Beware of the Silver Spring Transit Center!
(aka Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center)
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| BEWARE! |
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Natural Selection
Natural selection is the process where only the best (smartest) survive--those who are best able to figure out how to navigate around dangers in the world.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
We deserve better
If records were kept for this sort of thing, then, by size, the Silver Spring Transit Center (aka Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center) could very well be:
We deserve better--"we" being those of us who will use it and those of us who paid for it. "Those who will use it" is a MUCH smaller group than "those who paid for it". Basically, ALL of us (everyone who pays federal taxes and user fees) paid for it. We paid retail, and then some, for a brand new state-of-the-art transit center, and we got damaged goods. It's like paying more-than-retail for a brand new, top-of-the-line, custom sports car, and getting this:
- the most expensive
- the longest time to build
- the most flawed design, construction, inspection and management
We deserve better--"we" being those of us who will use it and those of us who paid for it. "Those who will use it" is a MUCH smaller group than "those who paid for it". Basically, ALL of us (everyone who pays federal taxes and user fees) paid for it. We paid retail, and then some, for a brand new state-of-the-art transit center, and we got damaged goods. It's like paying more-than-retail for a brand new, top-of-the-line, custom sports car, and getting this:
We deserve better.
But, WAIT! The dealer says "I'm going to 'fix' it. Give me the money for the repairs."
And, we do!
More good news! The dealer says that it's safe! (despite the way that it looks)
Congratulations! We've now got the most expensive, longest time to build, most flawed, "repaired"-even-before-it-opened, transit center in the history of the world.
We deserve better.
However... When the people who are paying the most for the LEMON Silver Spring Transit Center--federal, state and local taxes, including $16+ million in county general obligation bonds, and another $5 million "shifted" from other well-designed and well-constructed public works projects, to pay for "repairs" to the yet-to-be-opened LEMON SSTC--stand by silently while their own county council approves another $21+ million for "repairs", before it even opens, then what else is there to do?
Jonathan Gruber is right! ("Grubergate")
However... When the people who are paying the most for the LEMON Silver Spring Transit Center--federal, state and local taxes, including $16+ million in county general obligation bonds, and another $5 million "shifted" from other well-designed and well-constructed public works projects, to pay for "repairs" to the yet-to-be-opened LEMON SSTC--stand by silently while their own county council approves another $21+ million for "repairs", before it even opens, then what else is there to do?
Jonathan Gruber is right! ("Grubergate")
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| "...basically, call it the stupidity of the American voter..." |
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| Silver Spring Transit Center |
Monday, February 16, 2015
Silver Spring Transit Center deja vu?
Anyone old enough to remember, in 1973, when the US Attorney for the District of Maryland investigated then Vice President (under Nixon) Spiro Agnew on charges of extortion, tax fraud, bribery, and conspiracy, while Agnew was Baltimore County Executive and Governor of Maryland, can't help but wonder if it's deja vu with the Silver Spring Transit Center.
But then, if nobody (news media, US Attorney, etc.) looks into how and why Montgomery County non-competitively (public-private partnership) selected private engineer Parsons Brinkerhoff, private builder Foulger Pratt and private concrete inspector Balter Co. for the publicly funded Silver Spring Transit Center, when most private companies are selected competitively for publicly funded projects, then I guess that we'll never know.
Where are you, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein?
Where are you, Archibald Cox, Elliot Richardson and William Ruckelshaus?
Where are you, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein?
Where are you, Archibald Cox, Elliot Richardson and William Ruckelshaus?
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Silver Spring Transit Center "monumental" taxpayer abuse
According to Montgomery County MD councilman Phil Andrews, the Silver Spring Transit Center (aka Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center) is a "monumental debacle". I suspect that Councilman Andrews is referring to the SSTC's "monumental" delays, "monumental" cost overruns and "monumental" structural flaws. However, Montgomery County's abuse of county, state and federal taxpayers is also "monumental".
Montgomery County's poor decisions in continuing to pour millions into the severely flawed, overdue, over-budget SSTC not only effects Montgomery County taxpayers; but also, the council's poor decisions effect taxpayers all over the United States. Taxpayers from faraway states, and even those from far reaches in Maryland, who will never use METRO or the Silver Spring Transit Center, are paying for Montgomery County's poor decisions.
However, let's not forget the roles of the Federal Transit Administration and the Maryland Transit Administration in this "monumental debacle". These agencies are also charged with protecting the public's money. Where have they been throughout this "monumental debacle"? Out to lunch?
The Silver Spring Transit Center is funded by Federal (53%), State (11%) and County (36%) funds.
Montgomery County's poor decisions in continuing to pour millions into the severely flawed, overdue, over-budget SSTC not only effects Montgomery County taxpayers; but also, the council's poor decisions effect taxpayers all over the United States. Taxpayers from faraway states, and even those from far reaches in Maryland, who will never use METRO or the Silver Spring Transit Center, are paying for Montgomery County's poor decisions.
However, let's not forget the roles of the Federal Transit Administration and the Maryland Transit Administration in this "monumental debacle". These agencies are also charged with protecting the public's money. Where have they been throughout this "monumental debacle"? Out to lunch?
Worst of all, we're headed down that same road again.
The Silver Spring Transit Center is a public-private partnership, in which Montgomery County selected engineer Parsons Brinkerhoff, builder Foulger Pratt and concrete inspector Balter Co. non-competitively. Private companies for most public works projects are selected competitively.
We don't know how much that the non-competitive selection of Parsons Brinkerhoff, Foulger Pratt and Balter Co. had to do with their "errors and omissions" that, according to KCE's structural report, caused this "monumental debacle"; but, one would think that we should find out BEFORE we go down that road again with the public-private partnership Purple Line.
The Silver Spring Transit Center is a public-private partnership, in which Montgomery County selected engineer Parsons Brinkerhoff, builder Foulger Pratt and concrete inspector Balter Co. non-competitively. Private companies for most public works projects are selected competitively.
We don't know how much that the non-competitive selection of Parsons Brinkerhoff, Foulger Pratt and Balter Co. had to do with their "errors and omissions" that, according to KCE's structural report, caused this "monumental debacle"; but, one would think that we should find out BEFORE we go down that road again with the public-private partnership Purple Line.
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| "Monumental Debacle" |
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| Silver Spring Transit Center |
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| "...basically, call it the stupidity of the American voter..." |
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Question that news media have failed to ask
With all that has been said and written about the Silver Spring Transit Center (aka Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center) there is still one question that hasn't been raised publicly:
Was cronyism involved? Were they selected in return for political "favors"?
Montgomery County, MD is the fertile field that Jonathan Gruber talked about.
How and why did Montgomery County non-competitively select Parsons Brinkerhoff to design the SSTC, Foulger Pratt to build it and Balter Co. to inspect and test concrete and to serve as special quality inspector?
We do know that the SSTC is, as Councilman Phil Andrews puts it, "a monumental debacle". We know from KCE's structural report that the SSTC's severe concrete cracking and other structural flaws were caused by "errors and omissions" made by Parsons Brinkerhoff, Foulger Pratt and Balter Co. What we don't know is why and how Montgomery County selected them in the first place.
Private companies that provide services for most public works projects are selected competitively. General contractors for most public works projects submit bids. The contractor with the lowest qualified bid is selected to perform the work. Professional service firms (engineers, testing and inspection firms) for most public works projects compete with other firms to perform the work. They submit written qualifications and experience. Next, the most qualified firms are "shortlisted" and interviewed. The firm deemed most qualified is then selected to develop a detailed work plan and cost proposal. The work plan and cost proposal are negotiated; and, if acceptable, a contract for the project is executed.
The Silver Spring Transit Center is a public-private partnership, in which private companies can be selected non-competitively to perform services for public works projects. The normal competitive processes that are followed for selecting private companies for public works projects are waived.
Which brings us to the question: How and why did Montgomery County non-competitively choose Parsons Brinkerhoff to design the SSTC, Foulger Pratt to build it and Balter Co. to inspect and test concrete and to serve as special quality inspector when contractors and professional service firms for most public works projects are selected competitively?
Which brings us to the question: How and why did Montgomery County non-competitively choose Parsons Brinkerhoff to design the SSTC, Foulger Pratt to build it and Balter Co. to inspect and test concrete and to serve as special quality inspector when contractors and professional service firms for most public works projects are selected competitively?
Was cronyism involved? Were they selected in return for political "favors"?
Montgomery County, state of MD and US taxpayers (the SSTC is funded by local, state and federal funds) deserve to know the answers to these questions. After all, we're "paying the freight"--for the SSTC's initial, flawed, construction and for the "repairs".
All of us are consumers--we know the value of competition. How many of us, when we make a LARGE purchase (never mind one with an original price of $100 million (plus or minus), that currently costs $141+ million, and, is still NOT finished or open to the public), would choose a single vendor and write them a "blank check"? How many of us, after we find out that our expensive, new product is defective, would reach into our pockets and pay our single source vendor (even if it is our brother-in-law!) another $21+ million for "repairs" to our defective new product (even before we've had the opportunity to use it for the purpose for which it's intended)??? We'd have to be NUTS--or a member of Montgomery County's council!!!
If the high cost of cronyism is responsible for the SSTC debacle, then we should know it NOW--BEFORE it happens AGAIN with the Purple Line.
All of us are consumers--we know the value of competition. How many of us, when we make a LARGE purchase (never mind one with an original price of $100 million (plus or minus), that currently costs $141+ million, and, is still NOT finished or open to the public), would choose a single vendor and write them a "blank check"? How many of us, after we find out that our expensive, new product is defective, would reach into our pockets and pay our single source vendor (even if it is our brother-in-law!) another $21+ million for "repairs" to our defective new product (even before we've had the opportunity to use it for the purpose for which it's intended)??? We'd have to be NUTS--or a member of Montgomery County's council!!!
If the high cost of cronyism is responsible for the SSTC debacle, then we should know it NOW--BEFORE it happens AGAIN with the Purple Line.
Wouldn't this photo make a great jigsaw puzzle?
It'd be particularly appropriate since there is severely cracked concrete throughout the SSTC.
Take a ride down Colesville Road in April 2012, courtesy of Google Maps:
- Click on the large, street view photo to "move on down the road".
- Now click on "2014" in the small, street view window, and the most recent (Oct. 2014) street view photo will appear in the small, street view window.
- "Move on down the road" again by clicking on the large, street view photo.
Montgomery County, MD is the fertile field that Jonathan Gruber talked about.
- NO cronyism in publicly funded projects.
- NO more public-private partnerships (e.g., Purple Line) until ALL questions concerning the public-private partnership Silver Spring Transit Center have been answered.
- NO more "monumental debacle" Silver Spring Transit Center projects--once in a lifetime is MORE than enough!
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