These jobs were put out to bid and were bonded.  What more do you propose?  It is not the city's fault that the contractor couldn't do the work.  How would you have screened out this contractor?  I believe they had a track record up to this point?

Being liberal or conservative has nothing to do with it.  Bidding and doing contracting work for the government is not an easy process.  There are no easy solutions.  The more requirements you have just remember the price goes up.