The Reflecting Pool on the National Mall has already begun to grow algae just days after President Donald Trump’s major renovation project was officially completed.
The landmark has been the subject of controversy since the project began, with critics pointing to budget ballooning from a little under $2 million to a staggering $14 million. Trump contracted Atlantic Industrial Coatings for the project to be completed ahead of the celebrations for the 250th anniversary of America.
I’m so glad I paid for this with my taxes. I was worried my money might go to something silly like feeding children.
Yeah, good thing my tax money is going for vanity projects and blatant embezzlement for people who wouldn’t even notice and extra 500-million in their bank accounts instead of making the lives of 150,000 people slightly less shitty.
Reflecting pools are stupid AF. If given the choice I’d turn it into a natural pond with fucking frogs. Let nature fuckin rip. Trying to keep something that big free of any forms of life is a pointless effort.
I don’t understand, this is a common problem with pools. It’s why we have chlorine and pool chemicals. Did he just paint it, and not treat it?
Yes. They were most likely embezzling the funds and not actually doing anything.
With trump the corruption is the point.
Just like everything Trump does. Barely thought through, decided on a whim, put in place through brute force, no attention to detail, and with no concern for consequences.
And someone Pocketed a few million dollars on the side
Yeah, that’s what water does, grows algae. And that’s what algae does when it gets in water, it grows.
Did we really have to pay millions for Trump to do a seventh grade science experiment?
Was there not algae before?
He tried to remove the algae by painting the bottom nueveau-riche blue.
$14 million for this project is fucking absurd. 700%+ of the original (no bid) contract amount. The original contract was actually under $2 mil so it’s more than 7x.
Everything is a goddamn grift.
Everyone involved in approving the change orders that brought this project to 7x+ it’s original value, needs to be investigated for this.
Look at the ballroom, it was 150 Mil then 250 mil then 400 mil then meanwhile we were joking about the 800 mil ballroom it became a 1.6 billion national security project
I really need someone to tell me how a ballroom protects a country.
You build a hardened Data center/command and control center eight stories under the ballroom
Because of the Hitler’s bunker being built underneath, if nothing else.
Gotta shoot himself in the head somewhere.
He wants to build a bunker under it.
What, to hide in when his term ends and he refuses to leave?
Pretty much. He’s talked a lot about not leaving office at the end of this term.
This was a classic real estate developer kickback scheme. Trump hires his special guy to do the job. The guy does it for 50% of the budget, including his profit, and the rest is kicked back to Trump.
Of course, when it actually got into production, he jacked the overrun way up, so he could skim even more.
He was going to do the same thing with the Kennedy Center renovation, but they stopped that one. He’ll do the same with his arch, and the ballroom.
The old classics still work, and this kind of classic, old school kickback scheme has been Trump’s bread & butter for his entire life. That’s why he’s doing all these cockamamie construction projects. This is his wheelhouse, and he is in it.
That certainly reflects Trump’s character.
Someone please go there in the night and chuck some washing up liquid in the damn thing.
Sounds like they tried to save money on chlorine. Trump’s the master of saving pennies by spending dollars.
So… he literally created a new swamp where there wasn’t one before. The worldwide news cycle will love this.
One more example that we live in a bad simulation…
Only reason he did this is because Obama did a restoration in 2012.
His entire presidency is to undo Obama.
Was it a no-bid contract that ended up being 7x its original amount?
I’m gonna guess no. Because if it was, we would never hear the end of it.
I wish Obama’s entire presidency was to undo Bush, and Biden’s entire presidency was to undo Trump.
You know what would have energized people? A huge program to reunite all the families that Trump separated.
I don’t doubt he is that petty but I also wouldn’t be surprised if he is just too stupid to know what to do on how own so just does whatever Obama did as president like following a little “how to president for dummies” guidebook.
He did basically copy Obama’s inauguration his first time (although a shittier version), and of course, Melania ripped off Michelle Obama’s speech.
Fascists just really can’t create anything.
the layer on the surface ponds, pools filled with algae and other plankton is called scum, pretty fitting.
As somebody who’s never owned a pool or managed any small bodies of water, can somebody tell me what the implications of this is? What was keeping it algae-free before?
It wasn’t algae free before. Trump thought spending millions on making it a darker colour would stop the algae growth. Might have slowed it slightly since there’s less light reflected back up from the bottom now but there’s no stopping it since, y’know, it’s 100% exposed to sunlight on the surface.
On the other hand, the paint being darker and absorbing more heat might make the water warmer, accelerating growth.
Scammer surrounds himself with scammers, results predictable AF — news at 11.
On one hand its hilariously dumb. On the other hand, fuck dude we could have done anything better with that money.
Sadly, that’s a mere drop in the ocean compared to all the money utterly wasted and pilfered by this so-called “administration.”
You can’t get numb to it. $14M was our revenue three years into a green tech startup/coop I worked at which employed like 40 people/co-owners. That was enough to be paying out like $15k+ bonuses/dividends to each employee. The entire company was started with a $1.5M dept of agriculture grant. It’s a lot of money that you can do a lot of good with.
Sorry, too late. I had to numb myself to retain any semblance of sanity living in Trump’s “third world shithole.”
Believe me I know. I also know that the money he & his pals have been grifting in just the past 1.5 years alone could easily raise millions out of poverty. It makes me sick AF.
It’s still a shit ton of money that would completely change the lives of dozens of people if it was simply given out to them, let alone used for societal good.
NS, S.
that 178mil for 2 jets just glossed over everyone heads. as was BARRON trump who has no work experience getting hundreds of millions into his investments.
I mean, I know that, but its not nothing either. Just because part of the world is on fire doesnt mean you let all of it burn
Sorry - I wasn’t trying to be dismissive. It was more an expression of disgust and frustration at it all.
All good. I get it. Theres a lot of that frustration going around
But… but… money laundering!
Our true national passtime!
$14 million to paint concrete.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Obama’s costed just over $30m, but they drove pilons, and paved the whole damn thing. And then put in a new circulatory system. So yeah, 14m for painting it is absolutely a payout to someone.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Memorial_Reflecting_Pool
Even worse. It was natural granite they painted over.
Sorry all, I was wrong. The bottom is concrete.It wasn’t. The base of the pool is all concrete, with granite facings and walkways
Do you have a good source for that? I’ll delete / correct my comment if so.
Found through Wikipedia btw, very interesting article if you’re interested: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Memorial_Reflecting_Pool
Wonder if a pressure washer can take it off
It’s a mix of concrete base with granite facings and accents, so you’d be best just sandblasting it and exposing a new layer.
It’d have to be repolished then wouldn’t it? I’m just assuming that’s how it helps reflect the light
Yeah, I think you’re right. It’d have to be repolished and resealed afterwards.
Normally I’d say no. But with the shotty half assed work everyone in Trump’s orbit does, it’s almost certainly gonna start to peel on its own any day now
If i presure washer won’t, sanding a mm off the top will and probably wouldnt mess anything up. Or maybe it’s completely fucked. I’m not a pool or paint guy.
Sanding won’t hurt the granite other than taking the surface finish off of it. But it might be left with all of the cracks and chips in it still blue.
A good reminder how vile things creep trhough the foundation of a nation when allowed to do so.
Media blasting with walnut shells would probably do the trick.
Methinks it was a slush fund disguised as desecrating the reflecting pool.
