#5. Great point. The US Govt/EPA needs to appoint a Special Auditor for this project who will have the power to put out “Bids” for work contracts on replacing the lead pipes and other damaged equipment re the water supply. This would open up bidding to non-union companies and avoid a “union-only”, highly priced bidding monopoly.
It must never be a “No Bid” situation because of the sheer degree of union/Democrat politician corruption in the larger cities of America (Boston’s Big Tunnel; NY City’s Rotten Apple union contracts, once dominated by the Mafia; just about any contract in New Jersey, Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit (maybe this has changed), any major city in California, and I suspect in Portland, Seattle and possibly Houston, among others).
In the 1980’s and 90’s, one dollar in ten on a union construction project went to the Mafia (Gambinos, Gotti, Gigante in NJ, etc. via the Laborers International Union of North America, run by the Coia family, mob-tied). LIUNA was a major donor to the Clintons and the Democrats in the 1995-96 election period.
Nobody knows how much the Mob ripped off in Chicago, Vegas, St. Louis, and other major cities.
Yeppers. They need someone in there to account for every last dime.....