Columnist Wayne Nash recently came across a state drilling job and was able, first hand, to observe the progress of our tax dollars at work.
I recently wrote about the government's attempt to control the lives of the farmers in the Klamath basin in Oregon through the control of water recourses, and I got wondering -- how well do they do when the government actually does the drilling? I happened to come across a state job recently and have been able, first hand, to observe the progress of our tax dollars at work. It makes the $700 toilet seats that the Pentagon buys look like a bargain! The job required a deep piezometer well (around 700 feet). The customer is the USGS; the driller is the state.
Since a piezometer well basically is used to monitor water level and quality, one would think that a 4-inch PVC well would do the job. But nooooo ... in order to justify a government salary, an extensive education, a car, an office and a bunch of other perks, some beareaucrat designed an 8-inch steel well! Probably specified American steel, too, just to keep the unions happy.