Posted on 04/23/2015 9:12:49 AM PDT by Olog-hai
Looking for ways to save money, SEPTA has paid about $2.8 million to a Boston-based consulting firm, including payments of more than $500 an hour to some specialists. In the process, FTI Consulting Inc. has used 24 of its staffers, some of whom have collected more from SEPTA than the transit agency’s highest-paid official, general manager Joseph Casey, who makes $273,000 a year. The meter is still running, with additional payments expected to continue through the end of the year.
SEPTA hired FTI in February 2013 through a no-bid contract to help the transit agency reduce legal costs arising from injury claims. […]
FTI consultants collected a much higher hourly rate than SEPTA allows for lawyers, whose fees are capped at $250 an hour.
The decision to hire FTI was not voted on by the SEPTA board of directors or done through SEPTA’s usual bidding process. By state law, SEPTA is not required to seek bids for “professional services” contracts.
The money to pay FTI comes from SEPTA’s operating budget, primarily funded by transit riders and state and local taxpayers. …
(Excerpt) Read more at philly.com ...
SEPTA dates back to 1968, taking over private bus and rail operations. Nearly 4¾ decades of waste and failure.
Yous scratch my back and I’ll stab yours...............
You can bet that there is some kind of sweetheart connection between the decision makers in SEPTA and the Consultant.
An investigation is likely to turn up a brother-in-law, a college frat-mate, a wife or cousin in an executive position or in sales or marketing.
The same way a big no-bid contract to build the Obamacare website was handed over to CGI Federal where one of Michelle Obama's old college pals is an executive.
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The suburban companies -- Philadelphia & Western and Philadelphia & West Chester -- merged into Red Arrow, and by contrast they thrived during the Great Depression, losing ground only after World War II when everybody began to drive.
SEPTA is no better than most urban transit authorities and worse than only a few.
I could save them almost $2 million.
For just $900,000, I would advise them to stop using money saving consultants.
This is just speculation but I would look to see what political connections FTI Consulting has, what their political contributions were. It would not surprise me if Pennsylvania’s utterly corrupt political culture was involved.
It’s the government. They’ll make up for it in bulk.
My GFs dad supplies parts for SEPTA. not directly any longer. Jobbers charge septa 3 times what the part is worth. then buy the parts from my GF dad’s shop.
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