BY THE NUMBERS
BY THE NUMBERS
How it was done
The Vindicator asked local contractors and suppliers for cost estimates and used an average to calculate costs.
In calculating lower-level congressional staffers' wages, $9.50 per hour was used, based on an annual income of about $20,000.
Nonunion laborers' wages, $11 to $13 per hour, were used to calculate work done by contractors' crews.
Concrete was calculated at $1.50 to $3 per square foot by contractors' estimates.
Construction of the deck was calculated at $9 per square foot.
Without specifics, materials such as drainage pipes, waterlines and gravel could not be calculated. Gravel alone is about $21 per ton.
It also was not possible to calculate supplies, equipment, hauling, grading and so forth without having specific amounts.