The Big Diggers Are Back

Kudos to CNN for letting the public know today about the scandal surrounding Boston's infamous Big Dig, that tunnel that goes through downtown. According to CNN's "Stimulus Desk", the Dig was rife with corruption, much of it centered around the company that laid the cement-Aggregate Industries. It seems the cement was poorly mixed and the composition concealed from inspectors. Now keep in mind, the Big Dig is a tunnel and inferior cement could result in ceilings caving in on drivers.

This brings to mind the years I spent in Bangkok, when road construction was subject to similar shenanigans. The result was potholes big enough for a truck to fall into during monsoon season (I am not exaggerating.)

Any, so the story goes, the State of Massachusetts brought charges against Aggregate, which resulted in a $50,000,000 fine. The stipulation was that Aggregate would not be excluded from future government contracts. CNN even showed a copy of the agreement on the screen. But did you notice who signed off on the agreement as state attorney general?

"Yeah, Ah did."


Martha Coakley!!

Result? Aggregate has received recent contracts in the Stimulus Package for $10,000,000 worth of jobs!