Easy money
From
Jim Quinn writing at
Doug Ross @ Journal:
Stories of Government: 30 Blocks of Squalor
The joys of West Philly are multi-faceted. I�ve been getting off at the Girard Avenue exit of the Schulkill Expressway for six years on my way to work.
The Philadelphia Zoo parking lots are located directly in front of the exit ramp. I then proceed to 34th street and take my little shortcut through the hood.
About one year ago, a construction project began on the existing parking lot at 35th and Girard Avenue. I had no idea what they were building and why. Before long it became evident they were building a big ass parking garage. I was stumped. The zoo had multiple existing parking lots that were NEVER filled.
As the months went on I realized they were building the Shangri La of parking garages with a majestic glass tower in front.
I began to wonder who came up with the money for this monstrosity, because the Philadelphia Zoo is a money losing non-profit that depends on donations for its continued existence. As I was driving down 36th Street a couple weeks ago I noticed a brand new sign telling me I was entering the Centennial District. That�s funny because I thought I was entering the slums of West Philly where no one works and everyone has an iPhone.
It all began to make sense when they installed the enormous signage naming this parking garage the CENTENNIAL INTERMODAL TRANSPORTATION CENTER. Orwell must be so proud.
A bit more:
Now that I had a name for this unnecessary albatross I was able to do a google search to find out how much this 683 space, union constructed parking palace amidst squalor actually cost. I was flabbergasted to find out it cost $24 million. You can be sure it could have been built for $16 million if it had been built non-union. For some perspective, IKEA builds 300,000 square foot retail stores for $18 million. Now for the best part. YOU paid for 30% of this porkulus project. Your Federal tax dollars funded a major portion of this project.
Read the whole thing and weep. The idiots in charge are building these monuments to their own greed. These are nothing that anyone wants or needs or has any practical use. Light rail - useless and is guaranteed to be a money rat-hole, trolleys - the same. These masterminds think that they can 'nudge' us into a behavior that is best for us -- we just do not know it yet. Excuse me but fuck you.
Like I said, read the whole thing and see the very predictable outcome and ponder that it is our tax dollars that went to fund projects like this. If these morons were operating in the real world, they would have been fired and probably would be facing jail time. They are otherwise unemployable...
Posted by DaveH at April 13, 2013 8:44 PM