Baltimore, MD (October 21, 2010) -- During today's debate on WOLB, Bob Ehrlich disputed contention that he said the Minority Business Enterprise program "needs to end." Below is the 2005 Washington Post article about the account where Bob Ehrlich said the program "needs to end." You decide.
According to the latest Washington Post poll, Governor O'Malley leads Bob Ehrlich by 11 points.
The Washington Post
February 5, 2005 Saturday
Md. Black Caucus to Seek Program Extension
David Snyder, Washington Post Staff Writer
Leaders of Maryland's Legislative Black Caucus said yesterday that they will seek to extend the life of a program that sets aside a portion of state contracts for minority- and women-owned businesses.
The announcement came two days after Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) said at a public meeting that the program "needs to end." Later in the meeting, Ehrlich expanded on the remark, acknowledging discrimination in the past and saying the state's "collective goal" is to end the Minority Business Enterprise program "at a certain point in time."
The governor's comments, and similar ones made at the same meeting by Comptroller William Donald Schaefer (D), set off a wave of criticism from Democratic lawmakers, who lambasted the governor and Schaefer for what they called insensitivity to the plight of minority-owned businesses.
"If this problem is not checked today, then tomorrow there will be no MBE program," Del. Rudolph C. Cane (D-Wicomico), chairman of the caucus, told reporters yesterday. "Our future has to be protected."
Flanked by the General Assembly's top Democratic leaders, including Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert) and House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel), Cane said the black caucus will submit legislation to extend the set-aside program until 2012.
Under current law, the program is set to expire next year. It has been extended several times since its inception in 1978.
The goal of the program, under 2001 legislation, is to award 25 percent of state contracts to minority- or women-owned businesses.
About 45 Democratic lawmakers -- white, black, Asian and Hispanic, male and female -- stood behind Cane and Sen. Verna L. Jones (D-Baltimore), vice chairman of the black caucus, during the news conference.
"This is beyond racial lines," Busch said.
Commented Miller: "This is a very progressive state, but we need to keep moving forward."
The topic arose at a bimonthly meeting of the Board of Public Works when Schaefer questioned the set-aside program.
"When does M-B-E end -- E-N-D?" Schaefer asked. "This was not to be a permanent program."
"Do you want the legal answer or the philosophical, political answer?" Ehrlich replied, later adding that ending MBE will be "difficult to achieve . . . because it surrounds race politics, and race politics is real ugly."
"There have been real problems in the past, and we are attempting to -- and achieving some success -- in meeting our collective goal, which is to end this program at a certain point in time," Ehrlichsaid.
Ehrlich spokeswoman Shareese DeLeaver said yesterday that the governor has not taken a position on the legislation proposed yesterday but "has said he is willing to work with the black caucus with regard to advancing
Link to article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64757-2005Feb4.html
6 comments:
Yea, you know how many Woman, Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, etc will not be voting for him now?
What the heck! We give them everything else why not set them up in a business. Why shouldn't they have to work for it just like everyone else. It is called FREE ENTERPRISE folks. I'm tired of working so others can benefit without the same effort!!!!
Good factcheck. While the right will scream "racism" and the left will scream "disadvantaged" what everyone should focus on is the fact that IF these programs are doing their job, their task should be to put themselves out of business (i.e. minority firms should be on firm ground to compete without special advantages). This is why I like Pres. Obama's stance on research funds to HBCU's. After years of work and funding, these schools are capable of competing directly with all schools for research dollars without special programs.
As a "minority business person" I am OFFENDED that there is a Minority Business Enterprise. Just the mere existence of it sends the message that I can't do it by myself! I'm inadequate! I'm sub-par! I have turned down bids before if they have come my way "just because I'm a minority". My work is either good enough to prevail and succeed or not! GO BOB EHRLICH!
The MBE Enterprise was an effective program when first enacted in 1978. Today the program is outdated and unjustifiable.
People should realize that this is not about race, but about race politics.
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