Posted on 04/24/2013 6:56:41 PM PDT by Attention Surplus Disorder
Dirty Business as Usual at California High Speed Rail
From the article: Out of the entire universe of those who could have won the first phase construction contract for California’s high speed rail boondoggle, who would stand out as the last person who would win it if there were no political patronage.
Put another way, who is the most likely person to win it if there is political patronage?
Both questions have the same answer: Richard Blum, the husband of California senator Diane Feinstein.
So, who won the contract? Blum, of course, as the principle owner of Tutor Perini, the lead firm in the three-firm consortium selected by the California High Speed Rail Authority.
Yes, Diane, it really does look that bad to us little people.
A High Low Bid
The Perini-Zachary-Parsons bid was the lowest received from the five consortia participating in the bidding process, but “low” is a relative term. The firms bid $985,142,530 to build the wildly anticipated first section of high speed rail track that will tie the megopolis of Madera to the global finance center of Fresno. Do the division, and you find that the low bid came in at a mere $35 million per mile.
And that doesn’t include the cost of rolling stock (that’s engines and cars to the normal among us). Nor does it include the cost of electrifying the route. Does it at least include the cost of land acquisition? No, it does not.
As this fiasco progress, remember that this $35 million per mile represents the best California can do on the section of track the High on Crack Speed Rail Authority selected to go first because it will be the cheapest.
http://crazifornia.com/2013/04/16/dirty-business-as-usual-at...
Some background on this company:
High-Speed Rail bidding practice questionable the winner’s checkered past has a proven record of high cost over runs. http://www.examiner.com/article/high-speed-rail-bidding-prac...
The Feds put together a task force to go after construction fraid, overruns and safety violations. Perini has been caught doing such things over and over again. They are absolutely ridiculous in California projects. It is like DBE fronting is a part of its business model. Overall fraud appears to be a part of that model also.
According to the Seattle News some of the Perini headlines read: “In February, Tutor-Saliba and Perini agreed to pay $19 million to settle racketeering and fraud allegations in a San Francisco airport project.” “In 2004, Perini agreed to pay the federal government $998,500 to settle fraud claims in the construction of an embassy building in Venezuela.” “The companies are embroiled in an 11 – year legal battle over $16 million in extra costs on a Los Angeles subway job.” “Perini sued for more than $170 million in cost overruns on three New York City projects during the 1990s before settling for about $22 million.” http://www.nationalbcc.org/index.php?option=com_content&view...
Disgusting. Californians must not have the brains of a kumquat if they don’t see the smelly graft involved here.
Still can’t figure out what they intend to do with this railroad ~ it looks to be designed to carry passengers ~ not freight.
Richard Blum also owned URS which got a IDIQ contract of nearly $700 million dollars to renovate barracks when DiFi was chair of the Defense committee.
Recommendation: Stop your sentence here:
Californians must not have the brains of a kumquat.
Bttt.
Outrageous! Is this on the front page of the LA Times?
Didn’t Blum just get the contract to sell all the post offices they are going to close? Blum and his hag wife are going to be in the money BIG TIME.
“answer: Richard Blum, the husband of California senator Diane Feinstein. “
OH Have Mercy! Arm’s importer Richard Blum...yeah, while Di is trying to take YOUR gun!
They don’t even try to be discreet about the collusion and corruption anymore. They know no one cares enough to notice.
UGH
bttt
I lived in Colorado from 79 to 84. I got out just as the migration of Califonians was getting full steam.
They brought their “egos of I am better than you” and their profit from their over inflated 1400 Sq ft house with them.
This insanity is changing one state at a time.
“Disgusting. Californians must not have the brains of a kumquat if they don’t see the smelly graft involved here.”
I bet you 90% of California voters will never know about this. Ignorance is bliss.
High Speed Fraud
what is wrong with people?....how can any self respecting California liberal look himself in the mirror with this corruption and fraud???...aren’t they all about fairness and openness and helping the little man??.....NOT!
“This train is bound to make me money, this train!
This train is bound to make me money, this train!
This train is bound to make me money
I win all the bids now ain’t that funny.
This train is bound to make me money, this train!”
Californians must not have brains.
$985+ million for 28.1 miles of track? WTF? Obscene. All bids should be publicly disclosed for every gov’t bid. Accountability, please!
The two subhuman frauds, blum & feinstein, should be in prison and their vast holdings seized.
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