If race comes 1st, poison follows

Philly Enquirer ^ | Jun. 06, 2003 | Tom Ferrick Jr

[Fzob]

Tom Ferrick Jr. | If race comes 1st, poison follows

By Tom Ferrick Jr.
Inquirer Columnist

It seems the Jews are getting an unfair share of city contracts in Philadelphia.

So went the lament of Hanford Jones, an official in the Minority Business Enterprise Council, at an interdepartmental meeting in April.

Jones, citing a variety of projects under way around town, complained out loud about the lack of minority participation.

Some present at the meeting recall Jones saying that "Jew lawyers and Jew architects" were all getting the work. Others recall him saying "Jewish lawyers and Jewish architects."

Either way, we get the point.

As my colleague Tom Fitzgerald reported yesterday, word of Jones' comments quickly spread within the city bureaucracy.

Commerce Director James Cuorato (not at the meeting), was immediately deluged with e-mailed complaints from his staffers who did attend.

He passed them on to Finance Director Janice Davis (not at the meeting) under whom the MBE Council operates. She summoned Jones, chewed him out, put a letter of reprimand in his file, and sent him away (literally, she says) crying.

But he was not fired. Jones is a Civil Service employee, protected by firewalls of procedural protection. Davis said his remarks were motivated more "by stupidity" than "maliciousness."

The stupid stay

In government, Davis told Fitzgerald, "we don't usually fire people for stupidity."

Something I've always suspected.

End of episode?

Of course not. E-mailed memos are leaked. Stories are printed. Furor ensues. This is an election year, so it gets extra juice.

It took people about three seconds to draw a dotted line from Jones' remarks to the mayor's now-famous speech last year before the NAACP where he got, um, carried away in reciting his administration's accomplishments in helping minorities.

"The brothers and sisters are running the city," Street said, to his profound regret the next day. "Oh, yes. The brothers and sisters are running this city. Running it! Don't you let nobody fool you; we are in charge of the City of Brotherly Love. We are in charge! We are in charge!"

Regarding the Jones Affair, the mayor said that (a) he didn't know who the heck Hanford Jones was; (b) he decried the remarks; and, (c) said he would not "tolerate actions or statements that undermine our values of equality, respect and fairness."

I'm assuming the irony of (c) was unintended.

The result: Political damage was done. Sam Katz, Street's (Jewish) opponent, made merry, saying Jones should be fired forthwith.

The incident reminded white (often Jewish) liberals of their doubts about the Street administration.

No rants, please

I wish a could do a major AM-radio-style rant here about minority set-asides. Alas, I cannot.

The realpolitik side of me says that unless there is some organized effort to help minorities get jobs and contracts, they will surely be (to use a technical term) screwed.

Guys in power don't willingly share the pie with guys out of power. You want economic empowerment? You must find a way to give outsiders a boost.

Because something is a necessary evil doesn't mean it isn't evil.

Three problems I have seen over the years with minority set-aside programs:

One. Maldistribution of the goods. Work goes to a favored few, rather than helping the many. This is especially true in service-sector contracts.

Two. Phony-baloney minority firms, where blacks are merely shills for whites who really call the shots.

Little girl: What do you do at work, Daddy?

Dad: Honey, I'm the front man for a white contractor.

Girl: Ooh, that sounds like fun.

Dad: Well, there's no work to it, but it pays darn well.

Three. We encourage a worldview that places race and ethnicity first, and offers nothing second.

It's a way of thinking that can turn poisonous without much effort.

As Hanford Jones just proved.

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[conservatism_IS_compassion]

bump.

[FreedomPoster]

Nice. Good post.

>>The incident reminded white (often Jewish) liberals of their doubts about the Street administration.

When will white, Jewish liberals come to realize that Democrats, of whatever color, are not generally their friends, except when it comes time to get them to open their checkbooks?

[happygrl]

I'm new to the city, still learning about all the players.

Sadly, this is typical of the "identity politics" everywhere.

[Fzob]

When will white, Jewish liberals come to realize that Democrats, of whatever color, are not generally their friends

Good question. I lean towards embedded guilt from Jewish mothers causing some sort of sympathetic liberalism.

[randita]

One. Maldistribution of the goods. Work goes to a favored few, rather than helping the many. This is especially true in service-sector contracts.

Was this guy prescient or what?

See this story:

Mayor Street's Brother gets $1.2 million a year gig & won't be financially liable (My title)

[RippleFire]

bump

[scouse]

Davis said his remarks were motivated more "by stupidity" than "maliciousness."

Why is it I don't believe a word of this statement?

[Fzob]

My guess is that if you met Davis, you would find out he's stupid and malicious. It's a common trait in many bureaucrats