On Wednesday, February 26th Mayor Carlo DeMaria and the City of Everett joined Gilbane Building Company, Inc. for a consulting seminar designed to inform minority and women business enterprises of the bidding procedure and construction process for the possible Wynn Resorts Development.
Gilbane is one of the nation’s oldest design and build companies and is recognized as a leader in the industry. Founded in 1873 by William Gilbane and his brother Thomas as a family-run carpentry and general contracting shop in Providence, Rhode Island, their firm quickly developed a reputation for building high-quality homes, mansions and public buildings such as the President’s House at Brown University and the Casino in Roger Williams Park.
Gilbane Construction, Mayor DeMaria and over 50 residents and contractors came together in an effort to stimulate community dialogue regarding the possible redevelopment in the Lower Broadway area and to discuss how businesses, in particular those owned and operated by minorities and women, can get involved in the construction of the project. Gilbane’s vision is to be the premier company serving a full spectrum of facility needs to their clients and opportunities for their employees remains steadfast, as do their core values.
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I hope this was open to men and nonminorities, too, and that similar programs in the future will be. ANYONE who thinks he or she can benefit from a program like this ought to be allowed to participate.
After all: Why do race, ethnicity, and sex need to be considered at all
in deciding who gets awarded a contract? It's good to make sure contracting programs are open to all, that bidding opportunities are widely publicized beforehand, and that no one gets
discriminated against because of skin color, national origin, or sex. But that means no preferences because of skin color, etc. either--whether it's labeled a "set-aside," a "quota," or a "goal," since they all end up amounting to the same thing. Such discrimination is unfair and divisive;
it breeds corruption and otherwise costs the taxpayers and businesses money to award a contract to someone other than the lowest bidder; and it's almost always illegal—indeed, unconstitutional—to boot (see 42 U.S.C. section 1981 and this model brief: http://www.pacificlegal.org/page.aspx?pid=1342 ). Those who insist on engaging in such
discrimination deserve to be sued, and they will lose.