Feds raid Chicago Little Village Update

Foto-Munoz Sign Removed.jpg
The Foto-Munoz Sign came down last week. Alderman Munoz’s father was alledgely part of a Chicago Mexican Mafia that produced false I.D.s. Many people blame Mayor Daley for the immigration issue in Chicago. Some say Mayor Daley allows these illegal immigrants in Chicago, as he is able to shake them down with parking tickets and numerous fees. Also the money brought into Chicago Coffers from 26th Street is massive. 26th street shops in Chicago ring up massive sales. More on the prior post about the Feds raiding Foto-Munoz click here: https://www.chicagoclout.com/weblog/archives/2007/04/feds_raid_chicagos_little_vill.html Photo by Patrick McDonough

2 Replies to “Feds raid Chicago Little Village Update”

  1. Daley slams city’s low minority contract numbers
    Blames lack of black general contractors

    October 30, 2007
    BY FRAN SPIELMAN — City Hall Reporter
    Mayor Daley said Monday it’s “unacceptable” that only eight percent of city contracts are awarded to African-Americans, but it won’t change until more blacks become general contractors.

    General contractors call the shots on a construction contract. Sub-contractors are at the prime contractor’s mercy when it comes to how big a piece of the pie they get and how promptly they get paid once the job is done.

    “Eight percent is unacceptable. Everybody knows that. [But, it’s because] there’s a lack of general contracting” by African-Americans, Daley said.

    “We have argued this a thousand times. It’s the general contractors you don’t have. That is the major issue. Until we get general contractors,” blacks will not get their fair share of the purchasing pie.

    Yet another impediment, according to Daley, is the $2 million maximum net worth for construction contractors. That was recently raised from the $750,000 ceiling suggested by a federal judge.

    Daley said some black contractors are making too much money to be part of the city’s minority contracting numbers.

    “And they’re not counted,” he said.

    At a City Council budget hearing last week, Acting Chief Procurement Officer Doug Yerkes disclosed that black contracting is eight percent, down one percentage point since last year. Yerkes also reported that 669 companies have been waiting since 2005 to be certified as minority business enterprises.

    Hispanics have an 11 percent piece of the purchasing pie, down two percentage points from 2006. Asian-Americans stand at nine percent. That’s up from five percent last year.

    African-American aldermen unleashed their annual tirade. Ald. Isaac Carothers (29th) was so disgusted, he proposed a radical solution: privatize minority certification and, maybe even the entire Department of Procurement Services.

    Daley raised the possibility of privatizing minority certification in his budget address. But, he said Monday, “I don’t know what they’re gonna accomplish” by privatizing the Department of Procurement Services.

    The mayor acknowledged that minority contracting in general and black contracting in particular has been a chronic problem at City Hall.

    But, he said, “Look in the private sector. It’s about three percent, two percent. You know that. Come on. You won’t even show your numbers. You’re embarrassed. At least we show our numbers. Remember, this is one of the few ordinances that deal with African-American, Asian. How [other government agencies] get around this issue is you call it ‘disadvantaged’ and your numbers look good. But you don’t break your numbers down.”

  2. Blacks more than make up for any lack of contract deals by being the majority of city and county employees, albeit rarely in upper-level management positions.

    Do an audit of city and cook county employees and you’ll see what I mean.

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