A good example. Sadly a drop in the bucket of the financial hole we are in, but a good example none the less.
More than just a good example, it’s first step towards setting the tone and re calibrating expectations on how government projects should be run and changing the world view and mindset of how things operate.
Donald Trump already has the ball rolling on this when it comes to American manufacturing. For two decades the corporate mindset default position has been to ship production offshore whenever possible for a large number of reasons.
Trump has put a check on that mindset and if ( a very big if, BTW) he can convince Congress to adopt his energy plans and pass laws rescind economically damaging tax, environmental and workplace that kill American manufacturing and pass new ones that encourage and not punish domestic manufacturing and make American a manufacturing friendly country again he may just pull it off.
I agree with your post. Here is the concern. Leadership changes.
Trump will put in people with this mindset and we will save some money over the short term. But at some time in the future when a less thrifty admin comes back into office, the old habits will return.
We need some sort of budgetary reform that makes it much harder for the spending spree to occur again. I don’t know what the right answer is to that. Sometimes you need the money for defense or emergencies, sometimes not. Any program will tell you that costs go up when budgets are uncertain, so that is one place to start. But likewise, if a program is under budget, there should be incentive to return money to the tax payer. Govt contracting with incentives like that has always been challenging, as even the best intentions can be manipulated by selfish people.