Then there's always the possibility that Gov. Hogan is right, even if it's for the wrong reason. Why should federal, state and local $ be spent on the Purple Line public-private partnership when the public doesn't know why the Silver Spring Transit Center public-private partnership went so poorly? We know that the SSTC is a "monumental debacle"; but, we don't know why it's such a "monumental debacle". We know that Montgomery County chose private builder Foulger Pratt, private engineer Parsons Brinckerhoff and private inspector Balter Co. non-competitively, while private companies are selected competitively for most public works projects; but, we don't know why Montgomery County selected them. Shouldn't we? After all, whether the Silver Spring Transit Center had cost $20 million (which is what the County executive told the public 20 years ago, along with it being open in 1998) or it ends up costing $200 million, wasting public funds (federal, state & local) is wasting public funds. It's the same for the Purple Line--whether it costs $2.45 billion or $1.45 billion (which would be 10 times what the "monumental debacle" SSTC has cost the public to date), wasting public funds is wasting public funds. ... Do the right thing, Gov. Hogan, even if it's for the "wrong" reason. Hold off on approving the Purple Line public-private partnership until we know why the Silver Spring Transit Center public-private partnership turned out to be such a "monumental debacle".
Will Gov. Hogan be branded an ideologue for doing the right thing (even if it's for the "wrong" reason)? Or will his legacy be that of just another politician who reneges on his campaign promises?
Time will tell.
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