OhioMBE to publish a Wall of Shame
By Ronda Watson Barber
Publisher
OhioMBE – Sept. 15, 2014
OhioMBE is starting a Wall of Shame. We are going to call out the publicly funded entities that are not willing to even meet with small and minority owned businesses let lone provide contracting opportunities. If entities receive public dollars they are obligated to engage ALL in procurement opportunities. In essence, people of color can reside and pay taxes in public suburban school districts and cities but they are not included in purchasing practices. I am finding it very interesting that most of the suburban school districts in Central don’t have an inclusion plan in its purchasing policies. Gahanna City Schools, Bexley City Schools Whitehall City Schools and South West City Schools either haven’t returned calls/emails or have decided good faith efforts to meet with minority, women and small businesses isn’t a priority. How can publicly funded entities be too busy to explain their purchasing procedures and opportunities to taxpayers?
Over 60 percent of the students attending the Whitehall Schools are students of color. The district spent over $9 million dollars in goods and services last schools year. Ironically, they are unable to provide the demographics of their vendors. The superintendent of the district was posed several questions regarding purchasing policies. He failed to respond.
South-Western City Schools, the sixth largest district in the state, has a student of color population of 32.5 percent. The district treasurer Sandy Nefoloff failed to provide the contracting dollars spent last school year. She was willing to provide the numbers associated with the major taxpayer funded construction project the district is undertaking, but not the day-to-day operating budget. The district is mandated to utilize EDGE certified businesses on the construction project. Dr. William Wise, district superintendent failed to respond to questions regarding the district’s purchasing policies.
The most blatant violator of inclusion in its purchasing practices is the National Hockey League’s Columbus Blue Jackets.
According to Scott Lofton, Associate General Manager of the Blue Jackets, on the reason for CBJ’s non-participation in the OhioMBE Procurement Fairs, “We are just not interested. We are looking at bigger more established businesses. Businesses that have national accounts.”
Well Mr. Lofton – You don’t know the caliber of the businesses who attend the OhioMBE Procurement Fairs…unless you attend. Do the Columbus Blue Jackets assume that Black owned and other small businesses can’t compete or provide quality products/services? Don’t they get a bunch of taxes dollars from Columbus residents? Something just doesn’t smell right with the CBJ, If you look at their annual report, you will see 250 pictures of employees and not a single one appears to be Black. Yet, they are beneficiaries of a quarter billion bailout over the years.
Having an inclusive purchasing policy is just good businesses. Again, if an entity is willing to accept public dollars from tax payers they have the obligation to have good faith inclusive purchasing policies.
Just my thoughts…rwb
