We’re not benefiting from Ryan Companies

I found it quite funny when I read April 2 that the library board had voted to award Ryan Companies the construction management contract for the new library building. Ryan Companies is based in Minnesota. The city and county have been trying to make it sound like they are concerned with trying to make sure the recovery work involves local workers. How much of the money Ryan makes in Cedar Rapids goes directly to Minnesota?

Ryan is doing the new federal courthouse in Cedar Rapids. The majority of the subcontractors have been imported from Minnesota, not hired locally. How much of the money they are making is being spent in Cedar Rapids? Maybe a few hotels and restaurants are seeing any of that money.

Will Ryan use this same method in hiring subcontractors on the new library? We have many very qualified contractors, both union and open shop, who could work on this and other projects in town. Any contractor who can get the proper bonding and insurance should be allowed to bid on the projects the city or county are considering. They all get their funding from us, the taxpayers.

The second statement that created a chuckle was the fact that Ryan hadn't negotiated a price for its services. How do you vote to accept a contract like this without knowing the costs involved? Again, the taxpayers are stuck with this.

John McWilliams

Mount Vernon