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9JULY2012BODYOFCHRISTNEWSNotmanypeopleareawarethattheColoradoDepartmentofTransportationhasreceivedupto4.5billiondollarsinthelastdecadeyetColoradoblackbusinesseshavenotsuccessfullygarnered1ofthesefunds.MostDenveritesarealsonotawarethatover5ofillegalpartiesarecaughtworkingfortheColoradoDepartmentofTransportationwhichmeanstheyhavejobsbutdonothaveU.S.citizenshipdonotpaytaxesandhavenotservedthiscountry.Thisstillleavesblackbusinessesatalossforsecuringcontractsandtheblackcommunityatalossfornewbusi-nessesandathrivingeconomy.x1cIbelievetherearegreatpeoplehereandgreatbusinessesbutwhenwehavegovernmentagenciesthataremorewillingtohireillegalpartiesoverAfrican-Americancitizensx13somethingiswrong.x1dT.H.MackSr.haswitnessedtheabovediscriminationintheconstruc-tiontradesacrossColoradoformanyyears.AmarriednativeofDenverandfatheroffourchildrenheisconcernedaboutthismatterandbecauseofthisdiscriminationhasmadethebulkofhisbusinesssuccessfromout-of-statebusinessprojectsaswellasinter-nationally.HisduediligenceshowedhimthatAfrican-Americanbusinessparticipationiscrippledandunderrep-resentedtoatragicdegreex13intention-allystackingobstaclesthatcontrac-torsknowblackbusinessescannotovercome.AccordingtoMackSr.theseproblemshavealonghistoryinDenver.Hesaysthatblackbusinessesdonotreceiveasmanycontractsastheyshouldduetoinstitutionalizedbehaviorsthatarenotreadilyidenti-fiedandwhentheyareidentifiedtheyareoverlookedoutoffearintimida-tionorlackofaccessbythepartiesobservingthewrong.Forinstanceifablackbusinesspersonidentifiedanunderhandedpracticebyamajoritylargecontractorthepersoncouldbex1clockedoutx1dofgettingacontractbecausetheyspokeout.ThereforeAfrican-Americansusuallyjustturntheirheadsawayfromunethicalandillegalpractices.MackSr.wentontoexplainhowbothgovernmentandprivatesec-torswithcapitalhavenointentionofmakingcontractsmoreaccessibletoblackbusinesses.Mostblackbusi-nessesgaincontractsthroughx1csoundbitesx1dandthenmultipleobstaclesarestackedintheirwaysothattheydonotpossiblyhaveachancetoaddressthemtherebyensuringminimalsuc-cess.Theagencieswiththecapitalactasiftheyhavemadeeffortstoincludeblackbusinessesonlytoabsorbmorecapitalandourtaxdollarsfromthefederalgovernment.Addinginsulttoinjurythesearefundsthathavebeenearmarkedfortheblackcommunity.MackSr.ownsseveralbusinessesnon-profitsandphilanthropicorga-nizationsdesignedtofurtherfatherx19srightsandalsoownsaconstructioncompanythattrainsmeninconstruc-tiontrades.Hisconstructioncompanyprocuredjobsfor126meninthelastsevenmonthsx13withnosupportfromcitystateorgovernmentfunding.InitsannualreporthewasrecognizedbytheColoradoDepartmentofLaborasoneofthex1ccompaniesoftheyearx1dyethehasneverreceivedanygrantmoniesorotheraidsfromcitystateorfederalagencies.ThiswasnoeasyfeatsinceMackSr.haswitnessedlargeprojectsinprivateandgovern-mentsectorsthatarealreadybondedtakeonminoritysubcontractorsonlybecausetheyneededtheminoritysub-contractorsinordertosatisfygovern-mentstatisticaldata.Intheendtheseactionsprovedtobefutileandwerewithlackofgoodfaithsincetheminor-ityfirmswereburdenedwithmultipleobstaclesattheeleventhhourinclud-ingthedemandthattheminorityfirmbebonded.Sincethelargeprojectwasalreadybondeditwouldhavebeeneasiertohavethemajorityfirmsimplyindemnifythesubcontractorprocesswherebyinsurancecompanyputsupabondx13moniesinthesameamountasthejobisworthonajobtoensurethattheworkerswillbepaidtheworkwillbedoneandinatimelymannerandthattheparentcompanyisnotliableforthesubcontractor.YetcompaniesarewillingtoputupbondforillegalpartieswhocannotevenproduceI-9documentationandindemnifythemgivingawaymoniesthatcouldandshouldgotoblackbusinesses.MackSr.acknowledgedthatafewblackbusinessesmakex1cdealsx1dinordertosecurecontractsbutthisonlyensurestheirparticularcompanyleavingthemajorityofblackbusinesseswithoutopportunityfornewenterprise.Withsuchunfairpracticescontinu-ContinuedonPage10x1cThisdisparityisintentionalWemustbehonestaboutthisifwewanttocleanupthisissueandfixthisbehavior.Itcannolongerbelookedatasaccidental-itisintentional.x1dDisparityinBlackContractorsaHistoricalIssueByAveechayilCURRENTEVENTS