Government railway system orders trains too wide for the stations???

Government doing what governments always do, part gazillion:

France's state-run railway system ordered a fleet of new trains.  Only afterwards did they discover the trains are too wide to fit many of the country's stations. 

So now about 1,300 of the country's railway platforms will have to be cut back to handle  the new trains, at a cost of about $70 million (per WSJ).

But according to this source the railway has *already* spent $110 million (80 million euros) on this screwup, so the WSJ estimate may just be the estimated remaining cost.  It wouldn't be a bit surprising to find a bureaucrat releasing figures that would tend to minimize the severity of a screwup by his or her agency.

Obviously everyone makes mistakes--both in the private sector and in government.  But there are three HUGE differences in the consequences of those mistakes:

First, unless a company is big and politically connected--like GM or a big bank--the cost of mistakes made in the private sector is paid by a private company, while the cost of mistakes by government employees is always paid by taxpayers.

Second--and far more crucial:  If someone in the private sector screws up, the company can fire 'em.  Happens all the time, even to CEOs.  But when government screws up, no one is *ever* fired.

Oh, a gummint agency may make a big show of faux-firing someone--as when the State Dept supposedly "fired" four nameless mid-level types after Benghazi--but we always eventually learn that they weren't really fired at all, just temporarily reassigned until the public's attention turned elsewhere.

Same deal with the VA's practice of having doctored records of waiting times for sick veterans to see a VA doctor:  The Obozo administration announced that the head guy in charge of VA hospitals had been fired, but in reality the guy announced *last fall* that he was retiring in June of this year--hell, Obozo appointed the guy's replacement last year!  So the "fired" guy ended up leaving about a month earlier than his planned retirement.  Oh, and with full gummint retirement benefits, of course.

And you're calling that a "firing?"

Third huge difference:  If you're injured or damaged by a private-company screwup, at least you have a chance to sue and recover something for your injuries.  But if you're injured or killed by a government screwup, unless you're politically connected the government usually tells you to fuck off.

Oh, *technically* you can sue the gummint agency, but there's a fine-print twist that says the suit can only proceed if the government agrees to be sued.  And guess what:  Unless you're politically connected, they don't agree.

Now for the kicker:  You liberal idiots cheered as the Democrats--without a single Republican vote--gave the government total control of health care.  (And the Repubs have neither the power nor the balls to repeal that piece of shit.)

Now guess what:  You libs don't know it yet but most of you just got assigned to "VA-style" medical care!  If you're still cheering then you have no idea what's been happening in the VA health-"care" system.

But it was totes worth it, eh?  Because it raked in $300 million from insurance companies and Big Pharma for Barack's re-election campaign.  Plus y'all got to feel SO good for making taxpayers pay for health insurance for the poor and for illegal immigrants (despite explicit promises that the latter wouldn't get taxpayer-paid benefits).

Oh, and passing Obamacare also assured that the estimated 16 million illegals in the U.S. would continue to vote Democrat (though that was never in doubt).

Win-win-win, eh?  Well, for Democrats anyway.

You forced this through all by yourselves.  Hope you enjoy your VA-quality health care.