My concrete job has me thinking public works are a cash grab for elites

I've been a concrete contractor for years, and I've worked on dozens of city projects. The way materials get ordered and wasted is crazy. Last month, we poured a sidewalk that was redone three times because of 'spec changes'. I started adding up the costs, and it's way more than it should be. Most folks say it's just bad planning, but I think it's done on purpose to keep money flowing to certain people. I know this sounds like a tin foil hat idea, but seeing it firsthand changes your view. Has anyone else in here noticed stuff like this with public projects? I'm curious if I'm just being paranoid or if there's something to it.

3 comments

3 Comments

jaken282mo ago

You're right about the waste, but calling it a cash grab might be giving them too much credit. From what I've seen, it's more about bad management and covering their backs. Those spec changes usually come from some office worker who doesn't have to deal with the mess, and the paperwork for a change order is a nightmare. The system is built to avoid blame, not to save money, so the incentive is all wrong. It feels like a scam because it costs so much, but it's mostly just giant scale incompetence.

robert_jenkins822mo ago

Seems like a lot of systems work that way, where avoiding blame becomes the main goal. You see it in everything from school policies to how some public services are run.

the_henry2mo ago

Man, what gets me is how these systems actually become less safe the more they try to avoid blame. All the rules and paperwork make it so nobody feels okay saying "hey, this is broken" without a million forms. So small problems just get buried until they turn into big, expensive failures (or worse, someone gets hurt). It's like the whole structure is built to hide cracks until the wall falls down.