Letters: Really, the best rail car bid won

Re “A lost opportunity for job creation,” Opinion, May 29

The L.A. County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s rail car contract award represents a historic first for federally funded rail car projects. It provides an opportunity to leverage capital projects to get Americans back to work, including L.A. residents.

However, statements made by Madeline Janis in her Op-Ed article do not reflect the benefits of this contract.

The contract award to Kinkisharyo will create 348 jobs in the United States. Those new jobs compare well to the 369 jobs offered by Siemens’ plan. This difference between the two is nowhere near Janis’ analysis.

Kinkisharyo’s new jobs will pump $138.8 million into the U.S. economy, compared with the $140.6 million that Siemens proposed, and Kinkisharyo will do it at a cost savings of $49.3 million. The contract award reflects the best overall value to Metro’s patrons and takes advantage of a great opportunity to create real middle-class jobs.

Arthur T. Leahy

Los Angeles

The writer is chief executive of Metro.

I would think that our leaders would have stepped up to the plate and fought for jobs to be created here with this Metro contract.

Where were Gov. Jerry Brown and our senators when this decision was made? Where were our voices? Where were our representatives?

On job creation, most of what we get is talk and not action.

Bonnie Kent

Yorba Linda

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