Spotlight on addition to White House - Thoughts from a former Director(acting) of Facilities Planning and Management

 In the news again, is the ongoing battle between DJT and all other Sane People...JMPO of Course

Let's consider this purely on a financial standpoint...

In the book I shared yesterday, we were told that a number of tech corporations (and possibly others) were tapped to contribute to the ballroom project...

That probably was sufficient to demolish what was once the East Wing.

Latest announcements points to the major cost being paid by US. United States Citizens!

From that standpoint, we must accept we've once again been not only lied to, but also have been screwed--extorted!

Because financially there is no way to actually stop the work at this point in construction. Trump's lawyers are correct this time... And I believe all Congressional members and the Supreme Court know this as well!

Anybody with a bit of logic and thinking will have known this...

But let's go through it for purposes of documentation just how badly it will cost US!

Capital Construction normally must be funded well in advance. This case was brought by those responsible for recognizing and providing oversight in construction of Facilities who had significant Historical Value to our Nation. In my opinion, they do have the power to have started the case in the courts. 

For instance, West Virginia University has 3 buildings that represent significant historical honor to the campus. Woodburn Circle are the first three buildings built. When we needed to update the buildings, we were required to work within the recognition of Historical value to the University and the State and with Federal land grant status.

Note that this president started without any authorization by anybody.

Except that the Supreme Court had early on proclaimed him IMMUNE for anything he did in office...

Definitely an illegal decision and partisan...

During the entire congressional involvement since the beginning of this administration, the two parts of congress have acted only in response to the president as opposed to being the actual bodies who are charged with making decisions...

All of the lies and excuses used by the Republican Party now in control mean nothing. Actions have spoken louder than lies...

The Sad part is that to tear down what has already occurred would double the cost of the entire activity, meaning that stopping the project would still mean that the unauthorized structure must be paid for to those doing the actual work. Thus if you attempt to go backward, the cost could even triple. I learned this morning that, apparently, the dirt that was removed was arbitrarily placed close and was toxic!

Cleanup of this mess could therefore also be harmful to the surrounding areas...

I don't want to belabor the issue... BUT

My major responsibility was in facilities planning by type of space needed. Specifically, depending on the height of the ballroom, once built, that new area could become two floors of office space or other types of uses, including the area once allocated for the use of the First Lady and her staff... Interior division of a building is a lot cheaper than forcing an entire stop to the project... We have not learned what was designated as the space utilization for the lower floors, except that a larger "Situation Room" would be created. Having seen the pic when the group once met there, it appeared that it could be at least doubled and remain give adequate space for this purpose.

I'm going to guess that AI is projected to increase under this administration. If so, the issue of water and electricity will automatically mean a problem given the types of issues now being protested by citizens living in areas where tech giants are trying to provide facilities for needs of the AI generation activity.

Information on water and power sources may or may not have been considered. Since tech companies were tapped for contributions, hopefully, they were smart enough to make their needs known if AI is planned for the underground facilities of this new addition.

My only thought is whether anybody is willing to tackle that issue while there is so much chaos on the building itself... We do know that Trump's lies are now ignoring the ballroom and concentrating on the lower floors which supposedly are to aid in national security in some way. I don't mind not knowing what that is exactly, if I was secure that the potential increase to water and power usage will not decrease detrimentally for citizens of Washington D.C. It's all guessing at this point...

As an aside, there are also other regulations that have been dropped for corporations. Things like access for the disabled. Think of a former president who lived in a wheelchair. Would this president who mocks disabled people have ensured that accessibility be considered as this new structure was planned? Same for environmental safety and other regs that have been removed or ignored... Somehow, I doubt any regs of this type have even been considered, so consider this just my personal opinion, of course...

If we're going to have to pay the bill, I'm thinking of when a new president is in office and a huge ballroom is no longer mandatory!

Changing the subject slightly, I also learned this morning from a new book's author that religious activities are now occurring on an ongoing basis in federal facilities... Apparently, the Christian Nationalist kind of religion...

I'll be doing a close look at this for myself and will share as I find more info, or maybe buy another book that I don't seem to have time to read...LOL

Gabby