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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

News Morning News: Bridge Cracks, Low Wages, and a Shark Attack

Posted by Anna Minard on Wed, Feb 27, 2013 at 8:57 AM

Cracks in the 520 Bridge Pontoons: Are mainly due to "the state’s own design errors," admits WSDOT, and may cost $100 million to fix. From the Seattle Times:

The state chose to design the pontoons itself on a fast track (rather than delegate that responsibility to contractors) as a strategy to attract lower bids and to get the floating section built by 2014... Initially the strategy seemed to work, as the winning bid... was $180 million less than the state expected to pay otherwise. But now, taxpayers and toll payers will surrender much of those savings.

Man in Greenwood Shot by Police: After a hostage situation and a foot chase last night.

McGinn and Holmes Fighting Over Police Reforms: The mayor's legal counsel accuses the city attorney of breaching attorney-client privilege and "undercutting" the police chief in negotiations; the attorney's office "categorically denies any breach of the City Attorney’s ethical obligations to the City."

Chuck Hagel: Finally confirmed as defense secretary. As Paul put it yesterday, "this makes Senate Republicans look like a bunch of whiny babies."

Parts of the Voting Rights Act: May be in trouble at the Supreme Court right now.

At Wade's Gun Range in Bellevue: Former employees are suing, claiming lead poisoning.

Weight Watchers Employees Part of a Growing Low-Wage Rebellion: They're speaking out about their low pay. The NYT says their "frustration reflects a growing discontent among low-wage workers," who "have become more assertive out of dismay that while corporate profits have rebounded to record levels since the recession, wages have floundered."

Damn, I Love a Good Headline: And this one's local! Be on the lookout: "Fake officer armed with box of porn continues robbery spree."

Fatal Shark Attack: Off a New Zealand beach.

Send in the giant octopus, then, right?

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Design errors? It's also cheap inferior Chinese cement they used instead of the cement we have here.

Posted by Phoebe in Wallingford on February 27, 2013 at 9:08 AM

So I went out to Fred Meyer to get cream cheese for my Dave's Killer Bagel. There were about 40 kinds of Philadelphia and I selected Regular because I just wanted plain cream cheese. When I get home I notice that the image has little bits of green stuff on it and then, oh no, the fine print says "chives and onion".

Is this what Regular means these days. Can I not get a product which is not "pre flavored" for me. No, I don't want almond syrup in my latte, and I never will!!

Posted by Supreme Ruler Of The Universe

on February 27, 2013 at 9:14 AM

@2 I think you need glasses.

Posted by care bear on February 27, 2013 at 9:27 AM

Remember the chained CPI cut to SS benefits proposed by Obama in December? Well, it's still part of the administration last proposal to Boehner (although it was renamed "Savings from Superlative CPI with protections for vulnerable").

Remember the additional cuts in the sequester were supposed to 50-50 between defense and the rest? Well, Obama's last proposal amounts are 1 part defense to 8 parts for the rest, including $400 billion cut to medicare and Medicaid. Don't worry though, they are called 'savings' so everything should be OK.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/… (pdf)

Posted by anon1256 on February 27, 2013 at 9:34 AM

Sorry, Phoebe. That's what happens when the contractor sources the cheapest material possible. Which is pretty much a given because of the federally-mandated low-bid process our public agencies must follow.

Otherwise you pearl-clutching biddies would be squawking about the high cost of State projects.

In order to submit the lowest bid, the contractor had to beat all his competitors and source the cheapest material allowed. Would you rather we scrap the low-bid process? Are you okay with project costs being uncontrolled from here on out?

Or does the free market always provide the best solution at the best price?

Posted by Dr_Awesome on February 27, 2013 at 9:46 AM

@5: I knew that, and I agree with you that the lowest-bid requirement should be removed. And that's not being incongruous with a free market system. You wouldn't expect me to wear the cheapest pearls, now would you dear?

Posted by Phoebe in Wallingford on February 27, 2013 at 10:02 AM

@1 is correct, although I was surprised to find they didn't have end cap reinforcement on the pontoons, considering where the stressors would be.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on February 27, 2013 at 10:27 AM

Phoebe: I do not believe the low-bid requirement should be removed. Don't put words in my mouth. I was explaining it to you because of your history of being vapidly stupid about how the real world works.

And you shouldn't wear pearls before five anyway.

Posted by Dr_Awesome on February 27, 2013 at 10:39 AM

What "free market"?

Why Should Taxpayers Give Big Banks $83 Billion a Year?

So what if we told you that, by our calculations, the largest U.S. banks aren’t really profitable at all? What if the billions of dollars they allegedly earn for their shareholders were almost entirely a gift from U.S. taxpayers?
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-20…

Posted by anon1256 on February 27, 2013 at 11:07 AM

Another good headline: Child tells cop ‘Those are my daddy's hoes’

- See more at: http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/chil…

Posted by Andrew_Taylor on February 27, 2013 at 11:23 AM

@9: Uh, sgt. doom?

Is that you?

Posted by Theodore Gorath on February 27, 2013 at 12:20 PM

@11 - Why? anybody who questions your complacency (and SLOG's) must be Sgt. Doom? is that it?

Posted by anon1256 on February 27, 2013 at 12:54 PM

@8: So my link to a news item is an example of being "vapidly stupid about how the real world works" - you're enjoying this a little too much. It's starting to show.

Posted by Phoebe in Wallingford on February 27, 2013 at 12:56 PM

@11 - Well that would explain a lot.

Posted by Pridge Wessea on February 27, 2013 at 1:08 PM

@12 - That's not a no.

Posted by Pridge Wessea on February 27, 2013 at 1:10 PM

@14 - Explain what? (not that I expect a coherent answer from you)

Posted by anon1256 on February 27, 2013 at 1:15 PM

@12,

I don't know if you noticed, but sgt. doom posts almost entirely in bold and italics. I originally didn't do more than glance at your post @9 because I assumed it was him.

In the future, when quoting an article, you'd be better off using the blockquote tag.

Posted by keshmeshi on February 27, 2013 at 2:28 PM

@17 - Thanks for the suggestion. The bold/italic combination is a possibility but, somehow, I have the feeling that the comments above are more about Dem loyalists and "moderates" not liking to see criticisms of their dear leader and his biz as usual policies (in spite of his lofty rhetoric claiming the opposite).

For the record, I have been reading SLOG for the best part of a year now and I find many of Doom's posts informative (especially the links) even though I regularly do not agree with him or his approach (I am also not fond of reading folks dismissing everything he says as a conspiracy). In any case, he is no more bothersome to me than a number of other posters.

Posted by anon1256 on February 27, 2013 at 3:30 PM

@2 Quick question: Is that really what it's like to be a loser?

Posted by You drippy zero on February 27, 2013 at 4:55 PM