Sam: Diversifying Who Gets City Contracts

By Shoshanah Oppenheim

Through his oversight of PDOT and BES, Sam is committed to increasing opportunities for firms owned by minorities and women and emerging small businesses (M/W/ESB).

Sam also is committed to ensuring that contract work performed for the city is done in a cost effective and responsible manner, that the money is spent locally when possible, and that the City support minority and woman owned businesses

For fiscal year 2005 to 2006, which ended in June 2006, the dollar value of City subcontracts awarded by PDOT to minority-owned businesses increased 13.68% -- an increase of over $3,250,000.

Also, women owned businesses subcontracting with PDOT both saw an increase in the number of subcontracts awarded as well as the dollars earned.

BES increased number of contracts -- a total of $1,580,441 -- in awards to minority-owned businesses and $1,727,615 awarded to women owned businesses.

During the same period, BES significantly increased the number of subcontracts signed with the M/W/ESB contractors.

"This is a good start," said Sam recently, "But we have a a lot more work to do to help build Portland's historically underutlized businesses of color and women."

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Posted Tue, 12/19/2006 - 3:18pm.

[[ Categories: 2006 Year-in-Review ]]

Contract awarded for Diversity

Submitted by John Berg on Mon, 02/12/2007 - 1:31pm.

I believe that the City of Portland should award contracts without consideration as to the contractors race, religion, gender or sexuality. To award contracts otherwise is simply unfair and contains the bigotry of low expectations. Just because a business is minority owned does not mean it is less competitive. A minority owned business is not at a disadvantage simply by virtue of being minority owned.

The concern of the city should be to award contracts fairly to all who bid. And yes that even means to white republican males too. The idea that "diversity" should be used in awarding contracts is just a cover to favor some groups and not others and has no business in the business of the city

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