The whole government practice of going with the "lowest bidder" is to blame.  I know government is trying to let us taxpayers know that they are attempting to save us money, but very often, "low bid" also translates into "low quality."  Contractors will obviously use the cheapest materials and equipment and try to find the cheapest (inexperienced?) labor to meet the bid.  Then, the double problem is that there are always cost overruns and planning changes which now means we not only get poor quality, but we have to pay more for it!  We need to think of it as a personal purchase.  You can get a name brand item or a knock off item that essentially works the same way for 2/3 the price.  But if the name brand item lasts for 20 years while the knock off has to be replaced or serviced every 2-3 years, have you really saved any money?