Minneapolis Racial Quota Advocates Ready for Business
Quota advocates are hoping the economic downturn stimulates more than just federal funding. They’re hoping to increase set-aside contracts.
The Federal Highway Administration recently approved the California Department of Transportation’s (Caltrans) racial quota plan. The reason? What else…money. The state’s so-called Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program saw a drop in minority business participation related to the economy. Caltrans convinced the feds it needed to set racial quotas to reverse the decline in light of new stimulus funding headed to the state.
Apparently the idea sounds good enough to Minneapolis. Set to receive about $4 million in federal stimulus money, Minneapolis is ready to divvy up the racial spoils. Director of economic policy and development Cathy Polasky said, “I think we always go above and beyond what the federal mandate is, so we will be looking to encourage both local hiring and using the workforce agreements we’ve used in the past to encourage hiring of women and minorities,” she said. (Source)
For the uninitiated, “workforce agreements” is a euphemism for racial quotas.
James Frisco, president of the National Association of Minority Contractors’ local chapter, hopes the government sets aside a quarter of the energy-related contracts for minority-owned businesses.
Awarding contracts to the lowest bidder would seem to eliminate the risk of racial or sex discrimination, but some minority contractors insist on blaming racism for losing out. Unfortunately, this way of thinking is generationally entrenched. With the federal government tacitly agreeing with such attitudes, it will continue for generations more.
