Sound Politics: Not-too-Bright-water costs continue to escalate out of control

February 27, 2006

Not-too-Bright-water costs continue to escalate out of control

Ron Sims has just released the latest numbers on his Brightwater sewage treatment plant fiasco:

Rising inflation, higher global commodities prices and mitigation commitments have prompted King County's Wastewater Treatment Division to revise cost trends for the Brightwater wastewater treatment system project.

Though the numbers are still preliminary, the December 2005 cost trend for the Brightwater project is now at $1.62 billion, up $138 million, or 9.3 percent, from the 2004 estimate of $1.48 billion. More definitive numbers are expected after most major construction contract bids are received in 2006.

This is just another way in which Ron is helping to "create wealth more efficiently"

Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at February 27, 2006 06:04 PM | Email This

Comments

1. They could've saved a bundle if they didn't choose to build it on a fault line.
www.nwnews.com/editions/2004/041004/front1.htm

If you want to be further enlightened about this boondoggle, search Northwest News for brightwater.

Argh.

Posted by: RonP on February 27, 2006 07:03 PM

2. Brought to you by the same politician who brought you Sound Transit cost overruns.

If you believe a word he says...shame on you!!!

Posted by: South County on February 27, 2006 07:13 PM

3. Hey, this is how Ron shares our wealth with his friends. What's a billion and a half taxpayer bucks to a corrupt politician who has demonstrated his willingness to corrupt our elections system and who, when presented with the opportunity to halt the corruption in DOT faking studies to help developers, refused to force DOT to stop cheating for the growth industry?

Decades of growth will be supported by Brightwater, boosting the growth industry's profits and further increasing the taxpayers' liability for infrastructure impacts that governments will continue to hide. We'll eventually pay for it all, or watch Ron Sims' legacy gridlock the region. That's why the Master Builders named Sims their 2005 Developer Champion - or was it Economic Development champion? Is there really a difference?

Posted by: MJC on February 27, 2006 07:34 PM

4. What a surprise ! I thought his philosophy about the Government getting into the game for creating wealth was to carry Democrats of the 21st century in that op-ed piece in the Washington Post by King Sims last week. Government control aka liberalism is his religion - he worships at that altar, which is that of Idol worship, that will always fail.

Shallow ideologues can believe this kind of rubbish... The people of King County- ouch (mainly Seattle) got what they deserved in Nov. 2005.

Posted by: KS on February 27, 2006 08:39 PM

5. This is going to be some seriously expensive shit.

Posted by: Snake on February 27, 2006 08:56 PM

6. I'm waiting for Tent City residents to sue us taxpayers for (someday) placing their "rightful homes" near the B-Water plant;

Posted by: Jimmie-howya-doin on February 27, 2006 09:50 PM

7. I did not know there was that much crap in Seattle.

Posted by: DA WO on February 27, 2006 10:15 PM

8. But there is a bright side to the Brightwater bloat. The inflated cost ensures that the "one percent for art" rakeoff will expand. What additional adornments might the community bestow upon this gleaming technological triumph?

It will take an exemplary artist to execute the commission proposed here for the first time. The demands are heavy, the trials of the imagination overwhelming, the labors Herculean. But surely there are one or two artists in the community who can execute - a kinetic sculpture in which the entire cycle of the new plant will be presented as the trials and tribulations of endless legions of brown trout, leaping, frisking, tumbling, revolving, inexorably proceeding through the works in their transmutation into that sparkling glass of drinking water which a beaming Ron Sims will dramatically quaff for the TV cameras on the opening day of the facility.

Posted by: Hank Bradley on February 28, 2006 07:12 AM

9. Hank,

I was thinking along the same lines; 162 million dollars will buy a very big rock, or slab of steel, pile of concrete, whatever we are told by some artistic elitists is worth their superior talents.

Posted by: Shaun on February 28, 2006 07:48 AM

10. Does that mean the Brightwater plant is paved with gold?! sounds like it!! Jimmie isn't that where tent city belongs!! If they ever did do what you are suggesting I hope they get laughed out of court!! By the way jimmie, Snake & others good points!! The stuff that goes in there may end up being a golden opportunity for this boso lovely thought isn't it!!!

Posted by: Laurie on February 28, 2006 09:10 AM

11. Maybe the 'artists' collectively involved in the enterprise could perform a grand finale on opening day, and join with Ron Sims in drinking huge quantities of the ecologically superior product of the plant. In fact, let us make this a condition of their accepting their ill-gotten "one percent".

For the record, 1% of $1,620,000,000 is $16,200,000. That is indeed one whopping pile of ****, or brown trout, or feel-good socialist propaganda.

Posted by: Hank Bradley on February 28, 2006 09:10 AM

12. When Sims says his job is to "create wealth more efficiently," he doesn't mean for you.

He means for him, and for rich, politically connected (ethically corrupt) contractors, consultants, lawyers, businessmen and other freeloaders and thieves who gouge $million$ off of public works projects.

Your role is to be the source of the wealth Sims is creating.

A similar example is Congressman "Duke" Cunningham in California, who efficiently created a great deal of wealth for himself and contractors who were willing to "work" with him.

Posted by: ken on February 28, 2006 09:22 AM

13. While I have some concerns over the cost of Brightwater, infrastructure projects such as these are the logical responsibility of government. We ignore our infrastructure at the risk of our future ecomomic health. We'll need access to more water supplies, more power supplies and expanded air transportation. These public investments are too important to ignore like we have for many years.

Is this project too expensive? I'm not sure. What do comparable projects costs? Is this project necessary? Probably yes.

Posted by: Gary B on February 28, 2006 09:25 AM

14. Jimmie's fix-it:
I understand we need good sewage plants; yes, they are expensive; yes, no one wants them in their neighborhoods;

HOWEVER--Jimmie Senate Bill 01 proposes that 1--sewage plants MUST be placed close to a legislator's residence; (to control smell, nice design & esthetics)and 2--Tent City residents can take up homes around same; (to inspire them and the legislators); 3--any homeless or vandals or criminals must clean the "leftovers" out of the plant to repay their jail sentences; badda-bing--multi problem solving!

Posted by: Jimmie-howya-doin on March 3, 2006 07:51 PM

15. Not a bad concept Jimmie!!

Posted by: Laurie on March 4, 2006 03:07 PM