Meeks says minority contracts should only go to blacks

[The Straight Story]

Chicago:

Mayoral challenger James Meeks came under fire Thursday for suggesting that only African-Americans should be eligible for city contracts set aside for minorities and women.

Meeks made the statement on Wednesday during an interview on WVON Radio.

It happened during a discussion of why African-American businesses got a 7 percent sliver of Chicago’s $1 billion spending pie through Aug. 31, down from 8 percent a year ago.

“The word ‘minority’ from our standpoint should mean African-American. I don’t think women, Asians and Hispanics should be able to use that title,” he said. “That’s why our numbers cannot improve — because we use women, Asians and Hispanics who are not people of color, who are not people who have been discriminated against.”

Hours later, Meeks backtracked on his comments, saying he would only exclude white women from set asides if elected mayor. The set-aside program currently earmarks 25 percent of all city contracts for minorities and 5 percent for companies owned by women.


http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/2877318-418/women-contracts-meeks-percent-african.html

[sakabatou]

1. Oh the stupid...

[MrScorpio]

2. Meeks is full of shit

All he's doing is whoring for votes... Piss poorly, I might add.

[Occam Bandage]

3. Man, that's dumb as hell,

especially in a city as diverse—but with such strong ethnic identities—as Chicago.

[TwilightGardener]

4. Dumb.

[cbdo2007]

5. "...who are not people who have been discriminiated against."

ha ha, he's discriminating against them by saying this.

[FLAprogressive]

6. fail

[Drale]

7. Well he just lost the election

he probably would not have won anyway, but he just sealed the deal.

[DoBotherMe]

8. He may have said it inelegantly

but he's right. I manage a small non-minority owned engineering firm in the midwest and we bid on jobs in Ill/Chicago. Most of the set-asides go to naturalized male "minority" owned business and white women with 51% ownership who are the wives or daughters of the 49% owner, a white male. The set-aside program is being scammed and it is unfair for the truly, historically disadvantaged african-american business owner. IMO. Dana ; )

[qazplm]

10. no, he's not

one can address whether or not the system is being schemed but that's far different from suggesting as a blanket rule that only blacks, no hispanics, no asians, no women, should get set asides.

[DoBotherMe]

11. As I said, he was awkward in his denouncement

of the set-aside program meant to help the disadvantaged. Dana ; )

[KamaAina]

9. Well, Rahm's coronation is that much closer

:eyes:

[Shandris]

12. WOW.

So Meeks isn't familiar with the definition of 'minority', it seems. That's sad, and you know it will make front page at RW sites.

Some people should just keep silent sometimes. Better to be thought a fool...

[Liquorice]

13. What a creep. nt

[Luciferous]

14. Yeah, black people are the only ones ever discriminated against.... what a dumbass!

And if the money is set aside for minorities and women, why would he exclude white women? Sounds like this guy is a racist...

[Odin2005]

15. What an asshole.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

16. He is not the first to express views along those lines