Q&A
Criticism of Giuliani's actions on minority and women-owned business contracts
1:54:54
·
151 sec
Council Member Brooks-Powers details criticisms of Mayor Giuliani's actions regarding programs for minority and women-owned businesses, characterizing them as rollbacks of progress made under the previous administration.
- Brooks-Powers cites specific data showing decreases in contracts awarded to minority and women-owned businesses
- She questions Mastro about his role in addressing these disparities during his time in the Giuliani administration
- The council member emphasizes the perceived negative impact of Giuliani's policies on minority-owned businesses
Selvena Brooks-Powers
1:54:54
Okay.
1:54:56
Wanted to talk about affirmative action rollback.
1:54:58
So during the mayoral campaign preceding his election in 1993, Rudy Giuliani criticized the program created under mayor David Jenkins, the 1st black mayor of the city of New York, which aimed to significantly boost the number of city contracts awarded to companies owned by minorities and women.
1:55:18
In its 1st year in 1992, the program increased the percentage of contracts awarded to such minority and women owned companies to 17.5% up from 9% in 1990.
1:55:32
Mayor Jenkins had highlighted this program as one of his major achievements In the very 1st month as mayor in January 1994, Rudy Giuliani took steps to roll back mayor Jenkins' contracting equity efforts to assist women and minorities including by eliminating this program in a move that was described as, quote unquote, an economic lynching in Black Enterprise Magazine.
1:55:58
Within the next 6 months, Mayor Giuliani took yet another significant steps, except in undermining mayor Jenkins efforts by even eliminating the city goal of awarding 20% of all city contracts to women owned and minority owned businesses.
1:56:15
At that time, as the mayor's chief of staff, you convey that the city would no longer, quote unquote, set arbitrary number of goals.
1:56:25
And in relation to a different program put forth by the mayor that purportedly could help minority and women owned businesses, you stated quote unquote, we fully expect our program to be much more successful.
1:56:40
However, Approximately just 3 years later, in April 1997, when you were deputy mayor of operations, Mayor Giuliani admitted that the city at that point no longer even kept track of how many city contracts were awarded to minority owned businesses.
1:57:00
Mister Mashilo, can you share exactly how you and Rudy Giuliani were working to address the disparity in business contracts received by minority and women owned businesses during the years of 1994 to 1997 when it seems that the mayor's administration didn't think it was even important enough.
1:57:21
To keep track of basic data related to awarding such contracts.