why are we the worlds highest cost producers?

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jimbrewer

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Federal work means total up the bid, then multiply by at least 2. At least that's how it works for the construction company I worked with. They think by over paying for gov't work they are boosting the economy when they are just really over paying a handful of people when the money is better spent elsewhere.
 
Lets just say its the American way of doing business. $$$$$$
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Unconsolidated formation and high density population strike me as two reasons Boston digging would be more challenging.

I will read the linked articles before further comment.
 
I'm not saying the price tag on the Big Dig was justified, but referring to it simply as "a 3.5 mile project" is an under-simplification on a grand scale. It was an extremely complex project. I should know, I take every opportunity to avoid driving in it
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Originally Posted By: theKman
I'm not saying the price tag on the Big Dig was justified, but referring to it simply as "a 3.5 mile project" is an under-simplification on a grand scale. It was an extremely complex project. I should know, I take every opportunity to avoid driving in it
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Your right it got real complex.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/arrests-for-big-dig-concrete-fraud/

http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2008/05/carmen_the_chee.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/09/us/09cnd-dig.html?_r=0

Lots more. This is how its done in MA.
 
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The Alps didn't have telephone, water, sewer, cable tv, fuel pipelines, traffic, neighborhoods or any other infrastructure that had to be relocated in order for the tunnel to be made.
 
Originally Posted By: Sunnyinhollister
A city hall near me spent $1,000,000 on a ten foot wheel chair ramp and did not bat an eye. There has got to be a better way.


A courthouse near me spent 4 millions an a simple facelift. The work still isn't complete 2 1/2 years later.
 
Graft, red tape, overzealous union issues, politicians adding tremendous amount of pork into every nook and cranny, off the hook environmentalist (and this is from a enviro guy; I'm just reasonable).

You think "The Big Dig" was horrendous (and it was) just wait until the TapanZEEEE bridge is really rolling here in NY. Can't wait to see the overuns! Going to be something special. They have already begun the pre-staging of equip and supplies.
 
Another possibility is the expertise in Europe as a side effect of building the channel tunnel not least the tunnel boring machines and related tech that was engineered at that time.
 
When I was in construction my boss was not allowed to give bids on DSHS projects like wheelchair accessible showers for example. DSHS had their own two contractors in the area and charged DSHS twice compared to what we could do the same project for. They always charged the max allowable which was far above what many of these projects were worth.
 
Originally Posted By: BISCUT
Graft, red tape, overzealous union issues, politicians adding tremendous amount of pork into every nook and cranny, off the hook environmentalist (and this is from a enviro guy; I'm just reasonable).

You think "The Big Dig" was horrendous (and it was) just wait until the TapanZEEEE bridge is really rolling here in NY. Can't wait to see the overuns! Going to be something special. They have already begun the pre-staging of equip and supplies.


Oh? I guess the last time I drove over it I thought it was a bit bumpy... Lemme guess, the toll isn't going to go down in price? Getting to be pricey to drive on the highways.
 
Originally Posted By: DemoFly
Labor unions that entitle themselves unemployed.

No longer are they for worker protection, they are simply machines of greed.


Unions are people who have banded together in common cause to negotiate collectively. Did you expect them to not do so vigorously? They were established to act as a counterbalance to the owners of capital (Machines Of Greed). Do you expect unions to roll over and play dead or not work for the benefit of the union members? The owners of capital work only toward their own financial interests; why would a union do anything *but* fight for it's own interests? Capitalism is not cooperative - it is competitive. It is not friendly nor conducive to humanity. It is a dark, greedy fight; and unions fight. From that adversarial struggle comes a balance.
 
Boston is corrupt, lots of unions and local politicians expect a piece of the pie.

Plus its a complicated project and their are only so many companies left in the world with the skill set to do it.

Remember everyone went to college to type on computers, no one went into the trades. That's why they make so much money. You think a Walmart flunky could run equipment in a tunnel like that?

What slows down road projects in this country is not money, we have plenty of that. Its all the regulations you have to deal with. Lots of government agency's have to put in their two cents, than if you get a flock of nimby's that will cost years.

I suspect the Swiss being a small, highly organized society have streamlined the process a bit.
 
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Originally Posted By: uc50ic4more
Unions are people who have banded together in common cause to negotiate collectively.


In many instances, workers have no choice but to join the union. They aren't "people who have banded together". They are people who have been forced into something that removes autonomy and independence.
 
Originally Posted By: uc50ic4more
Originally Posted By: DemoFly
Labor unions that entitle themselves unemployed.

No longer are they for worker protection, they are simply machines of greed.


Unions are people who have banded together in common cause to negotiate collectively. Did you expect them to not do so vigorously? They were established to act as a counterbalance to the owners of capital (Machines Of Greed). Do you expect unions to roll over and play dead or not work for the benefit of the union members? The owners of capital work only toward their own financial interests; why would a union do anything *but* fight for it's own interests? Capitalism is not cooperative - it is competitive. It is not friendly nor conducive to humanity. It is a dark, greedy fight; and unions fight. From that adversarial struggle comes a balance.


Clearly you have never been on a big construction site.

The unions do abuse things a lot, in NYC its horrible. First they pay the guy $30 an hour to sweep the floors. Than you have to pay another guy $30 an hour to carry the material to the lift, than a third guy brings it down.

The big cities like Boston which is corrupt, and NYC which is just expensive have very strong unions you have to hire for big projects. They probably realistically drive labor costs up oh I'd say 30% off the top of my head.

Than you have government agency's which have to "regulate" you, ie they send out inspectors and find problems to charge you fines for.

Out west you don't have to do that, they would just hire some Mexican for $8 an hour to do all three jobs.
 
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