It's a government expenditure, so the market signals of profit and loss cannot work to keep costs under control. Classic monopoly pricing at play. The outrageo

It's a government expenditure, so the market signals of profit and loss cannot work to keep costs under control. Classic monopoly pricing at play. The outrageous prices could also be attributed to good old-fashioned cronyism: some city council member's brother owns a local civil engineering firm that gets a 10-year contract and names its own price.