4 ms·

But in a city that can't keep its budget priorities in line, this seems like another instance of a lot of money without any real data that the money produces be

But in a city that can't keep its budget priorities in line, this seems like another instance of a lot of money without any real data that the money produces better results.

halostatue 16y ago
It's hard to say for sure that you could get a fair assessment since peoples' lives are on the line. If the ladders are twice as much, but due to the peculiar electrical and atmospheric (wind) conditions in SF, could it be argued that these ladders increase the safety of the firefighters? TCO would also have to be measured to be certain that this is worth it or not. If aluminum ladders are half as much, but last a quarter of the time… then it's arguable that the wooden ladders are cheaper.
baguasquirrel 16y ago
I'm close to people who work in the public sector, and this sort of thing is not where the real waste is. This is two or three guys in a shop somewhere. At least they're making stuff. You know that Despair.com catchphrase, "None of us is as dumb as all of us?" Well it's like that. You need some serious mass before you can start moving money and influence. Real waste comes from political graft. Imagine a whole branch of a municipality where more than half the people are managers sitting around and doing nothing. They're all making upwards of 100k, and they're all covering each other's asses. Their propaganda machine is bigger than yours. Now before all you Republicans and Libertarians get all smart-ass, I should add that it happens plenty often in the military-industrial complex too with the contractors who do the majority of the real work. Same stories, different people.
- Empact 16y ago
  > Now before all you Republicans and Libertarians get all smart-ass, I should add that it happens plenty often in the military-industrial complex too with the contractors who do the majority of the real work. Funny that you mention Libertarians when they're hardly defenders of the military-industrial complex.

But in a city that can't keep its budget priorities in line, this seems like another instance of a lot of money without any real data that the money produces better results.

halostatue 16y ago

It's hard to say for sure that you could get a fair assessment since peoples' lives are on the line. If the ladders are twice as much, but due to the peculiar electrical and atmospheric (wind) conditions in SF, could it be argued that these ladders increase the safety of the firefighters? TCO would also have to be measured to be certain that this is worth it or not. If aluminum ladders are half as much, but last a quarter of the time… then it's arguable that the wooden ladders are cheaper.

baguasquirrel 16y ago

I'm close to people who work in the public sector, and this sort of thing is not where the real waste is. This is two or three guys in a shop somewhere. At least they're making stuff. You know that Despair.com catchphrase, "None of us is as dumb as all of us?" Well it's like that. You need some serious mass before you can start moving money and influence. Real waste comes from political graft. Imagine a whole branch of a municipality where more than half the people are managers sitting around and doing nothing. They're all making upwards of 100k, and they're all covering each other's asses. Their propaganda machine is bigger than yours. Now before all you Republicans and Libertarians get all smart-ass, I should add that it happens plenty often in the military-industrial complex too with the contractors who do the majority of the real work. Same stories, different people.

Empact 16y ago
> Now before all you Republicans and Libertarians get all smart-ass, I should add that it happens plenty often in the military-industrial complex too with the contractors who do the majority of the real work. Funny that you mention Libertarians when they're hardly defenders of the military-industrial complex.