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Updated: August 12th, 2009 11:24 AM EDT

Wisconsin's Minority Pavers Call for Cash Upfront

Sean Ryan
The Daily Reporter (Milwaukee, WI)

An increase to the state Department of Transportation's contracting set aside for disadvantaged businesses is a step in the right direction, the owner of small paving company said.

Giving those contractors access to more upfront money for projects would be a giant leap, said Dewayne Little, owner of Milwaukee-based Wiki Construction Co. Inc.

"It goes to us, don't get me wrong," he said about the set asides. "But when it goes to us, can we actually perform without someone helping us? The main thing is the financing. "

Little said he got Wiki certified as a disadvantaged business enterprise company a month ago. And now, WisDOT is proposing to increase from 11.6 percent this year to 12.6 percent next year the percentage of contracts that must go to DBEs.

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Stop discriminating
(08/11/09 - 12:29 PM)

Why do race, ethnicity, and sex need to be considered at all in deciding who gets awarded a contract? Its fine to make sure contracting programs are open to all, that bidding opportunities are widely publicized beforehand, and that no one gets discriminated against because of skin color, national origin, or sex. But that means no preferences because of skin color, etc. either--whether its labeled a "set-aside," a "quota," or a "goal," since they all end up amounting to the same thing. Such discrimination is unfair and divisive; it costs the taxpayers money to award a contract to someone other than the lowest bidder; and its generally illegal to boot (see comments we submitted to the Colorado DOT here: http://www.ceousa.org/content/view/655/86/ ).

Roger Clegg
Center for Equal Opportunity
rclegg@ceousa.org

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