I was traveling on business to Kiev, Ukraine, Moscow and Azerbaijan. In Kiev, I stay at the Fairmont Hotel. There has been construction of a highway road ramp since September of 2012. I visit this hotel every two months or so and I marveled at the speed and quality of construction. A project that started in September of 2012 wil be completed in May of 2013!!! byt US standards, this projecct would ahev taken 18 months!!! In Kiev, the project works 24 hours a day during key construction phases. Workers do not sit around like the do in the US. Every time I look at teh project, trucks are moving and workers are doing something.
However, what really struck me was this. I observed that military were watching the construction equipment (as opposed to private industry). I went and asked a military man why he was watching the site. He replied that he gets extra money for this. WOW. Here is an idea....have construction projects pay the US military to have soldiers watch construction sites - especially ones that are government contracts. Local military bases can offer extra money to soldiers and evveryone will benefit.
The construction project can pay about 50% less for the security. This will save money and government contracts will cost less. The soldiers will get extra money. They are happy. The military budget shrinks because the US military is paid the "security" fee and passes only a portion of it onto the soldiers. US taxpayers win BIG because the military expense shirinks and givernment construction projects cost less; soldiers win BIG. Private construction and government construction projects win BIG too.
Seems like a no brainer to me. Alas, it will never happen!!!
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