Michigan Aiport Gets DBE Diversity Honors

Posted by Patty Ramirez Tue, 21 Aug 2007 18:48:00 GMT

The Wayne County Airport Authority in south-eastern Michigan was recently recognized by the Airport Minority Advisory Council (AMAC) for efforts to maintain diversity in ownership of concessions and businesses at Metro Airport in Romulus, Michigan.

Officials of the airport said they were proud to receive the award and found it encouraging to continue their programs. The Airport is taking part in the national DBE program and in 2006 it was able to more than double its DBE participation.

Wayne County Airport Authority has a website at http://www.metroairport.com

Kentucky Holds DBE, MBE, WBE Seminars

Posted by Patty Ramirez Thu, 14 Jun 2007 19:22:00 GMT

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is holding a seminar for certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprises and other small business on June 26. Those at the seminar will be discussing how the atendees can become DBEs. This is part of a larger fair which will also include informative talks on WBEs and MBEs.

Seminars will cover business loans, bonding issues and the pre-qualification process for doing business with state government. The DBE specific seminar will run from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the KYTC Auditorium, 200 Mero Street, Frankfort.

The University of Kentucky’s third annual Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Recruitment Fair, a venue to recruit the involvement of minority-and women-owned businesses is sponsored by the UK Purchasing Division and Capital Project Management Divi

Patty Ramirez is a freelance contributor.

Florida DOT to Host DBE Conference 1

Posted by Patty Ramirez Wed, 11 Apr 2007 19:03:00 GMT

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has announced a “DBE Matchmaker Conference.” It will be held on May 17, 2007 in Tallahassee at the FDOT Burns Auditorium.

As the Federal Highway Administration(FHWA) requires, FDOT assures compliance of all Florida contractors with Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) as well as other federal requirements.

Activists for the disabled are meanwhile organizing in Florida as lawmakers discuss cutting more than $150 million to $170 million in spending cuts. This would negatively affect thousands of Floridians with developmental disabilities.

In March Veterans in Tampa gathered at a national commission charged with creating a strategic plan to cover improvement of veterans benefits and service for the next 20 years. The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America and the AMVETS have come together to create the national commission.

Florida holds the second largest population of veterans in the United States, with 1.8 million. California holds the largest population of veterans, but the rate of growth in number of veterans is higher in Florida.

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Could CalTrans See A DBE Program Again?

Posted by Don Zweifel Thu, 27 Jul 2006 22:24:00 GMT

The answer to this question is an equivocal yes, with several big if’s.

First CalTrans would have to be willing to implement a double-whamie which should factor in all relevant aspects of the equation. That is, an equal goal for race-neutral and race-conscious programs until the current “Availability and Disparity Study for the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program” is successfully culminated by “BBC Research & Consulting,” possibly by July, 2007.

Once this analysis is complete CalTrans ought to be able to fairly evaluate precisely which localities and/or DBE’s statewide have been discriminated against and whether there is evidence of subjugation to pervasive, rampant racial bias.

May we now state that most states in the union have adopted the aforementioned double-pronged methodology and seem to have had quantifiably good amounts of positive results, according to our unofficial poll which we ran recently.

However USDOT’s general council stated in a January of ‘06 opinion on the “Western States Paving” Ninth Circuit decision, to wit: “Even when discrimination is present in a state, a program is ‘narrowly tailored’ only if its application is limited to those specific groups that have actually suffered discrimination or its effects.”

And in another statement he proffered the following, “Washington State DOT has not conducted statistical studies to establish the existence of discrimination in the highway contracting industry that were duly completed or valid.”

That’s where we come in with the above referenced study CalTrans has commissioned.

Logic should tell us that since CalTrans complied with the Ninth’s decision regarding the aforesaid implementation we ought to be able to launch the double-pronged gambit without fear of previously threatened litigation from the “Pacific Legal Foundation” or “PLF.” Therefore it shall be incumbent upon us to duly notify CalTrans’ legal that their precipitous capitulation to said organization was not founded on sound case law but was just a knee-jerk reaction to an unwarranted, unalloyed and unmitigated threat.

However, it could be on a wing and a prayer as this should be addressed to “PLF” beseeching them to cease and desist from a contemplated locking of the horns at least until CalTrans’ study is completed and duly evaluated as to its efficacy, amongst other factors….