the BScubed/Pinocchio award goes to...

Montgomery County Director of General Services David Dise, Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett, and Montgomery County Council President Craig Rice

“Our job is to beat those challenges and overcome them and still focus on delivering a first-class product, which I believe we have done in this case and I believe we do in all the projects that we construct.”  (Really?!?)

“...we got it done right.”

 “We here in Montgomery County are really trying to see things through. ...it is great for us to say we delivered.”

http://www.thesentinel.com/mont/New-library-opens1-9-2014

How are those for Baseless Self Serving Statements (BScubed)?!?

more BScubed/Pinocchio awards...

for Maryland Transit Administration project manager Mike Madden, Montgomery County Council member George Leventhal, and "other officials...from state (MD) agencies"

"I believe the project will open on-time and on-budget. If there are delays, it will be on the company's dime," says Madden, referring to whichever company is involved in the public-private partnership.

"We need to restore some trust with the public. We need to ensure ahead of time that the government and the contractors are very much on the same page. We need to make sure through computer modeling and just dialogue to make sure all the kinks are worked out before the shovels hit the ground," says Leventhal.

"Other officials tell WTOP that state agencies pay close attention to what is happening in Silver Spring and Tysons and are confident the Purple Line will be well constructed and properly inspected."  (Really??? Why are "other officials" and "state agencies" so confident that the Purple Line will be "well constructed and properly inspected"? Specifically, what's changed from what was in place for the severely flawed Silver Spring Transit Center?)

http://www.wtop.com/654/3587776/Purple-Line-Officials-say-when-not-if

The BSSSs (Baseless Self Serving Statements) just keep on comin'!

and, not to be forgotten for a BScubed/Pinocchio award:

Montgomery County Council member Roger Berliner

“The notion that you (WMATA) have no less responsibility than our county does with respect to the current state of affairs is something where we would need to understand how you could take that posture,” Berliner said.

http://www.wjla.com/articles/2013/07/montgomery-county-wmata-fight-over-silver-spring-transit-center--91762.html

Mr. Berliner, The SSTC is Montgomery County's project, and it's Montgomery County's responsibility to inspect and approve all construction in Montgomery County. 

and finally, BScubed/Pinocchio awards to all of the media (print, TV, radio, internet) who failed to challenge these and other outrageous Baseless Self Serving Statements; and, who failed to ask "probing questions" and to report "in depth" on the severely flawed SSTC. Congratulations to all of you.

Government, the media & the truth about the Silver Spring Transit Center

So many questions...

So few answers.

When you search "Silver Spring Transit Center" on the internet, most of the results (with the exception of Montgomery County's website) are news media reports. For the most part, the news media simply print Montgomery County's press releases and Baseless Self Serving Statements of County officials. No "in-depth reporting", no "probing questions", both of which the news media tout in their own Baseless Self Serving Statements. As a result, Montgomery County's "positions" on the Silver Spring Transit Center go largely unchallenged.

Silver Spring Transit Center: Phase 2 of 7

The way that I figure it the Silver Spring Transit Center is somewhere in Phase 2. As far as when the remaining phases will begin, that depends on if or when Montgomery County officials realize that "You can fool some of the people all the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all the time." (Abraham Lincoln) Who knows if or when that will ever happen? (However, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if Phases 6 & 7 haven't already begun in Rockville.)

Here are some things for YOU to ponder. That's right, YOU!--EVERY SINGLE PERSON in the U.S. who pays federal taxes and user fees. Those of you who live in the Midwest and on the West Coast. We (the public) are paying more than ONE-HALF of the bill for the SSTC with the federal taxes and user fees that we pay. Those of us who drive cars--part of the gas taxes that we pay go to federal coffers where they get distributed to Montgomery County and the Silver Spring Transit Center. The same is true for those of us who use public transportation. ALL of us (the public) are paying for the SSTC.

How much will the SSTC end up costing us (the public)? $120+ million so far, and counting; but that doesn't include time that Montgomery County employees have spent and will spend defending the SSTC. That doesn't include future operation and maintenance costs, which will be considerable given the SSTC's numerous flaws. And, that doesn't include future litigation costs which will be considerable (an understatement). $200 million? $300 million? $500 million? Who knows? Do you feel like you’ve been (and are being) robbed? I do.

Is the SSTC safe? Is the SSTC the next Kansas City Hyatt Regency skywalk? Who knows? Experts (and so-called experts) can give all the opinions that they want; but, NOBODY knows what other hidden defects there are in the seriously flawed SSTC. NO ONE knows even if the defects that we know about may eventually cause the SSTC to collapse. The best physician in the world can't tell you how long you're going to live any more than an engineer can tell you that "The SSTC will absolutely be safe". There are NO guarantees.

At the very least, we, the public, have bought, and still are paying for, a lemon. A seriously flawed, defective, lemon--one for which we’ve paid and paid and will continue to pay and pay for well into the future. A lemon with numerous design, construction and testing flaws—some that are known that we’re paying to fix (?) and some that are probably unknown and may or may not be discovered in the future. A lemon that will be expensive to operate and to maintain. Do you feel like you’ve been (and are being) had? I do.

Finally, let’s pray that the worst doesn’t happen—that the SSTC collapses, and lives are lost. If the worst does happen, then there will be people with “blood on their hands”—ALL of the people who are trying to shove the severely flawed SSTC down our throats. Will we ALL have “blood on our hands”? That’s the way that I see it; because we ALL didn't say  "NO!" to the severely flawed SSTC.

the BScubed award goes to...

The severely flawed, over-budget, overdue Silver Spring Transit Center is a case study in BScubed (Baseless Self Serving Statements). Since March 2013 when Montgomery County released its report detailing the SSTC’s numerous and serious structural flaws, there has been a steady stream of public statements from government officials absolving themselves and the County from any responsibility for the transit center’s serious flaws. This, despite the fact that Montgomery County is owner of record for the SSTC, has responsibility for approving and inspecting all construction in the County and is responsible to the public for expenditure of public funds for the SSTC (local, state, federal).

During the past year hundreds of reports have appeared in newspapers and on TV, radio, and the internet. Search the internet and most of the results are media reports that are full of unchallenged, baseless self-serving statements. All the while media continues to tout itself as providing “in-depth reporting” and asking “probing questions”. The Washington Post, for example, frames the SSTC as a political issue rather than focusing on serious safety and cost issues. With very few exceptions most other media reports have similarly failed to focus on safety and cost issues. Not a single report that I’m aware of has dealt fully with such questions as:

• Is the SSTC safe? Should the public rely on opinions (baseless self-serving statements) of those who have been involved in the project and who are paid for by Montgomery County? 
• Why were the SSTC’s  serious defects not dealt with sooner, instead of when construction is almost complete? Particularly in light of Montgomery County’s fulltime, onsite construction management team and periodic visits by other County employees? 
• Why hasn’t Montgomery County held public meetings to explain to the paying public (local, state, federal) cost overruns and ongoing repairs? Why hasn’t the paying public been given the opportunity to ask their questions and make their comments on the public record? 
• What does the Federal Transit Administration and the Maryland Mass Transit Administration have to say about the seriously flawed, over-budget, overdue, brand new, yet-to-be-opened, under-repair SSTC and their failure to provide a public forum where those paying for the SSTC (local, state, federal) can ask their questions and provide their comments on the public record? 
• How can government officials assure the public that the public won't pay for repairs to the SSTC? Can they predict the future? Do government officials have crystal balls that tell them how the courts will decide who pays for what? 
• How and why did Montgomery County choose the SSTC's builder/contractor, engineer/designer and concrete inspector/tester in the first place? Why didn't Montgomery County bid the project for construction as has been standard practice for public works projects for decades? Why didn't Montgomery County select the engineer/designer and concrete inspector/tester using the tried-and-true competitive processes that have been used for decades for purchasing professional services? Why did Montgomery County use the noncompetitive public-private partnership? How has the paying public (local, state and federal) fared with Montgomery County's, the Maryland Mass Transit Administration's and the Federal Transit Administration's decision to use the noncompetitive public-private partnership for the SSTC, instead of using traditional purchasing practices for public works projects? 

If there was a BScubed award, then there wouldn’t be enough of them to go around to all of the local, state and federal public officials and all of the local media (print, TV, radio, internet) who deserve one.

Welcome

Welcome to BScubed, or Baseless Self Serving Statements.

We've all heard them from politicians, media, salespersons, etc.

My inaugural BSSS is: 
http://silverspringtransitcenter.blogspot.com/2014/03/fluff.html

You'll find background and LOTS of other BSSSs at 
http://silverspringtransitcenter.blogspot.com/
and
http://customertalk.blogspot.com/
http://peretiredwhistleblower.blogspot.com/
http://citizensrevoltagainstpulte.blogspot.com/
http://peretired.blogspot.com/

Join my campaign! Help stamp out Baseless Self Serving Statements!