Reader doubts purchase of new vehicles is saving anyone taxpayers' dollars
Letter to the Editor,
I just finished reading a hilarious front-page article in the Kootenai Valley Record and the punch line was the EPA contractor had bought 15 new trucks to save money.
The two words “save money” is the farthest thing on their mind. There are very few trucking companies that could afford to buy 15 trucks at one time that tells you a lot of how lucrative the EPA clean-up work is.
These new trucks run somewhere near $100,000 each, that’s a lot of money and as far as I know all their equipment is registered out-of-state.
Montana does not even get any license fees out of it.
Just drive around and take a look at any of their projects, see how they go about them and its very obvious as in any government job, it is cost plus, the more the cost the more the plus.
It’s sad that these 15 owner operators who have invested big dollars in their rigs and are out there making an honest living instead of being on welfare and now on the pretense of saving money the EPA contractor is putting these people out of business.
I have asked several times for an accounting of zillions of our taxpayers’ dollars being wasted and only one time years ago they admitted they spent $240,000 on a very old mobile home that probably had been there since the dam project, but they would try to do better, really?
We had our property inspected, which you must have if ever selling it, and months after the inspection and after many phone calls, we finally received the news that it was OK for now, whatever that means.
One other question I have asked repeatedly is the percentage of local people employed. Two young people came out to our place and took a spoonful of dirt here and there and put it in a plastic bag. I don’t think this required special training but they were both from somewhere on the East Coast.
They paid airfare to get them here, put them up in a motel, and pay for their food and expenses. Does that sound like they were saving money rather than hiring local people who would eat and sleep at home each night.
Some time back a Libby organizer was concerned after the EPA leaves if we are safe. Well, you know what, you don’t have to worry about that because they will never leave. It’s called job security.
Why would they even consider leaving a good deal like they have here? If a smidgeon of the millions being wasted was given to the people who are really hurting it must just make their lives a little easier.
It’s also sad that any governmental agency does not have to answer to anyone, especially we the taxpayer who are supplying the money they are squandering.
— Garman V. Guthrie
Libby