MNDOT Requested to terminate all federal stimulus funded contracts due to alleged failure to enforce Disadvantage Business Program

Author: Lennie Chism

Author: Lennie Chism

FOR IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE

Springboard Economic Development Corporation has formally requested Minnesota Department of Transportation, due to their failure to follow the Civil Rights Act of 1964 section 49 CFR part 26 to Cease and Desist in letting all federally funded transportation contracts immediately. Lennie Chism, Springboards Executive Director, has requested the state of Minnesota to immediately terminate all federally funded transportation contracts for failure to follow the federal laws mandated by the Disadvantage Business Program (DBE) as required by United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Chism states, MNDOT DBE program is flawed resulting in less than 1% participation by African-American DBEs. MNDOT DBE program has awarded 99% of their DBEs contracts to white female DBEs. MNDOT has boasted they are in compliance, therefore they do not need to award any contracts to African-American contractors this is troubling. Chism states, MN DOT has created a troubling culture where enforcement of the federal mandated DBE program laws for the non-discriminatory distribution of stimulus and federal tax dollars for highway projects have not been followed. This example of the stimulus dollars not reaching the African-American community cannot continue. These are tax dollars collected indiscriminately without regard to race, gender, or ethnicity. All citizens will be taxed in the future to repay these stimulus funds. Chism, age 44, who was raised in public housing in Ohio and is a graduate of The Ohio State University. Chism has been working closely with MN DOT in an attempt to correct this injustice to the African American DBEs for nearly two years`. Chism states, He is planning to attend the Transportation Research Boards (TRB) 89th Annual Meeting next week in Washington, D.C. He will use the opportunity to speak with the key law makers of the transportation committee about re-establishing separate DBE goals as they existed until 1987 for White DBEs and African-American DBEs. Currently, North Carolinas Transportation Department has separate DBE goals - The goal for minority-owned business enterpriseparticipation(MBE) is: 6.6%. The goal for women-owned businessenterprise participation(WBE) is: 4.7%. Springboards mission of economic development of the impoverished area of North Minneapolis cannot be accomplished with this unlawful behavior of MNDOT. About the Author:

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