Waste in Paradise

Have you ever noticed that the government doesn’t have repair facilities or maintenance schedules for their equipment? Have you noticed how rundown all the equipment looks? Have you been down to the graveyard of government equipment at Lower Base? Have you driven alongside some government vehicles with rust and eaten away fenders and sides? Why do I bring up this point at this time?

There is so much waste of good equipment that could have lasted many years longer. But because no one maintains it, this equipment simply rusts away in some government lot or is thrown away. Most of this equipment has never been serviced since it was purchased. I guess the thinking is: “After all, it is not our money, but money given to us by the U.S.”

I am talking about millions of dollars wasted because we refuse to maintain what we have. Let me cite some of this waste beginning with classic examples at CUC and Public Works at Lower Base.

One of the major reasons we are experiencing such high costly utility bills at the CUC is simply that over the years no one has ever taken the time and responsibility to service the engines. Now we are being strangled, not only by rising fuel costs, but by years of non-maintenance on all the equipment. The people who operated CUC for many years never cared. They did not believe in maintenance. If it breaks down, buy another one! They never understood the phrase “preventive maintenance.” The phrase still doesn’t exist in most government agencies’ vocabulary.

We could live with the rise in fuel costs. However, the additional crushing burden we are asked to bear is the costs of having to repair all the engines that were criminally neglected over the years. Has anyone asked to see the logbooks on each engine? Who should be held responsible for these criminal acts of neglect of our assets?

Early in 2006, I toured the utility plant twice to see for myself. One of the engine bases was cracked then. One or two other engines were taken apart because they were being repaired. Oil was spilled around the bases. When I asked about the repairs, I was told they were waiting for parts. This was over two years ago, and they are still waiting!

As I walked around the yard of the utility building, I noticed rust around some of the metal piping and peeling paint and mildew on the building. The building was in shambles and had a dirty exterior appearance. Appearances of a building and its equipment tells an awful lot about the attitude of management and workers about their workplace.

Scattered around the utility yard were several hundred barrels of used oil with some rusting and about to leak. There was no protection around the drums should any of them start to leak. Across the street is the 400,000 gallon black tank which two years ago was already rusting and showing heavy wear and possible leaking. It is in much worse condition today than it was two years ago.

The latest word I heard is: “It’s the fault of the EPA. They are telling us to wait a bit longer.” Wow! I like that story. Should this tank ever spring a leak, kiss the lagoon goodbye for many years. The lagoon will be oil polluted, good to no one. We are just waiting for a disaster to happen. Will we blame the EPA at that time or ourselves?

I then walked over to the lot behind the oil tank and was appalled at the number of equipment and power poles sprawled around the yard like junk. On the same lot in a small metal building were old line transformers just thrown on the ground. What a disgusting waste of good equipment and money!

From there I walked over to the Public Works’ old warehouse. Have you ever seen it? It is a long metal building rusting and caving in from total neglect. It used to be Public Works’ repair shop years ago. Since then it has become a hazard. Spread around the building are several pieces of equipment that have never been repaired but simply dumped there through neglect. What a loss! Why has this been allowed to happen? Oh, I forgot, its Uncle Sam’s money, not ours! But shouldn’t someone be held responsible for this waste?

Drive up to the old Public Works Administration Building and see what a horrible sight it has become. The roof has blown away with huge holes allowing rainwater to flood inside. Rafters are falling down and debris is scattered all over the inside. Weeds and trash is everywhere. No one seems to care that it is both an eyesore and dangerous. Instead, for the past years the Public Works prefers to pay expensive rent money for their offices to a private owner. Wouldn’t it be cheaper and better to have repaired or build another building with the rent money? What a waste! Who is responsible?

Back in 2006, I took photographs of this wastage and put them into an album and named it: “Waste in Paradise.” Then I gave the albums to the top people in the government while remarking: “Is this what we want to show our future investors?” Everyone was shocked at the photos and promised to take immediate action. If you ask the concerned parties why the area still hasn’t been cleaned up, this is what you will hear: “We don’t have the money or personnel.” Wow! What an excuse. So to date, it has gotten worse. What a shameful sight and waste of money. Shouldn’t someone be held responsible for this waste?

I bring this matter up because all of the above things I have mentioned have been a waste of many millions of dollars. And this neglect is now digging into our pocketbooks through higher utility rates. Had we repaired the engines when due, we would only be paying for fuel increases, not for many years of neglected maintenance on engines and fuel increases. The Department of Public Works would also have good equipment to service us. Instead it is always breaking down, with no money to repair or replace it.

This attitude of never doing preventive maintenance or even regular maintenance has got to change. An engine or any machinery well maintained can last many years. The people in charge should be held criminally charged with abuse of government property.

When a valued piece of equipment is well maintained, it will last almost indefinitely. The CUC engines could have lasted many more years with proper preventive maintenance. The Public Works Building and its equipment could have been easily repaired. A new building could have been built for less money than the rent that has been paid over the years.

An attitude for maintaining equipment must be drilled into our various government agencies, especially Public Works and CUC. The management and employers must be educated and held responsible for their neglect. It is not lack of money that causes the equipment to deteriorate; it is lack of understanding that all machinery must be regularly maintained.

A strict preventive maintenance program must be followed. The men must be trained in maintaining the equipment assigned to them. Money for parts must be available. Waste is a sin and a crime. We prosecute people who abuse other people. When are we going to prosecute government agencies who abuse the equipment entrusted to them?

Next time you see government equipment being abused, ask why is this being allowed? We must change our attitude or we will truly be a “paradise of waste.” Stop the waste!