As the rules currently exist, all goals are being fulfilled without employing African-American Contractors.
A CALL TO ACTION - Minnesota Department of Transportation has awarded less than $1 Million in contracts to African-American Contractors of the $600 Million in Federal Transportation Stimulus Contracts. African-American contractors and other minority contractors have not received an equitable share of the contracts awarded by MN DOT under DBE regulation 49 CFR Part 26. White Women contractors, considered minorities by MN DOT, have received over 99% of all contracts awarded to DBEs.
African-American Contractors are not participating in the stimulus money job creating opportunities.
We, the undersigned, are requesting MN DOT have separate goals for African-American DBE Contractors apart from White DBE women and men contractors on all federal stimulus money funded and all other federally funded transportation projects, A CALL FOR CHANGE.
Missouri and Illinois Department of Transportation held public meetings for separation of DBE Goals for White Women and Males Contractors from African-American Contractors.
We seek the U.S. Department of Transportation to open an inquiry into whether the Minnesota Department of Transportation is doing enough to involve African-American DBE Contractors in projects that use federal stimulus dollars.
Finally, we, the undersigned, have nothing against White Women or Men. As the rules currently exist, all goals are being fulfilled without employing African-American Contractor DBEs.
The signatures will be sent to Commissioner Thomas Sorel of MN DOT, Minnesota elected officials, and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood.
