My sources who have access to the proposed Comprehensive Agreement between the Commonwealth of Virginia and the Dulles Transit Partners (the official name of Bechtel’s group) tell me that Section 8 of this document, which is basically a contract for the elevated rail through Tysons, stipulates that all Pricing Documents will be secret and confidential. This is absurd! Is this an open democracy or not? How much and where our tax money is going is the business of the taxpayers. This is not a trade secret that should be protected. Defense contracts aren’t this secret–public transportation contracts certainly shouldn’t be.
Furthermore, I have found that Bechtel is furiously working to rework the contract so they can make the stated price more attractive. However, I have indication that they are only hiding the true cost by changing it from a fixed price bid to a conditional one, with customary cost over-runs sure to restore their oversized margins.
Dragados has submitted a bid that is less than Bechtel’s. Instead of making the better choice, Bechtel and our Virginia government is rushing to whitewash the contract figures and make the pricing documents secret.
Jenna Lea Yoder, a 16 year old Mennonite girl from Mt. Zion House of Prayer in Ohio, was in a car accident at about 6:15 AM Wednesday morning. She died at about noon. Keep the family, Bob and Marie Yoder, and church in your prayers as they mourn the passing of this young life.