DISPUTED MTA CONTRACT AWARDED.Byline: David Bloom David Bloom (May 22, 1963 – April 6, 2003) was an NBC journalist (co-anchor of Weekend Today and reporter) until his sudden death in 2003 at the age of 39. Early life Daily News Staff Writer The most controversial contract in the MTA's short history finally was awarded Wednesday after three hours of emotion, politics and drama. The contract, for $63 million to oversee subway construction between Union Station and East Los Angeles East Los Angeles, uninc. city (1990 pop. 126,379), Los Angeles co., S Calif., a residential suburb of Los Angeles, in an industrial area. It has a large Mexican-American population. There is a performing arts center and a cultural center. A junior college is there. , was awarded to a joint venture headed by Pasadena's Jacobs Engineering Co., which already oversees subway tunneling between Hollywood and Universal City. Only Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Councilman Richard Alatorre Richard Alatorre is a politician, and a member of the Democratic Party. Alatorre has served as a member of the Los Angeles City Council. He was the first Latino to serve on the council in 23 years. - whose close political and personal connections to another bidder, Metro East Consultants, helped stir controversy - voted against the award. Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan Richard J. Riordan (born May 1, 1930) is a Republican politician from California, U.S. who served as the California Secretary of Education from 2003–2005 and as Mayor of Los Angeles from 1993–2001. Riordan ran for Governor of California unsuccessfully in 2002. and Duarte Councilman John Fasana abstained. The decision concluded an epic political brawl between Alatorre and longtime east-side enemy Gloria Molina Gloria Molina is a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, and the current chairwoman of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.[1] Molina grew up as one of ten children in the Los Angeles suburb of Pico Rivera, California, U.S. , after more than a year of delays that will cost the agency tens of millions of dollars. ``I'm elated at getting this off the table,'' said Molina, a county supervisor. Alatorre said only, ``I know I'm not going to have to live with that decision. I don't think they (the Jacobs team) are competent to do the job.'' Dennis O'Connor, a Jacobs executive, welcomed the award, but the long, expensive and highly political struggle had worn out his people. ``We're tired of paying lobbyists and attorneys to win a procurement at this agency,'' O'Connor said. ``We have given our soul.'' The battles over the lucrative contract alarmed Washington lawmakers and regulators, spawned a criminal investigation, led to the resignations of the agency's chief executive officer and chief subway builder, and the firing of a contract administrator. |
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