A job well done… ha!!

By Alvaro F. Fernandez
alvaro@progreso-weekly.com

“I’ve done my job and it’s time to move on. I’ve done a good job and most of the FTA [Federal Transit Administration] concerns, I believe, have been satisfied.”

This is how Miami-Dade Transit Director Harpal Kapoor explained his sudden retirement to The Miami Herald this week.

I would have asked Mr. Kapoor to answer the charge by the federal government “that after nine weeks of probing county records, the federal agency cannot determine “the veracity of [Miami-Dade Transit’s] information” and was suspending its review until the county fixes eight areas of concern.” As a result, $185 million in federal funds have been frozen since, at least, September 2010. Don’t be surprised to see public transportation at the county affected – soon!

Kapoor, together with former county manager George Burgess, lied to county commissioners (and Miami-Dade residents) last year insisting that everything was OK with transit and went as far as state that “he was confident payments will resume once MDT addresses FTA concerns in January or February.” May is here and concerns, apparently, have not been met. Federal funds remain frozen.

We should all worry, and also ask if Mr. Kapoor is jumping ship with another golden parachute ala the one received by Burgess. Finally, who will replace Kapoor? If it’s from within the department… I would question it.