whistleblower: July 2014

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Silver Spring Transit Center: the Great American Ripoff

update, 9/3/14:
http://silverspringtransitcenter.blogspot.com/2014/09/stop-purple-lines-public-private.html
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update, 8/31/14:
http://pileofsteamingbs.blogspot.com/2014/08/controlling-silver-spring-transit.html
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The Silver Spring Transit Center = the Great American Ripoff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82HhnCzC6IY

It's not a fairy tale. The Great American Ripoff is crony capitalsim
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crony_capitalism
a.k.a. public private partnership
a.k.a. the Silver Spring Transit Center
53% federal funding--that's YOU, taxpayers. from sea to shining sea. Montgomery Co. MD is into YOUR pocket: California, Montana, Alaska, etc.--ALL 50 states. YOU are paying for inflated contracts (political "contribution$" have to come from somewhere) that Montgomery Co. MD politicians give to their political cronies.

$130+ million for a LEMON transit center that Montgomery County MD has the nerve to charge American taxpayers to "fix". never mind that taxpayers are paying inflated prices for a brand new, UNFLAWED transit center, NOT for a flawed LEMON.

Don't expect to hear about the Silver Spring Transit Center/Great American Ripoff from news media. They're too busy reporting weather hour by hour, social media trends, self-promotion ("we report 'in-depth' and ask 'probing questions'", which CLEARLY the news media DON'T) and other non-news nonsense.

What news media haven't reported is the rest of the iceberg.

http://silverspringtransitcenter.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

FTC

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/study-35-percent-us-facing-debt-collectors-24752030

"More than 35 percent of Americans have debts and unpaid bills that have been reported to collection agencies, according to a study released Tuesday by the Urban Institute.

These consumers fall behind on credit cards or hospital bills. Their mortgages, auto loans or student debt pile up, unpaid. Even past-due gym membership fees or cellphone contracts can end up with a collection agency, potentially hurting credit scores and job prospects, said Caroline Ratcliffe, a senior fellow at the Washington-based think tank."

If you have a complaint against a cellphone company and their debt collectors for fraudulent, harassing business practices, then file a complaint with the FTC:
https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/#crnt&panel1-1

Friday, July 25, 2014

Silver Spring Transit Center public-private partnership and crony capitalism

http://cei.org/2010/11/05/the-problem-with-public-private-partnerships

"PPP (Public Private Partnership) managers face much weaker innovative forces - if things go wrong, they can always appeal to their "public" nature for taxpayer bailouts."

Sound familiar? Is Fred Smith a modern-day Nostradamus? Did he see the SSTC debacle coming in November 2010? (Fred Smith's Competitive Enterprise Institute is located only 7 miles due south from PPP, lemon, Silver Spring Transit Center.)

Question: Why haven't the local Washington DC news media (print, TV, radio, internet), with all of their boasts about "in-depth reporting" and "probing questions", reported:

why Montgomery County MD chose Foulger Pratt to build the Silver Spring Transit Center, Parsons Brinkerhoff to design it and Balter Company to provide concrete inspection and testing and to serve as Special Quality Inspector?
if political contribution$ were part of the $election proce$$?

Could it be that the local Washington DC news media:

have cozy relationships with local politicians?
are inept?
are lazy?
all of the above?

53% of the funding for the SSTC is federal funding. ALL of us are paying for the overdue, overbudget, severely flawed, $130+ million, lemon Silver Spring Transit Center.

For more on the Silver Spring Transit Center:

Thursday, July 17, 2014

why do structures collapse?

http://o.canada.com/sports/soccer/world-cup/fifa-world-cup-gallery-brazilian-bridge-overpass-collapse

why do structures collapse?

faulty design?

faulty construction?

faulty construction inspection and materials testing?

all of the above?

An independent investigation is needed to determine why a structure fails.
The independent investigation must address:

the engineer, including how the engineer was selected, and the engineer's relationship with the government

the builder, including how the builder was selected, and the builder's relationship with the government

the construction inspector and materials tester, including how the construction inspector/materials tester was selected, and the construction inspector's relationship with the government