Posts: 14,116
Threads: 424
Joined: Aug 2012
http://www.westhawaiitoday.com/news/loca.../chill-out
The Legislature appropriated $100 million to air condition 1,000 classrooms across Hawaii in its last session, with plans to start work Aug. 1. But Rep. LoPresti (D-Oahu) of House District 41 cited unusually high bids across the board in his request for an investigation.
Specific jobs estimated at $20K were bid at $135K, so the $100M project needs to be delayed or scaled back (or both).
So much honesty and integrity ... "for the children".
Posts: 11,031
Threads: 751
Joined: Sep 2012
jobs estimated at $20K were bid at $135K
Somebody didn't get an A in math
“There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them.”
-Joseph Brodsky
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
Posts: 2,151
Threads: 73
Joined: Mar 2007
The only surprise here is that somebody noteworthy called foul. Hawaii has a very long history of well connected contractors getting away with everything from bid inflation to breathtaking cost overruns without any consequences.
Posts: 1,252
Threads: 72
Joined: Sep 2012
I saw a bit on the news about this; contractors don't make enough on the small jobs, so overbid to make it worth their while.
><(((*< ... ><(("< ... ><('< ... >o>
Posts: 1,557
Threads: 50
Joined: Oct 2012
If they don't have the money... perhaps they could cut the AC to all state government buildings...for the Children's sake.
..What would King Kamehameha do..
Posts: 1,522
Threads: 13
Joined: Apr 2014
Set up an HVAC apprenticeship, with the students dividing up into teams for each school. They install and maintain the equipment as part of their apprenticeship with hands on learning. When they graduate, the next set maintains the equipment.
Community begins with Aloha
Posts: 2,466
Threads: 316
Joined: May 2008
Bet it would violate one of the (PRP, koff, koff) union rules....
Puna: Our roosters crow first
Posts: 968
Threads: 74
Joined: Aug 2007
jobs estimated at $20K were bid at $135K...
The way I heard it is the $20k was for a generic estimate for the AC itself and that in most cases the actually job turned out to involve a lot more. Infrastructure improvements, electrical and other building upgrades, not included in the initial estimate that were made without consideration of each site's actual needs. It was also reported that the way government bids are now monitored nobody in their right mind would attempt to game the system in that their licenses are on the line if they are caught doing so.
Posts: 1,930
Threads: 71
Joined: Jun 2012
The small air conditioners you can get to stick in your window are 120V. These will only effectively cool a small room. Larger commercial air conditioners, the size needed to cool a large class room are 220V. Since it never occurred to the Hawaii school system to have air conditioning until now, the school classrooms are probably not wired at all for 220V. Rewiring is massively expensive.
"Aloha also means goodbye. Aloha!"
*Japanese tourist on bus through Pahoa, "Is this still America?*
Posts: 1,557
Threads: 50
Joined: Oct 2012
Why couldn't they just install ceiling fans .... or am I missing something here..
..What would King Kamehameha do..
