Theft at the Public Till
that the work the county gives to outsiders is given in due proportion to qualified minority firms. What the policy actually accomplishes is to en- sure that revenues from county projects are distributed to minority groups in due proportion regardless of the level of work they actually do or their qualifications. Most work the county awards by contract is now awarded to “joint ventures” who include the requisite minority makeup. If Dade County were getting value from these vendors, the policy would be a great success. But, more frequently the minority co venturers are little more than shells who skim a percentage of the revenue away from the co-venturer actually performing the work. Bids for work are all increased to account for the required diversion of funds. There is little to no quality control or after contract oversight other than to ensure that the revenue division is as had been previously agreed. What does the average county citizen get from this? There is some psychological benefit that could be argued exists when the citizens know that the amount to which they are being fleeced is being redirected to mem- bers of approved groups. But which members, and why? These are ques- tions which are not answered. When they get asked, which is frequently at county commission meetings, the reply is often “wait until we have a mayor - someone to articulate the needs of all the citizens and not the particular groups or communities that each of us here today represents.” At least the Dade County Commissioners are open about it, and they know the cure -- place someone above them who might have a broader interest. An example from a totally different arena may help with this point. If you have been in New York City during any work day and attempted to drive around Manhattan below 96 th street you are likely to have observed signifi- cant congestion. The bulk of that congestion can be alternatively blamed on trucks, double parking, and/or private cars. Indeed Ed Koch once proposed that there be a special levy placed on all private cars seeking to use this part of the City. The Environmental Protection Agency has for years sought to have the City do something about both the number of vehicles on the streets and the amount of time those vehicles are stuck in traffic emitting noxious fumes and not contributing to the movement of either their passengers or
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