Lights ON

Those who sell flashlights for a living are not amused....

Batteries were installed in many of the new solar LED street lights on Carretera Escenica La Ropa today.

Don't toss out those flashlights just yet! Only 33 of the 75 street lamps are being installed by the state government. Less than half!

The entire construction project of the Carretera Escénica La Ropa from the git-go was nothing but an exercise in corruption. First the construction stopped because there was no money to meet the payroll, but instead of penalizing the construction company (likely owned by the relative of an influential state politician) as one would expect for the cost overrun, the state budgeted more money, and then more money again. Now almost 3 years after the start of the project they are just finally putting in less than half of the streetlights?

The project should have taken less than 6 months from start to finish. That was the promise over which much hoopla was made by the greedy public servants seeking to serve themselves with a big spoon, as we say in Spanish. Fortunately I convinced local businesses and residents in La Ropa to reject the stupid expensive fake red brick stamped concrete that was used downtown, in La Madera and on the road around Las Salinas Lagoon (another boondoggle that also took about 3 years with numerous cost overruns) or the work on the road would probably still be unfinished, and residents and visitors near the road would have to listen to the loud washboard-like sound made by every vehicle driving on it.

But don't get me started...