Posted on 07/31/2025 11:57:54 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
The Department of Transportation has released a long-secret list of its most overdue and over-budget projects, revealing billions of dollars in taxpayer money committed to projects that can’t seem to get across the finish line.
The list includes an interstate redesign in Columbus, Ohio, which is running nearly 20 years behind schedule and double the initial cost, and California’s much-maligned high-speed rail, whose costs have tripled.
Maryland’s Purple Line light rail also made the list, at double the initial cost and at least six years behind schedule.
Those and the other projects, 15 in total, account for more than $12 billion in federal taxpayer money committed to assist state and local officials who have struggled to complete the airport, roadway and railway improvements.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy provided the list to Congress, and Sen. Joni Ernst, Iowa Republican, made it public Wednesday. She said she wants to expose some of the biggest black eyes for the central planners in government.
“Going a billion dollars over budget isn’t a rounding error; it’s a financial train wreck. Likewise, being five years behind schedule isn’t just losing track of time; it’s a derailment,” said Ms. Ernst, who wrote the law requiring the reports.
The first report was due in 2022. The Biden administration never delivered, but the Trump administration did. Mr. Duffy provided the information to Congress in early June.
“If you’re receiving taxpayer dollars, you should expect to be held accountable by the American people. No more boondoggles!” the secretary said in a statement to The Washington Times. “Thank you, Senator Ernst, for your leadership in Congress to ensure federal dollars are being used effectively and efficiently.”
Mr. Duffy has moved to cancel the California high-speed train. The Federal Railroad Administration said repeated missed deadlines and bungled budgeting have sapped confidence that the state...
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
It’s a good thing we have our best and brightest running things. If not, we wouldn’t have a chance.
Government malfeasance knows no boundaries. I was looking at education expenditures here in Oklahoma this morning. Apparently nobody pays any attention to them and if they do just walks away. The state average is about $11,000 per student and yet Hardesty, way out in the panhandle, spends $26,000 per each of the 40 students in the little school, the cost of administration state wide easily outstrips the amount spent for teachers and it shows, performance report cards are abysmal.
The state spends up to 4 times the amount per lane mile for road maintenance and yet has one of the worst quality report cards in the nation. That kind of failure is no accident.
Hawaii’s boondoggle took over 12 years to build less than 11 miles of track for a cost of $10,000,000,000.
I wonder how much of the 10 billion was kicked back to democrats through union donations.
Money laundering schemes. Audit the personal accounts of the politicians, bureaucrats and contractors involved
How about stop reimbursing states for implement HOV crap.
Yep.
For politicians money is simply a number on a piece of paper. They don’t care about common sense and the taxpayer.
Every level of our government needs a DOGE style spending exam to see where the taxpayers money is going. To say we’re a Banana Republic is a smear on Banana Republics. Our politicians have turned graft into a fine art that rakes in more money than any Banana Republic can dream of.
Ohio is the worst run “red” state.
“The first report was due in 2022. The Biden administration never delivered.”
I’m shocked!
“I wonder how much of the 10 billion was kicked back to democrats through union donations.”
How much was paid to connected people who just “happened” to own the land these projects needed for right of ways.
Just goes to show the difference between the Democrats and Trump. Dems hire for in-your-face “identity”, not cabability. Trump's gay and lesbian appointees are actually producing at their important jobs, or he would fire them without a moment of woke guilt. I can't recall seeing photo of any of them parading their life partners plastered in the media:
Corruption follows money as night follows day, especially where any level of government is involved.
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