What are you missing? The stuff about the story that only I know.

Re: the 10 years and 1-4 Babylon stations. Remember, first, that they
were not completed. In one case only the superstructure was completed, in
another inferior materials were used (deliberately), and so on. So it's not
like they built 5 fully operational stations. Only B4 actually made it to
operational status. B5 was/is intended to be the last effort. If this one
doesn't make it...screw it.

Applying the resources from the full EA was deemed vital because, as
stated, we as a race were almost wiped out in the Earth/Minbari War. We might
BE wiped out by a technologically superior race next time it happens...IF we
allow it to happen. B5 is the first line of self defense, and from our close
call, everybody knows it.

Re: shipping materials, I posted somewhere upline how the jump points
work. In brief, large ships (cruiser and above) can generate their own entry
points to hyperspace; gates are used mainly for smaller ships without their
own field generators, and larger ships that want to conserve power. So all
that was required was to drop 1 jump point when they started building B1, and
that was it. There was no long supply line. (To clarify, the larger ships,
Explorer class, leave behind 3 or 4 jump gates at pre-arranged points as they
move through space.)

As for Sinclair's status as both commander and ambassador...that is
something we're going to deal with in the series. By all rights, he shouldn't
even BE there. EA tried to stick an Admiral or some other high-ranking
officer there. The first race to sign onto the station, the Minbari, had
approval over who was sent to that post. They rejected everyone suggested,
right down the line, until Sinclair. EA Officials are still wondering why HE
was selected. (There is a reason.)

That post was previously designed to either include representing Earth as
an ambassador (to avoid in-station conflicts) or as an adjunct to one. And at
one point, an ambassador will arrive, and they will hash this out once and for
all.

Your question proceeds from the assumption, "How can everyone agree that
this is the right thing to do?", which is understandable, given how monolithic
some shows make the future. But in the case of this show, there is constant
disagreement, and there are a LOT of people in the Earth Alliance who think
that this is NOT the right thing to do,and will try to take action to
"correct" it....some for understandable reasons, some out of another agenda
entirely.

What you have picked up on are not flaws, but story points in the
making...areas that will be explored down the road. These questions WILL be
answered. It would have been very easy to make him Admiral or Ambassador
Sinclair. He was given this lower rank for a reason...and there are an awful
lot of people who look at this, and wonder if Sinclair isn't just a *tad* too
cozy with their former enemies in the war, and just where ARE his loyalties,
*really*?

I've always taken pride in the fact that my stories are generally
airtight. I hate loose ends and unanswered questions and inconsistencies. So
feel free to poke and prod. It'll either be something I've deliberately built
into the show, or something that I should attend to.

As for the question above about how long this access will continue, only
time will tell.

jms