The Reflecting Pool on the National Mall has already begun to grow algae just days after President Donald Trump’s major renovation project was officially completed.
The landmark has been the subject of controversy since the project began, with critics pointing to budget ballooning from a little under $2 million to a staggering $14 million. Trump contracted Atlantic Industrial Coatings for the project to be completed ahead of the celebrations for the 250th anniversary of America.
$14 million for this project is fucking absurd. 700%+ of the original (no bid) contract amount. The original contract was actually under $2 mil so it’s more than 7x.
Everything is a goddamn grift.
Everyone involved in approving the change orders that brought this project to 7x+ it’s original value, needs to be investigated for this.
This was a classic real estate developer kickback scheme. Trump hires his special guy to do the job. The guy does it for 50% of the budget, including his profit, and the rest is kicked back to Trump.
Of course, when it actually got into production, he jacked the overrun way up, so he could skim even more.
He was going to do the same thing with the Kennedy Center renovation, but they stopped that one. He’ll do the same with his arch, and the ballroom.
The old classics still work, and this kind of classic, old school kickback scheme has been Trump’s bread & butter for his entire life. That’s why he’s doing all these cockamamie construction projects. This is his wheelhouse, and he is in it.
Look at the ballroom, it was 150 Mil then 250 mil then 400 mil then meanwhile we were joking about the 800 mil ballroom it became a 1.6 billion national security project
I really need someone to tell me how a ballroom protects a country.
Because of the Hitler’s bunker being built underneath, if nothing else.
Gotta shoot himself in the head somewhere.
He could do that wherever he likes, as long as it’s soon and he doesn’t miss.
I don’t think trump could even manage that. He’d just shit himself to death.
You build a hardened Data center/command and control center eight stories under the ballroom
He wants to build a bunker under it.
What, to hide in when his term ends and he refuses to leave?
Pretty much. He’s talked a lot about not leaving office at the end of this term.
I’m so glad I paid for this with my taxes. I was worried my money might go to something silly like feeding children.
Yeah, good thing my tax money is going for vanity projects and blatant embezzlement for people who wouldn’t even notice and extra 500-million in their bank accounts instead of making the lives of 150,000 people slightly less shitty.
Should have hired a real pool guy.
So… he literally created a new swamp where there wasn’t one before. The worldwide news cycle will love this.
One more example that we live in a bad simulation…
Sounds like they tried to save money on chlorine. Trump’s the master of saving pennies by spending dollars.
Yeah, that’s what water does, grows algae. And that’s what algae does when it gets in water, it grows.
Did we really have to pay millions for Trump to do a seventh grade science experiment?
Was there not algae before?
He tried to remove the algae by painting the bottom nueveau-riche blue.
What was that saying again…
‘Rapists and grifters thrive when voters sit and do nothing…’?
Good going, america!
The one third of America that didn’t vote is just as much to blame.
That certainly reflects Trump’s character.
Stagnant and smelly?
This absolutely tracks with everything PEDOnald.
Only thing missing is some fake gold gewgaws and gimcracks somewhere in the vicinity.
But maybe dumbass is working on that, too.
Reflecting pools are stupid AF. If given the choice I’d turn it into a natural pond with fucking frogs. Let nature fuckin rip. Trying to keep something that big free of any forms of life is a pointless effort.
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And someone Pocketed a few million dollars on the side
As somebody who’s never owned a pool or managed any small bodies of water, can somebody tell me what the implications of this is? What was keeping it algae-free before?
It wasn’t algae free before. Trump thought spending millions on making it a darker colour would stop the algae growth. Might have slowed it slightly since there’s less light reflected back up from the bottom now but there’s no stopping it since, y’know, it’s 100% exposed to sunlight on the surface.
On the other hand, the paint being darker and absorbing more heat might make the water warmer, accelerating growth.
I don’t understand, this is a common problem with pools. It’s why we have chlorine and pool chemicals. Did he just paint it, and not treat it?
Yes. They were most likely embezzling the funds and not actually doing anything.
With trump the corruption is the point.
the layer on the surface ponds, pools filled with algae and other plankton is called scum, pretty fitting.
I guess nature… finds a way.
