How Berlin’s Futuristic Airport Became a $6B Embarrassment
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Re: How Berlin’s Futuristic Airport Became a $6B Embarrassment
#2Building an airport always is. Often it takes more money and a few decades to appreciate it. D/FW airport was a nightmare when it was built but it's pretty nice today. Denver's airport had tons of issues as well.
Then again this seems on a much higher level of disaster, but should be familiar to anyone building large government software systems.
Re: How Berlin’s Futuristic Airport Became a $6B Embarrassment
#3One of the current running gags in Germany :) Simply make a reference to that airport and something that will never work and you are good to go.
Edit: one of my favorite articles on that topic (German) http://www.der-postillon.com/2012/08/neue-zeitform-futur-iii...
Re: How Berlin’s Futuristic Airport Became a $6B Embarrassment
#4"At the very moment Merkel and her allies are hectoring the Greeks about their profligacy, the airport’s cost, borne by taxpayers, has tripled to €5.4 billion."
So, which country does Germany want to borrow money from in order to cover the wasteful spending?
Re: How Berlin’s Futuristic Airport Became a $6B Embarrassment
#5"At the very moment Merkel and her allies are hectoring the Greeks about their profligacy, the airport’s cost, borne by taxpayers, has tripled to €5.4 billion." So, which country does Germany want to borrow money from in order to cover the wasteful spending?
As with any country monetizing debt, they auction bonds to the highest bidder.
The 'highest bidder' being the bidder accepting the least interest.
Re: How Berlin’s Futuristic Airport Became a $6B Embarrassment
#6> "Professor, let me understand this," Loge said. "You are talking about having 800 people wearing orange vests, sitting on camping stools, holding thermoses filled with coffee, and shouting into their cell phones, 'Open the fire door'?" Loge refused the airport an operating license. Schwarz stood up and walked out without another word.
Easily the best part of the article.
Re: How Berlin’s Futuristic Airport Became a $6B Embarrassment
#7Building an airport always is. Often it takes more money and a few decades to appreciate it. D/FW airport was a nightmare when it was built but it's pretty nice today. Denver's airport had tons of issues as well. Then again this seems on a much higher level of disaster, but should be familiar to anyone building large government software systems.
Denver still has the issue that it's a 20 mile drive from downtown out of some misguided belief that the city was just going to instantly grow out to it.
Re: How Berlin’s Futuristic Airport Became a $6B Embarrassment
#8But is it only BER?
As mentioned int the article - what about Stuttgart 21 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuttgart_21) etc.?
It is possible that these sites exist as new financial "loopholes", transferring tax-money from the government to private contractors without much oversight.
Re: How Berlin’s Futuristic Airport Became a $6B Embarrassment
#9But is it only BER? As mentioned int the article - what about Stuttgart 21 ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuttgart_21 ) etc.? It is possible that these sites exist as new financial "loopholes", transferring tax-money from the government to private contractors without much oversight.
> It is possible that these sites exist as new financial "loopholes", transferring tax-money from the government to private contractors without much oversight.
Yes, absolutely
http://www.zeit.de/2015/29/imtech-flughafen-berlin-ber-verzo... (article in German)
Re: How Berlin’s Futuristic Airport Became a $6B Embarrassment
#10They seem to completely miss the story about Imtech's involvement that broke this week which sheds some lights on this catastrophe and is a tale of corruption: http://www.zeit.de/2015/29/imtech-flughafen-berlin-ber-verzo...
Unfortunately I'm unable to find an English-language article on that at all. There is only this Imtech response: http://imtech.com/EN/corporate/Newsroom/Highlights/Imtech-re...