But contractors who saw the plans wanted much more than $20,000.

The contractors want $400 to $700 to paint a room; with the kids, the cost is a third of that.

The unions say they'd love to, too, but that the contractors don't want any women.

A contractor wanted one, we went down into the basement.

"Some contractors don't want to give anything away," he said.

Expansion of oil installations stopped and contractors no longer wanted laborers.

Construction was straightforward, though several contractors didn't even want to attempt it.

Union leaders and contractors, meanwhile, want the project in the city.

Employers typically have the right to control their employees, and independent contractors do not want to be controlled.

No contractor wants to become engaged in a battle that many see, at this moment, as more political than an issue of national security.