Fred Ray sends news that
North Carolina’s minority contractors are fighting legislation that would end minority contracting goals at the state transportation department, measures one black businessman said would be a “devastating blow.”
….
… African American contractors plan to continue lobbying against bills that would eliminate specific targets for minority and women contractors. Those mandatory benchmarks would be replaced by “aspirational” goals and regular progress reports.
And what were the “goals” that are being replaced?
Current policy says 10 percent of N.C. DOT state-funded contracts must go to minority-owned companies and 5 percent to firms owned by women.
According to the article, however, those “goals” have not been met. This conflict, played out wherever such “goals” have come under attack, does have one interesting twist, however:
Much of their [the black contractors’] anger has been directed at the sponsors — including two African American senators from Charlotte.
