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(3) Kentucky thru Mississippi: State Contractors suffer "reverse discrimination" due to racial set-asides and racial quotas! |
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(3) Kentucky thru Mississippi |
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| By State and City: Maine (state wide): "A bill to ban preferential hiring in public sector jobs in Maine began its journey through the Legislature on a rocky note Wednesday. "Rep. Adam Mack, R-Standish, calls his bill a 'civil rights act' that would prevent the use of race, gender, color, ethnicity or national origin as hiring criteria for any publicly financed state or municipal job, including those in schools and contracting. " 'My stepfather has always told me that it was the person's ability that mattered, not who his parents were,' said Mack, noting that his stepfather is of African and Chinese descent, was born in Jamaica and is now a U.S. citizen."
All of the usual suspects have gone on record opposing Mack's bill, including the local
Civil Liberties Union, the Women's Lobby, the State Office of Human Resources, and of
course, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Maine. (AP, via Kennebec Journal, by Glenn Adams,
02/18/99) Maryland (State): [Washington Times 03/10/01 page A8] "A bill intended to ensure that minority-owned companies get a bigger share of state contracts survived a key test in the Senate yesterday..." Democratic Gov. Parris N. Glendening's bill seeks to exclude white, male-owned firms from 25 percent of Maryland's state contracts. The current minority quota excludes white-owned firms from only 14 percent of state contracts. Surprisingly, a Maryland democrat raised a very reasonable objection to the quota bill. Sen. Brian E. Frosh, Montgomery County democrat, said more than 23 percent of state business already is handled by non-white male companies, including women, preferred minorities, and handicapped. The quota bill is scheduled for a final vote in the Maryland Senate during the week of March 12, 2001. (Based on the Associated Press story appearing in the Washington Times on 3/10/01) [No link available] Maryland (Prince Georges County): [Adversity.Net Special Report] In 1994 Wayne Curry became the first black County Executive in Prince Georges County, Maryland -- a wealthy majority minority suburb of Washington, DC. Beginning in 1996 Curry steered 70 subcontracts on the new Redskins stadium to black campaign contributors, black neighbors, and fake "pass through" minority companies. Competent white-owned firms were excluded from $50 million in construction contracts while Curry's friends and confidants scrambled to create brand new companies to take advantage of this largesse. Curry also maintained a profitable revolving door for several ex-county employees who -- immediately upon leaving the Curry administration -- landed contracts with Prince Georges County for up to $500,000 dollars. [Adversity.Net Local Link: http://www.adversity.net/PrinceGeorgesCounty/Minority_Contracting_1.htm] Massachusetts (Boston):
"Two employees of the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination have refiled a lawsuit in Suffolk Superior Court charging the MCAD with being biased against them because they are white." Boyd and Packard, both white, allege they have been repeatedly passed over for promotions by less qualified and less experienced black employees. According to documentation assembled by the pair, jobs were created or modified to fit the resumes of minority hires preferred by MCAD, and other jobs at the agency have been filled by minorities without posting in an apparent effort to keep white employees from applying for those jobs. According to MCAD's web site: "The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination's (MCAD's) mission is to ensure equality of opportunity by enforcing the Commonwealth's Anti-discrimination laws, chapters 151B & 272, through the resolution of complaints of discrimination in the areas of employment, housing, public accommodations, services, credit and education." MCAD failed to mention that in practice these protections are not extended to whites. [http://www.magnet.state.ma.us/mcad/] In commenting on the case in May 1999, MCAD's attorney, Paul Merry, attempted to portray the agency as unbiased when he said: "This commission has a long and distinguished history of advocating for diversity and I think that it will speak for itself." According to Boyd and Packard's suit, the commission's history is speaking for itself, Mr. Merry! (Quote is from 5/14/99 Boston Globe) The suit by plaintiffs Kimberly Boyd and Carolyn Packard was first filed on May 14, 1999 in U.S. District Court. Attorneys for both sides decided that the Suffolk Superior Court was a more appropriate venue for the lawsuit. The District Court dismissed the suit "without prejudice", meaning that no ruling on the merits of the case was made, and that the plaintiffs were free to re-introduce the suit, which they now have. Lawyer Mark A. White is currently representing Boyd and Packard. (Attorney Keith Partlow had originally represented the women when they filed their suit in 1999.) See also the May 1999 MCAD story, below, for further background. (Based on the Boston Herald news brief Aug. 15,
2000)
Massachusetts (Boston): BOSTON - "In a case loaded with irony, two white women filed a complaint today alleging the state's top anti-discrimination agency engaged in reverse discrimination. "Kimberly Boyd and Carolyn Packard, both compliance officers for the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, allege they were passed over for promotions because of their race, WBZ radio reported today. ``It's unfortunate when the guardian can't be trusted,'' said Keith Partlow, the women's attorney. "Partlow said the 50-year-old commission exhibited a pattern of internal promotions that is inconsistent with its anti-discrimination charter. ``Minorities have been promoted, jobs have been created to fit the resumes of minorities, jobs have been filled without posting,'' Partlow said.
"Both women work in the investigative division. Ms. Packard, of Worcester, has worked
for MCAD for 17 years. Ms. Boyd, of Lynn, has worked there for five. Both believe in
the commission's mission, which made it painful and disappointing for them to file the
complaints, Partlow said." (Associated Press, via Boston Herald 05/14/99) Michigan (state wide): "The national battle over affirmative action and racial preferences is moving into the heartland -- and then, very possibly, into the presidential politics of 2000. Ward Connerly, the architect of initiative victories that knocked out [racial quota] programs designed to increase the number of minorities attending elite public universities or getting state government jobs and contracts in California and Washington, has targeted Michigan for his next big initiative campaign.
"Meanwhile, a number of Republican presidential hopefuls are giving high visibility
to their opposition to race-conscious remedies for past discrimination. Their stance is
opposed by Vice President Gore and most Democrats, and could make affirmative action a
significant issue in the next presidential campaign. 'Republicans should grow a
backbone and grab this issue -- but in a skillful way. This is not an angry white
male thing,' said John Carlson, the coordinator of the Washington initiative
campaign." (Washington Post, 01/23/99, page A01, by David S. Broder) Minnesota (St. Paul): U.S. District Judge James Rosenbaum has ordered the State of Minnesota to STOP requiring contractors to meet racial quota requirements in order to qualify for state highway construction work. The ruling affects only Minnesota, but may be used as precedent in similar cases. (Star Tribune, AP 9/5/98 - link no longer available) End State Set-Asides (3) Kentucky thru Mississippi Page |
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