Money Monday

Ever think you took the wrong career track financially? Ronda Rousey’s blink-and-you-missed-it (17 seconds) victory over Gina Carano Saturday earned her just over $129,411 per second. Poor Gina – she ONLY earned about half that.  USAToday

On the money front, it has been amusing to watch the Reflecting Pool controversy in Washington. Trump originally shocked folks by saying it needed urgent work (it does, it is built on an unstable foundation) and he knew a “very good” pool contractor who had worked for him who would do it for only $1.8 million. (Noting for the record this is only 16 years after Obama spent a staggering $34,000,000 on the same reflecting pool.) But, as mentioned, while staggeringly gorgeous when in good shape, it is estimated to be leaking over 71,000,000 gallons of water annually and is a visual mess.

Like most bargain projects Trump touts, the price has escalated quite a bit. Now the estimated total is $13.1 million. Part of this is changing the color of the pool, to an “American Flag Blue.” Not sure what to think – possibly it may look great. Traditionalists think it may wind up looking like a theme park  swimming pool and are upset (worth noting that that color is a far deeper blue than normal swimming pools I have seen.)

The Department of the Interior says the price hike is due to the extreme rush. To finish by the July 4th deadline, they have to pay for more people and longer hours. They also need more materials and equipment to get the job done in record time.

Which does beg the question – if it so important that a $10+ million dollar bump to the cost is needed, why wasn’t it started last year?

Oh, and the contract was let on a no-bid basis, supposedly to be used when there was imminent harm to the country involved, i.e. an “emergency exemption.” The rationale seems to be that it needs to be done by the country’s 250th birthday – an admirable ambition but an emergency?

Atlantic Industrial Coatings is who got the bid.

Atlantic Industrial Coatings had previously performed work at President Trump’s golf club in Sterling, Virginia. Before this massive D.C. project, the firm had never held any federal contracts. The President said he chose them because they were some of his “best pool builders” from his real estate days. BGL

Which is interesting because the New York Times (All the News that Fits, We Print All the News That’s Fit to Print) went through their website and says there is no mention of swimming pool work on it – they do things like waterproofing culverts, asphalt, storage tanks – related but not someone you would call a pool guy. Oh, and their contract is for $6.9 mill, not $1.8.  RawStory

So someone who has never had a Federal contract is doing a contract that, depending on who you listen to, is either $1.8 mill, three times that, or 7 times that, for a job that while related, is not their core business. Hope it comes out well – screwing up something as iconic as the Reflecting Pool is not trivial.

BTW, copied directly from AIC’s website:

We are a woman owned advanced coatings application company providing protective liners and coatings for waterproofing, chemical protection, impact and abrasion protection, and corrosion control. These coatings are used to provide structural pipe liners, primary and secondary containment, roofing coatings for high maintenance traffic, and much more. Based in Central Virginia we service Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia and North Carolina.

We specialize in:

• trenchless culvert restoration for state departments of transportation (DOT) using both polyurea SIPP and Fold and Form PVC liners, ensuring a HL-93 load rated, structural replacement pipe with outstanding impact and abrasion resistance solution exists for all pipes in inventory.
• metal roof restoration of industrial roofs providing protection from the natural elements as well as the common maintenance traffic required.
• primary and secondary containment liners for chemical and water storage.  AIC

Interesting – Trump is the kinda guy who’s gonna insist on dealing with the head honcho, right? “Woman owned” and “Pool guy”?

Category: "Your Tax Dollars At Work"