Thursday, October 22, 2009

Farewell

This blog is being closed and further updates will be featured on Florida Congress Watch. Check us out over there.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Bill Young's "Money Pit" Springs a Leak

From FDP:


Congressman Bill Young should be more careful with what he puts his name on. The Bill Young Reservoir, named for the Congressman, now needs a $125 million patch job. The Bill Young Reservoir project, which was once advertised as a solution for the water issues in the area, was recently described by the local Fox station in Tampa Bay as being "more widely regarded as a money pit".

"The Bill Young Reservoir has become a 'money pit' already expected to cost taxpayers an additional $125 million to fix," said Eric Jotkoff, Florida Democratic Party spokesman. "The people of Florida's 10th Congressional District deserve a leader in Congress who will work against government waste not Congressman Bill Young who builds monuments to his own outsized ego."

Background

The Bill Young Reservoir requires a $125 million patch job and KPMG consulting has been hired to be paid as much as $908,500 to help find the "best fix at the best price". [MyFox Tampa Bay, 10/19/09]

The consulting proposal from KPMG according to Tampa Bay City Councilman Charlie Miranda includes a $125 an hour charge for an administrative assistant. [MyFox Tampa Bay, 10/19/09]

MyFox Tampa Bay reports that the project was once touted as a solution for the water problems in the area, but is now "more widely regarded as a money pit." [MyFox Tampa Bay, 10/19/09]

The C.W. Bill Young Reservoir was completed in 2005 and named for the Congressman, he attended a ribbon cutting ceremony in October of 2005. [Water Matters Magazine, NovDec 2005]