This Is Peak Government...

Hot Air ^ | 11 July 2025 | David Strom

[Rummyfan]

It sounded like a great idea.

Governor Andrew Cuomo, before he was unceremoniously forced out of office, convinced state lawmakers to shell out over $100 million to purchase decorative LED lights to enhance the beauty of some of New York's most iconic bridges.

The cost seems excessive, but this is the government. You have to make room for paying double or triple to satisfy all the people with their hands out--they need to make an excessive profit, pay exorbitant salaries to preferred workers, throw some money at consulting and design firms, and leave some money left over to recycle into political donations.

Underneath it all, the project wasn't a bad idea. Beautify the city a bit, right? Not everything has to be stolid, brutalist, and inhuman.

Except...

Melissa O'Rourke
·
Jul 10, 2025
@melissa_newsham
·
Follow
“It is what it is” 🤷‍♂️ is what one NY official said after taxpayers shelled out over $100 million for bridge lights that ultimately sat in storage before being auctioned off for just $383,000

---

TOPICS: Miscellaneous; Politics; Society
KEYWORDS: liberaltruth

[Rummyfan]

[Jim W N]

The cost seems excessive, but this is the government.

There are four ways in which you can spend money.
You can spend your own money on yourself. When you do that, why then you really watch out what you’re doing, and you try to get the most for your money.
Then you can spend your own money on somebody else. For example, I buy a birthday present for someone. Well, then I’m not so careful about the content of the present, but I’m very careful about the cost.
Then, I can spend somebody else’s money on myself. And if I spend somebody else’s money on myself, then I’m sure going to have a good lunch!
Finally, I can spend somebody else’s money on somebody else. And if I spend somebody else’s money on somebody else, I’m not concerned about how much it is, and I’m not concerned about what I get. And that’s government. And that’s close to 40% of our national income.

[In a Fox News interview in May 2004] ― Milton Friedman

[blackdog]

Memphis replacedcall of their functioning incandescent street lights with LED bulbs and fixtures. Now about 30% failure rates keep many areas in the dark. That’s progress gubmint style.

[Pearls Before Swine]

Good quote!

[Repeat Offender]

My favorite was when they went to LED way up north in all their traffic lights....you know, for the environment and stuff.

Then they realized the LEDs didn't get warm, which meant they didn't melt the snow and ice off the traffic lights. So, they had to install warmers on the traffic lights to make sure they could melt the snow and ice that the LEDs couldn't melt. See how much we love the environment?

[JParris]

...Now about 30% failure rates keep many areas in the dark...

We were sold on LED sensors will last forever, you'll never have to replace them. No one bothered to mention the electronic circuits powering them will still die of heat in about same time frame as incandescent filaments.

[Organic Panic]

I worked in a brand new office in Berlin. To save the planet Merkel sent in electricians to replace the new LED light with NEWER LED light. Then, the electricians too out all the light switches and replaced the NEWER LEDs with LED fixtures that had motion sensors. The hall lights had a 2 minute time on so it was always dark. The Office had a 15 minute on cycle so if it was still the lights went off. And the bathroom had 5 minute lights. That was fun during an extended sitting. They probably spent millions to save a few pennies a year on a brand new office building.

[delta7]

Most here have no idea who Friedman was…. a legendary economist….who noticed early on Government produces or manufactures NOTHING…in the world of nature- a blood sucking leech.

Thanks for posting.

[Jim W N]

Friedman is one of my heroes.

Even if they don't know who he was, right-thinking FReepers should be able to pick up on the truths he shared. I try to share them as often as I can.

Friedman was a freedom fighter and so am I.