Raise the Hammer

At the least, consider this: when the "extension" was eliminated for the spur then you have to ask how much did the spur cost compared to the extension? If it was less (it was) then where did that extra money go? It should have been kept in the original budget, right? So now that we've eliminated the spur the budget is exactly the same.

They removed Eastgate to pay for James. The savings from Eastgate either paid for James 1:1 or saved more than James would cost and left cash over. In either case we can pay for Eastgate again from the *original* budget. Where is the left over cash? I'm starting to realize this was Metrolinx's plan from the start to de-scope the project.

Grandma gives you $1000 to spend at the camera store for a camera and two lenses. You pick out a camera, and a couple of lenses: $800 camera, and $200 lens. Then grandma tells you put the lens back and get a $50 lens instead. Okay you say. She never changed the budget. You still have $1000 and now you've only spent $850. Then she tells you put the new lens back too; the $50 lens. So now you've still got the $800 camera you picked out and $200 hasn't been spent. Then you tell her, look you really need a lens to go with your camera. Okay she says. But you gotta pay for it yourself now. Look grandma, you gave me a $1000 to spend here, I picked out what I needed within the budget, you told me to put the lenses back and then you told me I could have one as long as I paid for it. What's going on here? There's $200 left over and I already picked out 2 lenses that cost less than that. See, what you don't realize is that the camera you picked out really costs $1000 now and grandma didn't have the heart to tell you but still wants you to get the camera because it's so shiny and cool. At the very least you know something's amiss because where did that first $150 in savings go when she made you put back the expensive lens for the cheaper one? It just "disappeared."

Comment edited by JimC on 2017-04-29 07:20:42