[Vision2020] Bond Levy for New University Of Idaho

[DonaldH675 at aol.com]

Dear Donovan'
I worked at facilities as the university engineer responsible  for reviewing 
new building plans for  mechanical/electrical installation and to provide 
input on the same  subjects as well as utility upgrades (electrical, water, sewer, 
power plant,  etc.) for several years (20) and if you would like to check the 
records you  will find that virtually everyone of your reasons for the 
supposed "new  University of Idaho" are true. Why do you think we tore down so many 
old  buildings and opted to build new rather than remodel? And just for  
starters I seriously doubt that you could even fix all of the deficiencies  of the 
present buildings for the amount you have proposed let alone build a new  
campus. When I retired about six years ago the documented deferred maintenance  
list exceeded 300,000,000 dollars. 
As a facilities person I would like to ask you a question? Do you repair  
your cars over and over and over until they are absolutely so out of date that  
they are no longer functional or do you buy a newer car when the old one no  
longer meets your needs? Buildings follow the same functional obsolescence  
pattern and need to be replaced when they no longer meet the needs of the  present.
My wife attended Moscow High School in the late 50's/early 60's and it was  
inadequate then so they remodeled. It remained inadequate.
My children attended Moscow High School in the 80's and 90's and it was  
inadequate then so they remodeled. It was still inadequate.
My grandchildren are attending now and it is still inadequate and people  
still think they can fix it by remodeling. In my mind taking the same action  
over and over and expecting different results are a good definition of delusion  
if not outright mental illness or maybe just plain ignorance.
I also have some problems with the current bond plan but am willing to  
continue the mental illness with Russell and West Park (why are we remodeling  two 
ugly, functionally obsolescent buildings when for roughly the same money we  
could get a new elementary school) if we get one new facility. In my opinion 
the  only justification for remodeling is a historic example of a particular 
style of  architecture or an old building that is so well built that the remodel 
can bring  it to modern standards of functionality.
 
Don Huskey
Captain, USMC (Ret)
BSEE, MPA, MBA
"One cannot  level one's moral lance at every evil in the universe. There are 
just too many  of them. But you can do something, and the difference between 
doing something  and doing nothing is everything." Daniel Berrigan


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