Friday, July 22, 2005

Trump: No plans, no specs - $3bln

Via The Corner.

Go to Radio Blogger and listen to Donald Trump lambast the United Nations as asinine. Radio Blogger has the transcript so you can read along as you listen. The Senate International Security Subcommittee held a hearing on the proposed 1.5 billion dollar renovation of the United nations building and Trump was their star witness. His testimony is long but is well worth hearing and reading.

Some salient points made by Trump.

  • Trump met with Kofi Annan and other UN officials in December 2000, had his picture taken by hundreds of reporters, went home to wait for the expected phone calls from the UN, and...nada.
  • Trump sat down and began writing letters to the UN, and...nada
  • Trump says, "They just didn't care."
  • The UN's man in charge of the project, a Mr. Conners, did not know anything about buildings or construction and could not answer even the simplest questions.
  • Trump complemented the Italian architect, who has been fired, for billing and receiving from the UN 44 million dollars while producing no plans and no specifications. Trump said that he must be the richest architect in the world. He said that the number of 44 million dollars was "one of the great numbers in history."
  • Trump said that the only way the renovation could cost so much was through incompetency or something "much worse."
  • Trump said that without complete plans and specifications the UN would be "taken to the cleaners" by the subcontractors.
  • Trump said that the latest proposal from the UN had reduced the cost from 1.5 billion to 1.2 billion. Why and how? If the UN proceeds as they are going, how did the cost get reduced?
  • Trump explained patiently and in some detail how a building is renovated with the tenants in possession and still working at their desks. The UN plan is to move completely out of the building while it is being renovated. Trump says, "Move where?" "There is no place to move." "How much would that cost, if it could be done?"
  • Trump predicted the final cost to the UN will be 3 billion dollars, not 1.2 or 1.5, if they proceed as they are going.
  • Trump offered to do the job himself and receive no personal remuneration for a cost of 700 million dollars, or less. That would be a savings of 800 million dollars over the original proposal, 500 million dollars over the revised proposal (both of which Trump says are worthless) and a 2.3 billion dollar saving over Trump's predicted final cost to the UN.

    You really must listen to it (and read along) to appreciate it.

Tags: , , , , ,

No comments: