Playing in traffic
PHOTO BY WENDI FITZGERALD
On July 12, 1999 — 10 years ago to the day, yesterday — between 200 and 300 activists, most of them African-American, some of them prominent leaders, staged a brief shutdown of Interstate 70 at Goodfellow Avenue.
Now another shutdown has been threatened, for today, on the eve of Major League Baseball’s All-Star game. Such a move might be seriously counterproductive.
The issue is the same today as it was 10 years ago: state contracting practices on transportation projects, which long had discriminated against minority contractors and women-owned businesses. The 1999 shutdown was planned carefully and choreographed closely. Police were at the ready and made 125 arrests.
There was some grandstanding. The Rev. Al Sharpton blew into town and did what he does. But there was no resistance or angry words. The highway was back to normal within about an hour.
Over the next several weeks, talks began on how to improve the public contracting system to provide more opportunity for qualified contractors — and how to hold government agencies accountable to make progress. Then-Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan participated.
As talks dragged on, a second shutdown was threatened. Some protesters abandoned the moral high ground to angle, unsuccessfully, for a $1.8 million contract to do minority “outreach.”
But serious political, community and labor leaders stayed at the table and reached a settlement. Among its fruits was creation of the Construction Prep Center, which provides training to adults interested in working in construction trades, and the Construction Career Center, a charter high school that helps to prepare students for a full range of careers in building arts and professions.
Last week, a small but vocal group of African-American contractors and activists made vague threats to commemorate the 1999 shutdown just in time to embarrass the city before the All-Star game.
Their grievance is drawn from data recently released by Missouri’s and Illinois’ departments of transportation. The reports show significant disparity in the number of contracts awarded to white-owned businesses and those given to women and minority contractors.
Both minority-owned and women-owned businesses are classified under federal law as “disadvantaged business enterprises.” Recent reports from both departments of transportation clearly show that disparity remains, particularly in the number of contracts awarded to minority contractors.
The issue is serious, especially given that more than $600 million in contracts will be let for the pending Mississippi River bridge project. The numbers make it clear: Minority contractors still haven’t achieved a full measure of fairness.
But it’s important to note the current disparities were revealed by the transportation departments themselves, as part of their efforts at accountability. They held public hearings last week announcing that they would ask the Federal Highway Administration to allow them to focus on minority contractors separately, while continuing efforts to involve more women-owned firms.
The Illinois Department of Transportation has an impressive record in promoting disadvantaged business enterprises, having vigorously and successfully defended its ambitious program in a lengthy federal court action. The Missouri Department of Transportation has a respected manager overseeing its civil rights division. Now would be a good time for top department leaders and the governors of both states to reaffirm their commitments.
Ten years is a long time to be patient, but another highway shutdown would be a foolish stunt that could set back sincere efforts to do the right thing.
It’s 2009, not the 1960’s. If minority firms are not getting the work I doubt it’s due to race or gender. It probably has more to do with prices, quality, and performance.