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PUBLISHER'S ANALYSIS: Does President Obama’s Stimulus Plan Exclude Black Businesses?
- By Roy Douglas Malonson
- Published 07/14/2009
- Editorial and Opinion
- Unrated
Roy Douglas Malonson
Roy D. Malonson is publisher of the African-American News&Issues.
View all articles by Roy Douglas Malonson
As news of The Labor Department’s report that 467,000 people lost their jobs last month, elevated the country’s unemployment rate to a 26-year high of 9.5 per cent, Black voices around the country are beginning to ask, “What’s in it for us?” and “Is there anything for us?” I understand that President Barack Obama is the president of all people in the U.S., regardless of their race, religion, sexual-orientation or creed and we shouldn’t expect him to make special concessions on behalf of his Black half. Yet, in the first few months of his new employment, he has bailed out Wall Street, major banks/financial institutions and engineered rescue for two of the Big 3 automobile manufacturers.
His Stimulus plan, a $787-billion package that was supposed to put people back to work, while underwriting construction and energy projects, was designed to help states and cities generate jobs and programs to help boost the weak economy. Recently he said, “We’ve done more than ever, faster than ever, more responsibly than ever, to get the gears of the economy moving again,” ... “we’re in a position to really accelerate.” Black communities and businesses across the country are beginning to feel they are excluded from the Stimulus Plan and are fighting against the alarming out of control disparity against them. In Houston, for example, The Black Contractors and Business Owners (BCBO) continues voicing its outrage before the Texas legislature, city government, mayor and federal agencies and demands that enforcement of existing laws occurs immediately.
Gladys House, community activist in the Fourth Ward Community and founder and board secretary of BCBO said, “The disparity of Black businesses in Houston reflects the reality that Blacks are excluded from the contract award process, while Caucasian men receive at least 98.6% of non-HUB contracts and Caucasian women receive at least 96% of HUB contracts with the state of Texas.” HUBs (historically underutilized businesses) cater to small businesses to ensure a fair share of contract awards but House and other Black small businesses are concerned that there is no enforcement of Texas Government Code 6121 to monitor and make sure justice is applied. House adds that the city of Houston stats are identical as with the state funded entities and state agencies, and that no one appears to care that Black small businesses are being shut out of the contract award process.
As a former contractor, I know that this has being going on for a long time with contracts awarded on a local level. However, it seems like the federal level isn’t much different, even with a Black man at the helm. So what are Blacks to do?
BCBO members believe that they have an answer if not the answer. And just to be clear, the organization is definitely not a “Johnny-Come-Lately,” coat-tail riders. In fact, BCBO has testified over the past two years before local, state and federal governments on the need to curtail and dissolve the devastating disparity. Blacks feel that they are not receiving the regular funding produced by their tax dollars and take the position that they will not benefit from the Stimulus funds either if elected officials do not take immediate action.
Beginning last month, BCBO (713-742-6995) was joined by other groups with similar concerns for a series of public meetings at Northeast Multipurpose Center, 7146 Tidwell. The Black community will focus on implementing the plan used by Blacks subsequent to emancipation that empowered them to build their communities, businesses and entire social development of education, health, human rights, select quality candidates create jobs, training and development for self-sustaining neighborhoods. House concluded that it wasn’t too late to re-direct stimulus funding, along with regular funding, to the Black community.
His Stimulus plan, a $787-billion package that was supposed to put people back to work, while underwriting construction and energy projects, was designed to help states and cities generate jobs and programs to help boost the weak economy. Recently he said, “We’ve done more than ever, faster than ever, more responsibly than ever, to get the gears of the economy moving again,” ... “we’re in a position to really accelerate.” Black communities and businesses across the country are beginning to feel they are excluded from the Stimulus Plan and are fighting against the alarming out of control disparity against them. In Houston, for example, The Black Contractors and Business Owners (BCBO) continues voicing its outrage before the Texas legislature, city government, mayor and federal agencies and demands that enforcement of existing laws occurs immediately.
Gladys House, community activist in the Fourth Ward Community and founder and board secretary of BCBO said, “The disparity of Black businesses in Houston reflects the reality that Blacks are excluded from the contract award process, while Caucasian men receive at least 98.6% of non-HUB contracts and Caucasian women receive at least 96% of HUB contracts with the state of Texas.” HUBs (historically underutilized businesses) cater to small businesses to ensure a fair share of contract awards but House and other Black small businesses are concerned that there is no enforcement of Texas Government Code 6121 to monitor and make sure justice is applied. House adds that the city of Houston stats are identical as with the state funded entities and state agencies, and that no one appears to care that Black small businesses are being shut out of the contract award process.
As a former contractor, I know that this has being going on for a long time with contracts awarded on a local level. However, it seems like the federal level isn’t much different, even with a Black man at the helm. So what are Blacks to do?
BCBO members believe that they have an answer if not the answer. And just to be clear, the organization is definitely not a “Johnny-Come-Lately,” coat-tail riders. In fact, BCBO has testified over the past two years before local, state and federal governments on the need to curtail and dissolve the devastating disparity. Blacks feel that they are not receiving the regular funding produced by their tax dollars and take the position that they will not benefit from the Stimulus funds either if elected officials do not take immediate action.
Beginning last month, BCBO (713-742-6995) was joined by other groups with similar concerns for a series of public meetings at Northeast Multipurpose Center, 7146 Tidwell. The Black community will focus on implementing the plan used by Blacks subsequent to emancipation that empowered them to build their communities, businesses and entire social development of education, health, human rights, select quality candidates create jobs, training and development for self-sustaining neighborhoods. House concluded that it wasn’t too late to re-direct stimulus funding, along with regular funding, to the Black community.