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I have read the Power Broker, and I don't think it really has anything to do with getting things build in spite of regulations. Sure he got things built, but th

I have read the Power Broker, and I don't think it really has anything to do with getting things build in spite of regulations. Sure he got things built, but the modern regulatory state wasn't really an issue in the 1950s. Also part of the reason why foreign consultants are hired is because the US has so little experience building high speed rail, and when the domestic civil engineers do design things, you get over engineered concrete monstrosities, like the Millbrae Bart station.

redwood 7y ago
People tried to use all kinds of methods to stop all kinds of Robert Moses projects, but he was always there faster than them or literally breaking through ignoring them. Now I don't want to romanticize the scumbag, but the lesson to me is that there's a balance. Anything you do that's controversial to some audience will absolutely have opponents. You need to have the backbone and wherewithal to power through.
- ghaff 7y ago
  Thankfully though, he didn't have the wherewithal to power through everything he wanted to do. I get your point. But the balance is going to vary a lot depending upon your priorities.
- bobthepanda 7y ago
  Robert Moses is a prime example of how a misguided despot can ruin everything for generations to come. Other polities manage to build infrastructure without needing a dictator; the necessity of one shows how fundamentally broken the process is. And Moses, in his quest to build highways, broke down New York‘s system even more.
MrTonyD 7y ago
And my recollection of the Power Broker is that he got a lot done by aligning with the desires of the rich at the expense of incredible numbers of poor people who had no power to stop him from destroying their lives. I would hope that we can figure out better ways to justify building bridges, freeways, buildings, and parks.
bobthepanda 7y ago
If the prime example is also to learn about budgeting from Moses, The Power Broker also describes how he would deliberately lowball costs to get them approved, and then force politicians to cover the overruns because the projects were a sunk cost.

redwood 7y ago

People tried to use all kinds of methods to stop all kinds of Robert Moses projects, but he was always there faster than them or literally breaking through ignoring them. Now I don't want to romanticize the scumbag, but the lesson to me is that there's a balance. Anything you do that's controversial to some audience will absolutely have opponents. You need to have the backbone and wherewithal to power through.

ghaff 7y ago
Thankfully though, he didn't have the wherewithal to power through everything he wanted to do. I get your point. But the balance is going to vary a lot depending upon your priorities.
bobthepanda 7y ago
Robert Moses is a prime example of how a misguided despot can ruin everything for generations to come. Other polities manage to build infrastructure without needing a dictator; the necessity of one shows how fundamentally broken the process is. And Moses, in his quest to build highways, broke down New York‘s system even more.

MrTonyD 7y ago

And my recollection of the Power Broker is that he got a lot done by aligning with the desires of the rich at the expense of incredible numbers of poor people who had no power to stop him from destroying their lives. I would hope that we can figure out better ways to justify building bridges, freeways, buildings, and parks.

bobthepanda 7y ago

If the prime example is also to learn about budgeting from Moses, The Power Broker also describes how he would deliberately lowball costs to get them approved, and then force politicians to cover the overruns because the projects were a sunk cost.