Publisher’s Note: Where’s the Leadership? [br]
By Ronda Barber [br]
OhioMBE – April 15, 2014
Columbus has a lot of Black people in leadership positions, but few are leading. Black Mayor, City Council, School Board, mega churches, etc. and yet over 50 percent of Black children live in poverty. Has a golden opportunity to empower and improve the lives of the Black community been squandered? Where is the leadership? Are there any servant leaders? Who is advocating for Black owned businesses in Columbus? Who is monitoring tax-payer funded projects/purchases and the compliance requirements? Or is it all about the gate-keepers enriching themselves, both economically and politically?
If your elected official isn’t acting in your best interest, they don’t deserve your vote. Do they answer to the voters or are they beholden to the big donors or PACs who fund their campaigns? Challenge our elected officials to do what is in the best interest of our community not their political career. Here is a series of questions to answer anyone asking for your valuable vote:
What have you done for minority businesses during your career?
What black-owned businesses do you patronize? What do you promise to do for minority businesses if elected? Why should minority business owners vote for you? How important is minority business development to the overall Ohio economy? Are minority business set-asides and goals in state government still important and why? What can be done to improve purchasing with minority businesses? What should minority owned businesses do to get contracts? Is there anything else, aside from contracting, that the government can do to assist MBEʼs? What legislation or programming have you/or will you introduce to assist MBEs?
Our votes and dollars are power! Use them wisely.
Just my thought…rwb
