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San Francisco is spending $1.7M on one public toilet

sfchronicle.com

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Re: San Francisco is spending $1.7M on one public toilet

#11

Post by anm89 »

jimrandomh wrote: post #10

I think things in SF have gotten well past the point where people should believe that it's mere inefficiency, and start calling it what it is: corruption. This money is being embezzled, used as political favors, or otherwise misappropriated. There will be a story about a wasteful process, of course, some budget paperwork, and excuses. But unless a detective looks closely at the books, those excuses will probably be l…

Where's the corruption here? If you set up a system of regulation where a building a toilet costs 1.7M and then building a toilet costs 1.7M, that seems like inefficiency not corruption.

I'm open to being proven wrong here but it seems like this statement needs to be justified.

Re: San Francisco is spending $1.7M on one public toilet

#12

Post by bhelkey »

willcipriano wrote: post #7
VHRanger wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not inexplicable. The political system froze up to protect entrenched interests (NIMBY land owners). It's making conscious efforts to make new construction onerous to get through permitting process. That restricts supply and enriches existing land owners.

If expensive permitting is the problem, since it's the government doing the building shouldn't that not really be a "cost", order the department to waive any fees. Also, If that were the case I would suspect that adding a bathroom to your house in SF would cost upwards of a million dollars as well but I doubt that's true. Correct me if I'm wrong. A similar effect can be seen in ancient Rome, towards the end of the em…

> since it's the government doing the building shouldn't that not really be a "cost", order the department to waive any fees.

This assumes that the cost is due to fees imposed by the government.

From the article:

>> [The costs] include planning, drawing, permits, reviews and public outreach.

>> we expect to be able to complete [the toilet] in 2025

Re: San Francisco is spending $1.7M on one public toilet

#14

Post by willcipriano »

bhelkey wrote: post #12
willcipriano wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If expensive permitting is the problem, since it's the government doing the building shouldn't that not really be a "cost", order the department to waive any fees. Also, If that were the case I would suspect that adding a bathroom to your house in SF would cost upwards of a million dollars as well but I doubt that's true. Correct me if I'm wrong. A similar effect can be seen in ancient Rome, towards the end of the em…

> since it's the government doing the building shouldn't that not really be a "cost", order the department to waive any fees. This assumes that the cost is due to fees imposed by the government. From the article: >> [The costs] include planning, drawing, permits, reviews and public outreach. >> we expect to be able to complete [the toilet] in 2025

It couldn't cost more than say 200k (and that is pretty crazy the article says the plumbing hookups are there it's not like they have to dig up a city block to run a sewer line or something) to actually build the thing so we are talking what? A million and a half in illustration, planning and review for a single toilet?

Re: San Francisco is spending $1.7M on one public toilet

#15

Post by bergenty »

willcipriano wrote: post #3

The biggest problem in America: Things are inexplicably extremely expensive, especially if government is involved and nobody can give a straight answer as to why.

Getting a contractor to work on your home is ridiculously expensive too. The other day I paid $900 to replace a faucet for my tub.

Re: San Francisco is spending $1.7M on one public toilet

#16

Post by fragmede »

jimrandomh wrote: post #10

I think things in SF have gotten well past the point where people should believe that it's mere inefficiency, and start calling it what it is: corruption. This money is being embezzled, used as political favors, or otherwise misappropriated. There will be a story about a wasteful process, of course, some budget paperwork, and excuses. But unless a detective looks closely at the books, those excuses will probably be l…

Calling it corruption isn’t even a stretch. Nuru was ex-director of San Francisco Public Works, and plead guilty to a federal fraud charge.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Ex-S-F-Public-Wo...

Re: San Francisco is spending $1.7M on one public toilet

#17

Post by sn0w_crash »

greendestiny_re wrote: post #13

Grand opening of a public toilet, escalator, or elevator is a common sight in Eastern Europe during an election campaign. https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/gradonacelnik-zivinica-sveca...

Eastern Europe is 100x cleaner and more beautiful than SF will ever be.

Re: San Francisco is spending $1.7M on one public toilet

#18

Post by willcipriano »

bergenty wrote: post #15
willcipriano wrote: post #3

The biggest problem in America: Things are inexplicably extremely expensive, especially if government is involved and nobody can give a straight answer as to why.

Getting a contractor to work on your home is ridiculously expensive too. The other day I paid $900 to replace a faucet for my tub.

I'd love to see a breakdown of wages paid to plumbers, tilesetters and carpenters as well as all material and equipment costs vs everything else. I'd gamble it isn't even 20% of the total.

Re: San Francisco is spending $1.7M on one public toilet

#19

Post by sn0w_crash »

missedthecue wrote: post #6

I'm not sure how you would be able to codify it in a fair and just way, but this level of waste needs to be a crime. There needs to be accountability.

This is already codified. It’s a political ideology that centers around throwing money into a bottomless pit of problems that never seem to be solved.

“Accountability” would mean a massive reduction in headcount, budget, and taxation. The likelihood of this happening in SF is….. you know the answer to that.

Re: San Francisco is spending $1.7M on one public toilet

#20

Post by gimoc »

bergenty wrote: post #15
willcipriano wrote: post #3

The biggest problem in America: Things are inexplicably extremely expensive, especially if government is involved and nobody can give a straight answer as to why.

Getting a contractor to work on your home is ridiculously expensive too. The other day I paid $900 to replace a faucet for my tub.

Couldn't you do it yourself? It's typically a relatively simple job, no need to get a contractor in. The tools to replace it, if you don't have them already, would have come in at a fraction of $900.
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