent Transit Authority (ITA)

public-private partnerships

WMATA

Federal Transit Authority (FTA)

Maryland Transit Authority (MTA)
Hogan

"... a discount"?

Montgomery to hire ‘Big Dig’ law firm to help with likely Transit Center suits - The Washington Post

Silver Spring Transit Center

throwing good money after bad

Hansen said there was no agreement with the firm yet on hourly rates because the council has yet to act. He did say, however that the firm was prepared to offer the county “a discount.”

Q: What is the difference between a lawyer and a boxing referee?
A: A boxing referee doesn't get paid more for a longer fight.

Q: What is the difference between a good lawyer and a bad lawyer?
A: A bad lawyer makes your case drag on for years. A good lawyer makes it last even longer.

Q: How many lawyer jokes are there?
A: Only two. The rest are true stories.

Silver Spring Transit Center
Paul S Sarbanes Transit Center
Montgomery County, MD

one "monumental debacle" at a time, please

SILVER SPRING TRANSIT CENTER

PURPLE LINE

• BOTH are public-private partnerships
• SSTC is severely flawed, grossly overdue & grossly over-budget
• Purple Line's projected cost is $2.45 BILLION
• Funding for the SSTC is 53% federal, 11% state (MD) & 36% county (Montgomery)
• Funding for the Purple Line is 68% federal, 20% state, 8% county (Montgomery & Prince George's) & 3% private
• BOTH have public contracts awarded non-competitively to private companies

STOP THE MADNESS!!!

ONLY ONE "MONUMENTAL DEBACLE" AT A TIME!!!