1. United States
2. Kan.
3. Letter

Apply the same scrutiny to White House and Lincoln Memorial spending that you've applied to the Federal Reserve and California's high-speed rail. The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation was publicly quoted at $1.8 million — federal contracting records show the actual cost is $13 million, a sevenfold increase. That's the same percentage growth Trump called "the worst cost overrun I've ever seen" when he pulled $4 billion from California's rail project and demanded an investigation into Governor Newsom. The White House East Wing ballroom has doubled from $200 million to $400 million, and now Congress is weighing an additional $220 million in taxpayer funding for security upgrades tied to the same project. The reflecting pool contract went to a Virginia firm with no prior government contracting history, selected on the recommendation of a contractor who has worked on Trump's personal property. That alone warrants a hard look. Taxpayers deserve consistent standards. If cost overruns are a fireable offense at the Fed, they're worth investigating here too. Hold these projects to the same standard — no exceptions based on who's in charge.