After we learned last week that the cost of METRO’s proposed new light rail lines rose astronomically, the Chron’s Rad Sallee asked METRO’s President Frank “Procurement Disaster” Wilson for his reaction. In essence, Frank says, “Don’t worry, be happy.”
He does admit there was a bit of lowballing in the initial estimates, but it’s nothing. Really.
Sallee worked the math and still came up with a staggering dollar figure — $3.3 billion for five lines. Wilson’s response?
Wilson was emphatic Friday that the five lines together will cost less than $3 billion, but he wouldn’t say how much less.
[snip]
[…]the above does not touch on commuter rail or expanded bus service. Metro’s resources would appear to fall short, but Wilson said the whole package can be done.
He said he’d produce the details after that contract is signed.
That sounds familiar. That’s similar to Mayor White’s response whenever he’s asked for details about a soccer stadium.
Not that there’s any mystery about how government REALLY works, but it’s still rather surprising when pols slip and confirm what we suspect goes on all the time. Especially in METRO’s case.
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