I'm not saying 16 million is the correct number, but Construction costs have escalated astronomically since the Pandemic.

and repairs on the Reflecting Pool and actually it is very complex and expensive. More money was spent during the Obama administration - $34 million to upgrade filtration systems, add pilings, and replace the floor. Meanwhile there were still problems with leaking, an ongoing issue from the beginning.

That said however, it appears this company with the no bid contract does not have the expertise or qualifications for such an undertaking. Also the paint was ridiculous. Not to mention Trump's over-the-top reaction to all this has been bizarre.

I'll see if I can find the article I referenced.

Edit to add link to NYT's article (Gift article) on the Reflecting Pool:

What’s Actually Wrong With the Reflecting Pool
And why President Trump’s repairs have not addressed a major underlying problem.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/05/31/us/trump-reflecting-pool-problems.html?unlocked_article_code=1.slA.91Pq.JfPHxIuBpTSl&smid=url-share

in the mil budget. Gotta hide the black money somehow.

Multi Directional Impact Generators"

Can be very expensive.

and therefore, I could see this job costing as much as $200,000. I have been a licensed building contractor for more than 40 years.

He should have contacted you first.

The money goes out of someone's pocket and into someone else's.

the grift won't end until the next administration. Straight out of the Putin playbook or OZARK. Folks, we are gonna be flat broke.

. . . cheap decorations from Home Depot, spray-painted gold, and slapped on the walls with super glue.

Quality costs a lot, you see.

financier said something like "You can charge the government any amount that you have the guts to ask". His name escapes me.