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tw · 03-23-2001, 01:13 AM

Old History. Same people. Same problem. We just forget what we read 6 years ago. Do you remember this?

From the Philadelphia Inquirer 17 April 1995 page 1:
" [Undercofler] protected Gambaccini from all the pressure to spend the [SEPTA] money in a political way rather than the proper way.
That pressure has increased in 1991, when the legislature added four seats to the SEPTA board to be filled by Democratic and Republican leaders in each house. The 11 other board members are appointed by the governor, the mayor of Philly, and elected officials in Montgomery, Delaware, Chester, and Bucks Counties.
The pressure intensified in 1993, when Undercofler left the board. That year, Western Penna politicains mounted a campaign to get SEPTA to award a huge contract for new subway cars for the Market-Frankford line to a Pittsburgh company - even though the firm was not the low bidder.
The contract award was delayed 9 months while state legislators lobbied for AEG Westinghouse... SEPTA was forced to hold hearings, do additional studies and hire an outside lawyer - at a cost of $90,000 - to offer an opinion. {Typical of politician who need lawyers to solve technical problems}
In the end, the board did what the law required: It gave the $285 million contract to the low bidder, ABB Traction of Elmira Heights NY.
"That's what he has to put up with. ... The battle over those railcars was very political. A lot of money was wasted. A lot of time was wasted. I think highly of Gambaccini. What gets in Gambaccini's way, in my view, is politics."
...During the strike, Harry Lombardo, president of the TWU Local 234, railed against "fat cats" on the SEPTA board, called one SEPTA manager "a $100k-a-year pimp" and said the agency was squandering millions through sweetheart contracts.
But Lombardo never attacked Gambaccini or Roberts. And that was no accident, he said.
"I respect what they've done. I have a lot of empathy for them." Lombardo said. "Why do you think I didn't bang Howard and Lou through this entire process?" "

03-23-2001, 01:13 AM	#14
tw Read? I only know how to write. Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 11,933	Ancient History; Same People; Same Problem Old History. Same people. Same problem. We just forget what we read 6 years ago. Do you remember this? From the Philadelphia Inquirer 17 April 1995 page 1: " [Undercofler] protected Gambaccini from all the pressure to spend the [SEPTA] money in a political way rather than the proper way. That pressure has increased in 1991, when the legislature added four seats to the SEPTA board to be filled by Democratic and Republican leaders in each house. The 11 other board members are appointed by the governor, the mayor of Philly, and elected officials in Montgomery, Delaware, Chester, and Bucks Counties. The pressure intensified in 1993, when Undercofler left the board. That year, Western Penna politicains mounted a campaign to get SEPTA to award a huge contract for new subway cars for the Market-Frankford line to a Pittsburgh company - even though the firm was not the low bidder. The contract award was delayed 9 months while state legislators lobbied for AEG Westinghouse... SEPTA was forced to hold hearings, do additional studies and hire an outside lawyer - at a cost of $90,000 - to offer an opinion. {Typical of politician who need lawyers to solve technical problems} In the end, the board did what the law required: It gave the $285 million contract to the low bidder, ABB Traction of Elmira Heights NY. "That's what he has to put up with. ... The battle over those railcars was very political. A lot of money was wasted. A lot of time was wasted. I think highly of Gambaccini. What gets in Gambaccini's way, in my view, is politics." ...During the strike, Harry Lombardo, president of the TWU Local 234, railed against "fat cats" on the SEPTA board, called one SEPTA manager "a $100k-a-year pimp" and said the agency was squandering millions through sweetheart contracts. But Lombardo never attacked Gambaccini or Roberts. And that was no accident, he said. "I respect what they've done. I have a lot of empathy for them." Lombardo said. "Why do you think I didn't bang Howard and Lou through this entire process?" "