Part 3 – Who signs off on 0% goals and 0% goals achieved at MnDOT? “A message to Minnesota Department of Transportation’s Director Bernie Arseneau, Commissioner Thomas Sorel and MnDOT’s (Acting) Civil Rights Director Mary Prescott

By Donald W.R. Allen, II Editor in Chief-IBNN and USA Radical Black

“Black contractors were award less than 1% of $600 Million on highway heavy projects. The Minnesota Department of Transportation has awarded less than $1 Million in contracts to African-American Contractors of the $600 Million in Federal Transportation Stimulus Contracts.”

Dear Tom, Bernie and Mary:

Do you see the heinous results from the actions by the Minnesota Department of Transportation in regards to the above statement?

About 16 months ago, you moved Hope Jensen (at the time of the move, she was director of MnDOT’s Civil Rights Department) to “mobility,” which means you temporarily assigned her to work on an “other than title related job.”  An unclassified position.

While Ms. Jensen served as the Director of MnDOT’s Civil Rights Department her hands were tied. When the uprising by local highway heavy training agencies started, you conveniently used Ms. Jensen as a “scapegoat” to take the blame for more than 15 years of MnDOT failure to engage people of color.  Regardless, of the move, MnDOT did not meet compliance the 15 years prior, no matter who was the director and the agency continues to miss the mark…in favor of, quite frankly “White Privilege.”

“White Privilege” within MnDOT has left Black employees within your Transportation agency at a total standstill as it pertains to promotions, re-assignments and hitting the “Glass Ceiling” which employees a shade darker than khaki are all too familiar with.

While MnDOT’s external issues are massive, your internal process lack the cordialness and diplomacy to people of color within your walls. You know this and several examples have surfaced in the last year that confirms MnDOT’s position on Blacks, Black media and Black business.

MnDOT’s combination of related parts organized into a complex whole has produced a catastrophic failure, results shameful for Minnesota, but reminiscent of 1940 Klu Klux Klan southern state.

What MnDOT has done internally to their Black employees is reflected in the way you handle Black contractors in Minnesota. You have positioned White women as “minorities,” awarding them 99% of $600 million dollars in Federal Transportation Stimulus Contracts.

Are Black people and other people of color really that hard to work with?

The president of the United States, a Black man – has no idea those dollars he injected into the federal system to create jobs; start new business relations and to build capacity for all people, including people of color would bypass the “least of thee,” due to “White Privilege.”

We know that MnDOT’s greatest fear is having a lawsuit filed against them from a rich White contractor who has been asked by the compliance department to comply. Is it easier to call Tom or Bernie and request a waiver to the Civil Rights request of “compliance?”

While Ms. Prescott signs off on multi-million dollar federal contracts to contractors that are not the least bit concerned with their boldly submitted 0%/0% compliance, who’s minding the house? Who enforces compliance at MnDOT?

In an email to Commissioner Tom Sorel, Springboard Economic Development Corporation asks for a Cease and Desist. The email reads: (unedited)

Commissioner Sorel,

A common concern in the African-American community was expressed about the record of participation by African-American DBE’s in contracts let in the metropolitan region by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MNDOT). For stimulus money and other federal funded transportation contract awards.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VI established that all tax dollars are collected in a non-discriminatory fashion and all federal dollars are to be awarded in a non-discriminatory fashion.  MNDOT DBE program has awarded less than 1% of available DBE contracts to African-American and or Minority contractors.   White female DBE contractors were awarded more than 99% of the available contracts.  MNDOTs current environment contains systemic injustices for which the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed.

Springboard Economic Development Corporation is requesting MN DOT submit an immediate waiver application pursuant to 49 CFR Part 26 for approval of USDOT to establish separate African-American and women owned business goals applicable to projects that will be let for all federal dollars.

Springboard has examined the concern that has been raised in terms of the availability of certified DBE’s in terms of the utilization record. Springboard has concluded that a waiver application is required pursuant to 49 CFR 26 to seek the approval of the USDOT to establish separate African-American and women-owned business goals applicable to the contracts that will be let as part of the overall MNDOT federal stimulus and other highway projects. Springboard is requesting MNDOT submit the waiver application to FHWA and the USDOT immediately to obtain waiver before any more lettings for USDOT review and action.

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Needless to say, the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s Civil Rights, Development, and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise programs have never lived up to, or followed Federal mandates as it pertains to fair and equal “opportunity environment.” No business I know, Black or White wants to be labeled as “disadvantaged.”

MnDOT’s actions have “disadvantaged” people of color, obstructing and denying participation.

The Constitution of the United States and fiduciary responsibility denotes MnDOT fix this problem now without the bureaucratic process of studying the problem (You’ve done that for 17 years). Your civil rights department staff grows from 11 employees to 24 with no successful measurable outcomes. It’s clear to us that MnDOT’s keys have been thrown in the grass on the side of the highway by the “kids,” and you have no way of re-starting the car to make it to your destination.

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