Vote em out!

[B43]

Originally Posted by speedlever

B43, I think we actually agree on something here!

I think we'd be surprised by how much we actually do agree on, if only we could understand what each other is trying to say. One thing that would help is if we left our personal biases in our pocket while reading so we don't jump to our own conclusions before we're finished reading. That's easier said than done, if possible at all.

But what am I talking about? Most people don't really want an honest discussion. What they really want is to justify their own opinion. So, off with their heads!

[B43]

Originally Posted by MikeVT

Charts like that are questionable unless you can validate how the data was collected and compiled. You can make a chart say just about anything you want just pick the right scale, variables, and issues.

Everything's questionable to someone.

[speedlever]

Wait, what? But but but... I thought Fox News was a conservative channel.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/d...-politics.html

[mevers]

Originally Posted by speedlever

Wait, what? But but but... I thought Fox News was a conservative channel.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/d...-politics.html

A token democrat, ala Alan Colmes

[speedlever]

I figured someone would call them a token D. Otoh, there are a pretty good number of Ds that make an appearance on Fox.

[speedlever]

Why do we put up with this crap? (this happened under GWB) There is simply no excuse for this extravagance.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/t...-politics.html

[MoosePond]

Originally Posted by speedlever

Why do we put up with this crap? (this happened under GWB) There is simply no excuse for this extravagance.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/t...-politics.html

The veritable tip of the iceberg. Many years ago I was doing business with the FBI and my contact there had to cancel a meeting because their offices were being completely renovated (new desks, cubicles, carpet, etc.), even though they were still relatively new and in good condition, because they had money left in their budget and in Washington it's "use it or lose it"!

btw, they insisted on buying our European-manufactured products directly from the manufacturer, despite our having a GSA approved dealer 5 minutes from their offices, at full retail because they were having us make some unclassified modifications that they wished to keep private. Our dealer once told me he'd gladly have given them a 10-15% discount for a contract of this size and been very happy to have the business.

[25 Year Honda Owner]

Originally Posted by speedlever

Why do we put up with this crap? (this happened under GWB) There is simply no excuse for this extravagance.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/t...-politics.html

Looking at the pics, the contractor made out like a bandit.

[WNY PAT]

Assuming I am seeing everything in the pictures, if I bid that out based on a residential customer stating they want top end custom cabinetry, top quality materials and installation for the trim, high end tile materials and installation, high end sinks and fixtures and top quality finish work on every single detail (i.e. skim coating ALL drywall to hide every seam by my best drywall guy after plumbing and electric work was complete, etc); AND depending on how much there was to take apart / demo in the first place (including moving electric / showers / sinks / toilets around) AND including debris removal, that's probably a $60,000-$80,000 residential renovation in my neck of the woods and that's a worst case scenario number. That doesn't include "special fixtures" ala $20,000 toilets, however. OTOH, I don't really know what is involved in renovation work in a building like that... it may not be built using standard building practices so access to plumbing / electric / etc might be very difficult and time consuming. But I doubt it it would vary too much from most residential or commercial work....

[cdepuydt]

Originally Posted by MoosePond

....because they had money left in their budget and in Washington it's "use it or lose it".

Yes, this is true for all federal department offices, and this includes budgets for office furniture, computers, renovation, and office supplies. That's why you'll see huge trucks of office supplies backing up to your local federal office buildings at the end of their fiscal years. If they have money left in their office supply budgets, they have to spend it, otherwise the next year their office supply budgets will be cut to reflect what they didn't use/spend the previous year. Then they lose $X number of dollars for their office budgets the next year and they never get it back.

Just another example of federal government inefficiency. As my old man used to say, "They could f--k up a free lunch". Man, good thing the federal government isn't running something as important as...oh I dunno...our healthcare. Whew. That would be a total cluster f....oh wait...that's right...

Edit: Oh, and I just looked at the renovation pictures. $222,000 renovation for a 10x10 bathroom? Yeah, that contracter just put in an order for a brand new boat, camper, and pickup truck. Plus, he just ordered bumper stickers that say, "Thanks for this US Taxpayers!" for all of them.

Wow, what a rip-off. Sadly, this shouldn't surprise any of us.