This is like Canada spending $54m to build the BASIC covid entry app, ArriveCAN...
Source: https://nationalpost.com/news/the-initial-cost-of-arrivecan-...
San Francisco is spending $1.7M on one public toilet
61–70 of 832 posts
Re: San Francisco is spending $1.7M on one public toilet
#62The Arts Commission’s Civic Design Review committee will be responsible for conducting a “multi-phase review” of the project, like it does for all projects on public lands. Before the project is put out for bid, it will be subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act, according to the Chronicle. The public toilet will be built by union workers who will “earn a living wage and benefits,” according…
I mean there is nothing wrong with the whole "built-by-union-workers"-thingy. its more all of the Bureaucracy involved thats stupid.
Nothing wrong with lazy and unaccountable workers?
Re: San Francisco is spending $1.7M on one public toilet
#63No wonder they can't build high-speed rail.
Re: San Francisco is spending $1.7M on one public toilet
#64If you think about some of the really interesting architecture of San Francisco, do you think they could be built now? Imagine trying to get the golden gate bridge built today. At some point you have to accept that not everyone is going to like every aspect of your plan and tell them to go pound sound or nothing will ever get done.
Re: San Francisco is spending $1.7M on one public toilet
#65The Arts Commission’s Civic Design Review committee will be responsible for conducting a “multi-phase review” of the project, like it does for all projects on public lands. Before the project is put out for bid, it will be subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act, according to the Chronicle. The public toilet will be built by union workers who will “earn a living wage and benefits,” according…
I mean there is nothing wrong with the whole "built-by-union-workers"-thingy. its more all of the Bureaucracy involved thats stupid.
There’s nothing wrong with a $1.70m toilet either.
Re: San Francisco is spending $1.7M on one public toilet
#66I do not believe this type of public theft is due to incompetence, I believe it is corruption and grift
It's straight out of the OSS (pre-CIA)'s "Simple Sabotage Field Manual".
https://gist.github.com/kennwhite/467529962c184258d08f16daec...
> General Interference with Organizations and Production
> Insist on doing everything through "channels." Never permit short-cuts to be taken in order to expedite decisions. Make "speeches." Talk as frequently as possible and at great length. Illustrate your "points" by long anecdotes and accounts of personal experiences. Never hesitate to make a few appropriate "patriotic" comments. When possible, refer all matters to committees, for "further study and consideration." Attempt to make the committees as large as possible — never less than five. Bring up irrelevant issues as frequently as possible. Haggle over precise wordings of communications, minutes, resolutions. Refer back to matters decided upon at the last meeting and attempt to re-open the question of the advisability of that decision. Advocate "caution." Be "reasonable" and urge your fellow-conferees to be "reasonable" and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on. Be worried about the propriety of any decision -- raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon.
Re: San Francisco is spending $1.7M on one public toilet
#67I do not believe this type of public theft is due to incompetence, I believe it is corruption and grift
Incompetence and bureaucracy seem more likely.
Por que no los dos.
All the waste of money was done above the table and according to official government process. On one hand it's just a bunch of people who DGAF about the big picture doing their jobs and nothing more. On the other hand it walks, floats and quacks like the graft duck.
Re: San Francisco is spending $1.7M on one public toilet
#68One of my jobs is in the public service. This seems like the usual case of public servants doing everything possible to avoid someone being unhappy with them later. Consultations, union workers, tons and tons of approvals, etc. Remember, you can't really win as a government worker. The priority is not to lose. You want every little concern addressed? You want layers and layers of accountability? You want the top conc…
Yeah the local state had some efforts to reclassify some state construction rules for work on state facilities. Through years of rando events it came to pass that installing a door required a "metal worker" (I forget the exact term) ... because it involved some metal ... in some way. But generally they were just prefab doors with frames that you drop in. This only seemed to apply to doors and a couple other also "this is actually a cheap job" type situations.
It jacked up the price considerably. Lots of interests end up with some strange outcomes.
Re: San Francisco is spending $1.7M on one public toilet
#69Self-cleaning, vandalism-resistant public WCs have been around for a long time.
Could SF purchase them instead?
Re: San Francisco is spending $1.7M on one public toilet
#70The Arts Commission’s Civic Design Review committee will be responsible for conducting a “multi-phase review” of the project, like it does for all projects on public lands. Before the project is put out for bid, it will be subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act, according to the Chronicle. The public toilet will be built by union workers who will “earn a living wage and benefits,” according…
I mean there is nothing wrong with the whole "built-by-union-workers"-thingy. its more all of the Bureaucracy involved thats stupid.
There is if they were selected for any reason other than offering the cheapest price.