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I worked in Boston while the Big Dig was being built. It was fascinating to watch. The job was mostly a cut and cover tunnel with major stretches of pre fabricated float into place and sink in position work. It was a big job well done. IMHO there was no way to accurately estimate costs because of nearly completely unknown conditions. The result for the city, its residents and guests is astoundingly positive. I did not miss the "Green Monster" from on it or under it.
During the same time a completely private project involving rebuilding the Filene's building was started and abandoned partly done. Instead of an addition to Boston's Downtown Crossing all the private sector has managed is a gutted building next to a great big hole in the ground.
I think Seattle should continue placing the waterfront road underground. I just wonder why the contractor agreed to a fixed price contract. The unknowns preclude making such a big guess. Realizing the actual loads on "Big Bertha" were too high for the main bearing is a fine example of the unknowns stopping the project. These risks devolve unto the owner of the project not the contractor.
So big bro blows something up and keeps plugging away on taxpayer dollars to finish..........
Private folks run out of money and have to shut down shop..........
To you that is a good thing. LOL
Drive your tunnel and put the windows down.............all you are about it appears.
Well I do know what this tunnel is being dug for. It will replace an aging highway that runs through downtown, it will also replace an inadequate seawall, and create a series of parks for the city.
The new tunnel will streamline the highway and make it easier to get through downtown.
Some object to the liberal government spending taxpayer money to build a major and expensive set of civil works that benefit the citizens of Boston, Seattle and other places. I object to conservatives spending taxpayer money to privatize oil fields in Iraq and whatever the hell we are doing in Afghanistan. IMHO we should not be fighting in ANY of the Mideastern countries. We should be digging tunnels in Seattle.
Well "liberal earth" is ground that liberals will spend others money to do as they see. I guess anyway. I should write a book with that title.
It's a pretty good indicator that you know absolutely NOTHING about this issue that you consider it a "liberal" project. The fact is, Liberal groups such as the Sierra Club and former Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn - who is about as liberal as they come - OPPOSED the tunnel project tooth and nail (McGinn even went so far as to veto it at one point) until several referendums made it clear that the majority of Seattle residents WANT the tunnel to eliminate the terrible traffic congestion downtown and replace a crumbling viaduct that is no longer safe. It's not a "Liberal" project, and it NEVER WAS. Liberals in fact OPPOSED the tunnel from the beginning.
It's just astonishing how you wingnuts types can be wrong about virtually EVERYTHING, EVERY SINGLE TIME - but then again that's what happens when you simply have a "knee jerk" reaction to something without ever bothering to actually LEARN the facts about an issue. You see the word "Seattle" and you immediately ASSume it's a "Liberal" project when in fact it's not the "Liberals" who wanted it at all.
Get a clue!
It's a pretty good indicator that you know absolutely NOTHING about this issue that you consider it a "liberal" project. The fact is, Liberal groups such as the Sierra Club and former Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn - who is about as liberal as they come - OPPOSED the tunnel project tooth and nail (McGinn even went so far as to veto it at one point) until several referendums made it clear that the majority of Seattle residents WANT the tunnel to eliminate the terrible traffic congestion downtown and replace a crumbling viaduct that is no longer safe. It's not a "Liberal" project, and it NEVER WAS. Liberals in fact OPPOSED the tunnel from the beginning.
It's just astonishing how you wingnuts types can be wrong about virtually EVERYTHING, EVERY SINGLE TIME - but then again that's what happens when you simply have a "knee jerk" reaction to something without ever bothering to actually LEARN the facts about an issue. You see the word "Seattle" and you immediately ASSume it's a "Liberal" project when in fact it's not the "Liberals" who wanted it at all.
Get a clue!
Ken
Yes, the Liberals only support the things that work and that are good for everyone else. Yeah Team!
It's a pretty good indicator that you know absolutely NOTHING about this issue that you consider it a "liberal" project. The fact is, Liberal groups such as the Sierra Club and former Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn - who is about as liberal as they come - OPPOSED the tunnel project tooth and nail (McGinn even went so far as to veto it at one point) until several referendums made it clear that the majority of Seattle residents WANT the tunnel to eliminate the terrible traffic congestion downtown and replace a crumbling viaduct that is no longer safe. It's not a "Liberal" project, and it NEVER WAS. Liberals in fact OPPOSED the tunnel from the beginning.
Get a clue!
Ken
I agree in addition in Washington state Republicans and Democrats in Olympia have typically both supported raising gas taxes for highway construction. This particular project will take an outsized amount of state money but for years the rest of the state has been taking money out of Seattle and King County. Where does the money go? The 33 or so counties that typically vote Republican.
I agree in addition in Washington state Republicans and Democrats in Olympia have typically both supported raising gas taxes for highway construction. This particular project will take an outsized amount of state money but for years the rest of the state has been taking money out of Seattle and King County. Where does the money go? The 33 or so counties that typically vote Republican.
Yup, kind'a the way the country as a whole works. Blue states fund it, Red states spend it.
Some object to the liberal government spending taxpayer money to build a major and expensive set of civil works that benefit the citizens of Boston, Seattle and other places. I object to conservatives spending taxpayer money to privatize oil fields in Iraq and whatever the hell we are doing in Afghanistan. IMHO we should not be fighting in ANY of the Mideastern countries. We should be digging tunnels in Seattle.
Straw man argument.
Few if any object to the building of highways, bridges, tunnels, etc. That is a basic function of gov't that less than 1% would object to. What is objectionable is the use of these projects as a vehicle to line the pockets of cronies. Refer back to the example of the bridge built in 1963 for about $245 million (inflation adjusted) in the slide rule era, and now being replaced for $4.6 billion, approx. 18 times the cost.
Few if any object to the building of highways, bridges, tunnels, etc. That is a basic function of gov't that less than 1% would object to. What is objectionable is the use of these projects as a vehicle to line the pockets of cronies. Refer back to the example of the bridge built in 1963 for about $245 million (inflation adjusted) in the slide rule era, and now being replaced for $4.6 billion, approx. 18 times the cost.
The bridge built in 1963 is not the same as a bridge being built today. If it were a direct replica and a one to one with the technology and size, you would probably see the cost be similar.
Yup, kind'a the way the country as a whole works. Blue states fund it, Red states spend it.
Ken
You mean like notoriously red Boston spending $22 billion on the Big Dig?
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