By Karl Cooke
FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — With one year left until it's expected to be complete, questions remain about the ongoing Capitol Annex Project.
While you can see the project's progress on the website, state representatives remain concerned about why it is costing so much more than originally projected.
Speaking at a press conference in Fresno before the upcoming midterm elections, Assemblymember David Tangipa gave his take on the issues surrounding this project that has seen costs projected to exceed one billion dollars.
"I have a very simple standard that if there is any project that is 100% more expensive than it was originally estimated to cost, there's a problem,” Tangipa said. “And if that's my baseline for failed infrastructure, I think that's an okay position to be in. But when we see projects like California High Speed Rail, which is 500% over the estimated cost, when we see the Capital Annex project that is 300% over the estimated cost, and they add secrecy measures to California High Speed Rail, and they have NDAs, NDAs, on the Capitol Annex project for what I like to refer to as a politician's palace, as an elected official. That is wrong."
Not only do the costs bother Tangipa, but also the fact that no one except those involved in the project knows what's going on with it.
Especially when some of his colleagues speak out about ongoing federal projects.
"Now, the capital annex project in itself, they won't even tell us,” Tangipa said. “And I'm in the legislature. And I'm the vice chair for the state budget. And I know how many people were really angry with the $300 million ballroom that was happening at the White House. I think they should be really angry with a $1.5 billion political palace that's happening in Sacramento today that's 100% taxpayer funded."
