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B-202975 1 (1981-11-03)

handle is hein.gao/gaobabjat0001 and id is 1 raw text is: 


                    COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES
                               WASHINGTON D.C. 2054



B-202975                               November 3, 1981      I1111tlII~ilII11 I il
                                                                    088281

The Honorable Bobbi Fiedler                                              -N

House of Representatives        ..4

Dear Ms. Fiedler:

     We refer to your letters of April 15, and May 19, 1981, requesting
this Office to determine whether the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment
Agency (CRA) and the Los Angeles Downtown People Mover Authority (DPMA),
which are recipients of Federal grant funds, have expended any of these
funds in violation of an appropriation restriction prohibiting their use
for lobbying activities. You also asked us to investigate whether CRA or
DPMA had used Federal funds to retain the services of law firms for the
purpose of engaging in efforts to influence appropriation measures and
other legislation pending before the Congress.

     Our review of the accounts of these recipients disclosed no violation
of Federal statutes in the retaining of the law firms. However, DPMA
apparentfy used Federal grant funds in violation of an appropriation act
restriction to prepare and disseminate a newsletter encouraging readers
to write their Congressmen and Senators in support of a continuation of
Federal funding for the Los Angeles People Mover project.

Community Redevelopment Agency

     The CRA was established by the City of Los Angeles to revitalize parts
of the city. It is governed by a Board of Commissioners appointed by the
Mayor andconfirmed by the City Council. Its primary source of funding
stems from a real property tax increment that represents the difference
between current property taxes and the property taxes that were in effect
when parcels were designated for redevelopment several years ago. Other
funding comes from grants from local, state and Federal governments.
Federal funding is derived from grants from the Department of Housing and
Urban Development and the Urban Mass Transit Administration of the Depart-
ment of Transportation.

     Shortly after the Reagan Administration came to power, it became
apparent from media reports that continued Federal funding for the down-
town people mover was in jeopardy. CRA's plan to rebuild the downtown
portion of the City was in part based on DPMA completing the people mover
as originally scheduled. Fearing that the program might be canceled, CRA
officials, with its Board's approval, decided to retain the services of a
law firm. On April 23, 1981, a contract in the amount of $18,000 was let
with the firm of Manatt, Phelps, Rothenberg and Tunney for General
Financial Planning with the purpose of determining alternative financing
arrangements for the people mover if the Federal Government ceased to
fund the Droject.

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