Cuomo: Capitol Restoration A ‘Metaphor’ For Government

I hate the notion that making the project faster is somehow making the project like the private sector and not the public sector – The Verrazzano Narrows bridge, which was the longest bridge in the world at the time, got built in 6 years, and the GWB bridge got built in 4.5 years. Both were public works on a scale far greater than this Capitol project, so no, a public works project is not inherently more costly or take longer than anything in the private sector. Bad management is bad management, and clearly this Capitol project was badly managed.

[Why can’t government perform like companies in the private sector?]

Does Andy mean like Larry Silverstein at Ground Zero? It’s ten years and counting. Has the private sector finished rebuilding everything that was promised in a timely fashion?

Does Andy mean like whoever is responsible for taking down Deutsche Bank? Is that down yet?

Does Andy mean like GM? Haven’t we bailed them out twice now? Didn’t we just bail out the ALL American car producers using TARP money. Didn’t we bailout the airlines at least once, too.

Or does Andy mean like the banks and financial services industry? They’re in the private sector…or so they claim. They’re big fans of the free market…so they say. Yet when the banks and investment houses nearly destroyed themselves (and the world economy),
they RAN to the government for help. The government (i.e., the American taxpayers) were the ONLY ONES capable of helping them.

Let’s not sugar coat it — we NATIONALIZED the banking system at least temporarily via TARP. We STILL own a big chunk of some “private sector” companies. So despite how some folks (especially the Republicans in Washington) may rant about the government SOCIALIZING this or that, a prime example of socialism has been sitting right under their noses for the last couple of years. The private sector LOVES lemon capitalism i.e., socialism for the rich and capitalism for the poor.

So I ask: WTF is Andy talking about?! His lame mantra that the private sector always performs better than the public sector is utterly RIDICULOUS. Gepap hit the nail on the head. Good management exists in both the public and private sector. So does bad management. The people have four years to decide if ANDY’S management is good or bad. He better HOPE that good management is possible in the public sector.

So…if Andy and his minions wants to crack the whip to wrap up the endless Capital construction (without sacrificing quality), more power to him. Kudos. I’m tired of looking at scaffolding myself.

I just wish that Andy would learn to curb the bullsh*t that comes out of his mouth on a daily basis.