> $Millions, and in some cases $billions, in tax money pour into projects that almost invariably run late, over budget, fail to deliver
In many, perhaps most, such cases, projects running late and over budget are performing exactly as intended by their sponsors.
All too often, the nominal purpose for a project is just cover for a totally legal conduit from the public purse to politically-selected private pockets. Thus, in the US, we get the F-35, the SLS, the California bullet train. Sometimes we get something out the other end, many years late. (The delay is to keep the gravy train running longer.) Sometimes, nothing.
In New York, we did end up with a 2nd Avenue Subway extension. There actually are F-35 planes at air bases, some of which can actually fly. They are stacking an SLS in Florida as I write this. They probably will launch at least the one, maybe a second, at $2B each.
In many, perhaps most, such cases, projects running late and over budget are performing exactly as intended by their sponsors.
All too often, the nominal purpose for a project is just cover for a totally legal conduit from the public purse to politically-selected private pockets. Thus, in the US, we get the F-35, the SLS, the California bullet train. Sometimes we get something out the other end, many years late. (The delay is to keep the gravy train running longer.) Sometimes, nothing.
In New York, we did end up with a 2nd Avenue Subway extension. There actually are F-35 planes at air bases, some of which can actually fly. They are stacking an SLS in Florida as I write this. They probably will launch at least the one, maybe a second, at $2B each.