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Comptroller Scott Stringer: NYC Gets a D+ Diversity Grade

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Comptroller Scott Stringer: NYC Gets a D+ Diversity Grade
Comptroller Scott Stringer

By David Mark Greaves

New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer released his third report on how well the city is doing in diversifying the workforce, and the grade as usual, was not good.   In giving the city a D+ rating for the second year in a row, the “Making the Grade” report says, “As much as we talk about moving forward, this report demonstrates that at least for the last fiscal year, we moved backwards and have a long way to go.” “The share of city procurement with minority and women-owned businesses dropped for the first time in years” said the comptroller, with only 4.8% going to all M/WBEs in FY16 and an infinitesimal .3% going to black-owned businesses.

At a meeting prior to the press conference in the offices of the Constructomics construction company, company principals Trevor Prince and Glenn Levey spoke of the importance of mentorship in acquiring the knowledge to break through to the large jobs. And as a good-sized firm themselves with $100 million in bonding, they said one of the ways to build small businesses is to have M/WBE firms as prime contractors on jobs “because we go out of our way to achieve these goals” said Gerald Levey, a principal of the firm. They suggest that when you have a billion-dollar project such as at La Guardia Airport, that an M/WBE company be coupled as a prime contractor with the major company, because when you “earmark” jobs for M/WBE as a prime contractor, it naturally follows that other M/WBE firms will grow.

During the press conference, Stringer said that raising the minimum wage to $15/hour is just one part of the solution to economic equality, the other is small businesses and how their development will “change the way our economy travels throughout the city, how it will impact every neighborhood, every business, every kid” in generating jobs and “creating the opportunity for business development across our five boroughs in all of our communities”.

A reporter asked why is there such a disconnect between the efforts, and so many certified firms not getting the spending. Stringer said, “Much to my shock, a number of years ago I learned just because you’re certified, doesn’t mean you get contracts–80% of certified firms do not get contracts with the city”. And then expressing exactly the feeling of certified firms, he said, “I think there has been the false expectation that you do the right thing you get certified, and then you start knocking on the doors of these city agencies, the wall goes up and there’s no response”. (Full-disclosure, Our Time Press is MBE certified.)

What is needed the comptroller said is a full-time chief diversity officer. “There is no way to get around it. You cannot have one staff member doing five different things at once. In fact, you need a diversity officer in each agency because this work is so critical, and because of the bureaucratic roadblocks to opening up the agency’s contracting process being certified does not mean you’re going to make it, in any way, in this city.”

Reinforcing that point the report says: “Although there are roughly 540,000 minority-owned and 414,000 women-owned firms in New York City, only 4,527 – less than 1 percent – are certified with the city. Further, the comptroller’s analysis found just 994 of these certified firms received city spending in FY16.”

The comptroller said he agrees with city officials who say the “aspirational goal” for M/WBE spending should be 30-35%. “But let’s be clear, we are going at such a slow rate that we will get to that goal sometime in 20-30 years from now”, but he says that projection doesn’t mean much and “you cannot have a goal when there is no process in place to achieve that goal. So you say 30%, I say 30% when? 30% if ever? Because what we’re seeing here today is us going backwards and not forwards”.

“I happen to think this is the most challenging and difficult issue we face, because it’s very hard to turn out ten thousand people for a rally on procurement reform. Nobody ever says “No Procurement, No Peace”. So we need to organize in a way that builds a movement for accountability and transparency and that’s why we need a chief diversity officer.”

 

 

 

Judge Rules Byron Allen’s Entertainment Studios can Proceed with $10B Racial Discrimination Lawsuit Against Charter Communications (via Shadowandact.com)

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Judge Rules Byron Allen’s Entertainment Studios can Proceed with $10B Racial Discrimination Lawsuit Against Charter Communications (via Shadowandact.com)
Byron Allen, President, Entertainment Studios Network

Via shadowandact.com

Calling it an historic ruling, Byron Allen’s Entertainment Studios Networks, Inc. (ESN) announced today that Federal District Court Judge George H. Wu denied Charter Communications’ Motion to Dismiss ESN’s $10 billion lawsuit against Charter for racial discrimination in contracting, in violation of Civil Rights Act of 1866, 42 U.S.C. §1981.

“Today was a huge victory for my client,” said attorney Skip Miller, Partner, Miller Barondess, LLP in Los Angeles and Plaintiff’s lead counsel. “The $10 billion racial discrimination lawsuit will move forward against Charter Communications. The judge addressed the complexities of this case and discovery will commence immediately. We have direct and circumstantial evidence that we put forth in our lawsuit. We have evidence of racial bias harbored by top level Charter executives with decision-making authority, and allege, in detail, the discriminatory treatment ESN suffered at the hands of these executives. These well-pleaded allegations, combined with Charter’s internal racial issues, lack of contracting and doing business with 100% African American-owned media, were sufficient to defeat Charter’s Motion to Dismiss and we look forward to trial by jury. Separately, we fully expect the dismissal of ESN’s $20 billion lawsuit against Comcast to be overturned by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals where we are under appeal.”
To Read More at Shadowandact.com

 

There is No Choice: We Must Vote Hillary

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There is No Choice: We Must Vote Hillary

View From Here

By David Mark Greaves

October 27, 2016 - Winston-Salem, North CArolina, UNITED STATES - U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton arrives to a campaign rally accompanied by U.S. first lady Michelle Obama in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S., October 27, 2016. REUTERS/Carlos Barria (Credit Image: © Carlos Barria/Reuters via ZUMA Press)
um wp-image-19898″ src=”http://ourtimeathome.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Pg1_HillaryMichelle-300×200.jpg” alt=”October 27, 2016 – Winston-Salem, North CArolina, UNITED STATES – U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton arrives to a campaign rally accompanied by U.S. first lady Michelle Obama in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S., October 27, 2016. REUTERS/Carlos Barria (Credit Image: © Carlos Barria/Reuters via ZUMA Press)” width=”300″ height=”200″ /> October 27, 2016 – Winston-Salem, North CArolina, UNITED STATES – U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton arrives to a campaign rally accompanied by U.S. first lady Michelle Obama in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S., October 27, 2016. REUTERS/Carlos Barria (Credit Image: © Carlos Barria/Reuters via ZUMA Press)

We’re through the “October Surprise” period and we are almost at the end of this “worst of all” election seasons. And the saddest part is the certainty of what is coming next. We know that the aftermath of a Trump victory, the locking in of Supreme Court judges and the laws passed, will corrupt the nature of the country for generations.  And we know also that a President Hillary Clinton and the nation, absent an absolute down-ballot landslide, will be subjected to gridlock and promised constant investigation. “Even before we get to Day One, we’ve got two years’ worth of material already lined up. She has four years of history at the State Department, and it ain’t good,” said House Oversight Committee Chair and Republican Jason Chafetz.

And then, of course, there is the gender question. I was in a taxi earlier this evening and as talk turned to the election I described Trump as crazy and the driver said, “Yeah, and she’s a woman”. I asked how he felt about the idea of a woman president and he said, “I like it. Women are very honest. Men make trouble, you know what I mean?” Yes, I do, and after this election there will be a lot of them there, ready to make trouble and not even themselves understanding why.

With that being the mood of the Congress, even with the best of intentions at the national level, economic improvements in the lives of folks on the ground will have to come from local efforts and local resources and the economic resource we have is nothing less than the $18 billion city budget for vendor spending. As Comptroller Scott Stringer’s just-released report on the city’s diversity efforts and its continued D+ rating shows, while the city budget is the engine that can lift every neighborhood, as it stands now, “It will take 84 years for Latino families and 228 years for Black families to reach wealth parity with white families at the current rate”. At this “glacial pace of change”, what this report is telling us is that after over ten generations of slavery and eight generations of freedom, African-Americans are still looking at 11 more generations to go before reaching the Promised Land of at least economic Equality.

If you feel 11 more generations is okay, or that Blacks are just demanding too much too soon, then not voting is your move and Donald Trump is your man. He’s guaranteed to slow this mad momentum and even make a U-turn. On the other hand, if it is equality, respect and dignity you want, preferably sooner than later, then there is no choice but to get everyone you know to the polls. This election is the most critical the country has ever had, and on November 9, we cannot wake up to the nightmare of a President-elect Donald Trump.

Presidential Race Highlights Need for Values and Respect

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By Bernice Elizabeth Green

The recent Presidential Debates ignored the day to day issues of the people on the ground, from the economics of poverty to education and housing and even the complexities of gentrification.

Sometimes, it boils down to “getting respect.”

On one side of the world arena is the ethnic majority whose demands – a constant state of faint echoes from the past – forever competes with the so-called ruling class’s own strident calculating voice, amplified to hugeness by current-day media.

How many of us felt that the best part of the debates was watching Saturday Night Live’s “coverage” of them?

It was bound to come to this: the world reflects reality TV and social media, sometimes a sword for the everyman, is the governor of “facts.” And only in America could a (white) political candidate for the highest office in the country get away with campaign centered around “sex,” “personality,” and late-night tweeting.

Perhaps the most respectful part of the campaign – occurred at the end of the second debate with the last question centered on what do you see as a value in your opponent: one candidate said about the other, parenting; the other cited his rival’s fierce stick-to-itiveness. Both rose in the moment, then sank back into politicking.

In some respects, Trump wins, even if he loses the election. But he really started losing the election when his wife took the stage, and wound up not owning it. There was the sign that she was not shown any respect. The man who successfully marketed himself to television viewers as the shrewdest business man ever, did not have anyone on his team review his wife’s script. Then, his children, all brilliant, a collective prize for any father, weren’t reminded to vote. Trump began the self-firing process in those moments.

And, we believe, the women of America took notice and found it not only disrespectful but questionable. How could you fail to instruct your executive caretaking team, namely the marketing people, to cover the backs of family members.

But for many who go to the polls, Trumps trip-ups notwithstanding, it is because Mrs. Clinton is a woman.

All this week’s Hillary-bashing is not just making her stronger, it is making women stronger in their resolve to vote against male hubris and “let a woman handle it.” It crosses all races, creeds.

And smart men are listening to their women because Mr. Trumps reportedly is losing them, too.

During October Domestic Violence month, America’s problem with male audaciousness was on stage at the debate along with all the women Trump invited to show up sitting near the wife of Mr. Trump, whose own woes were amplified by women who spilled the beans on him – the very same beans Trump threw at Bill Clinton.   What an ugly performance. So ugly you really couldn’t wait for Saturday Night Live to interpret it.

But Trump wins even in the losing. He captured the world, on television, with the expression, “you’re fired!” and got an important segment of folks, “fired up.”  He exposed a cancer – boiling too long just beneath the surface of America’s skin. He has brought a reality to center stage for some people who feel they have no rights, no place.

 

Former San Francisco Chief Information Officer to spearhead ‘Smart City’ initiatives

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Former San Francisco Chief Information Officer to spearhead ‘Smart City’ initiatives

NEW YORK— Mayor de Blasio announced the appointment of Miguel A. Gamiño Jr. as the City’s Chief Technology Officer. As CTO, Gamiño will work with all City agencies to develop a Smart City and “Internet of Things” (IoT) strategy that ensures coordination, collaboration and innovation across the City. He will also assume leadership for the City’s Broadband Program, which had previously been led by the Counsel to the Mayor’s office – partnering with agencies, private industry, and academia to further the Mayor’s goal to ensure every resident and business will have access to affordable, reliable, high-speed broadband service everywhere by 2025.

“The CTO for NYC blends big picture tech innovation with the promise of what’s possible to improve government services and expand broadband access to level the playing field for all New Yorkers,” said Mayor de Blasio. “I welcome Miguel Gamiño, who brings the experience, savvy, and forward thinking we need to advance New York City as a hub for not only thinking, but doing.”

“Technology is essential to shaping a more responsive and equitable government,” said New York City Chief Technology Officer Miguel Gamiño. “I’m thrilled to join an incredible team in the nation’s largest city and lead broadband and Smart City efforts! I look forward to bringing positive, meaningful change to benefit the lives of New Yorkers and to influence greater impact on a global scale.”

About Miguel Gamiño

CTO Gamiño has unique experience in government, blended with a deep knowledge of technology, the industry that fuels it, and the culture it inspires.

Most recently he served the City and County of San Francisco as Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Executive Director of the Department of Technology. Prior to joining San Francisco in July 2013, Gamiño served the City of El Paso, Texas as the Chief Information & Innovation Officer, and Director of the Department of Information Technology Services. In that role he co-founded, along with the Washington, D.C. CTO, the Council of Global City CIOs. New York City is also a founding member and will benefit from the organization’s focus on a robust and secure rollout of Smart City and IoT technologies.

As a technology entrepreneur, Gamiño founded two technology companies, managed them through the start-up phase and into successful operations.

Gamiño joins the NYC CIO and Commissioner of the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications Anne Roest, Chief Analytics Officer Dr. Amen Mashariki, and Chief Digital Officer Sree Sreenivasan to round out the City’s Tech Leadership team. Each team member’s unique set of experiences and responsibilities (described below) reflects the importance of technology and how it touches every aspect of City government and daily life, from City services, to civic engagement, to economic development, and much more. The Tech Leadership team is charged with creating a robust tech ecosystem that includes City agencies, NYC’s 8.5 million residents, and the civic engagement and tech start-up communities to ensure an equitable and innovative city.

With the appointment of the CTO, the city is well positioned to move forward, efficiently and effectively, to maintain NYC’s technology leadership and to provide state of the art technology and services for all New York residents, businesses and visitors. Gamiño will report to First Deputy Mayor Anthony Shorris.

Background on New York City’s Technology Team

Citywide CIO and Commissioner Anne Roest leads the City’s Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT), the City’s IT shared services agency that provides the technology infrastructure and core services to the City’s agencies. DoITT also administers various City telecommunication franchises and serves as the City’s lead cybersecurity organization, protecting City IT assets from ever evolving threats. Roest was recently appointed by the Mayor to serve as Chair of the Technology Development Corporation – the non-profit project management consulting organization the city established in 2012.  Commissioner Roest reports to First Deputy Mayor Anthony Shorris.

As CTO, Gamiño will work with all City agencies to develop a Smart City and “Internet of Things” (IoT) strategy that ensures coordination, collaboration and innovation across the City. He will also assume leadership for the City’s Broadband Program, which had been previously led by the Counsel to the Mayor’s office – partnering with agencies, private industry, and academia to further the Mayor’s goal to ensure every resident and business will have access to affordable, reliable, high-speed broadband service everywhere by 2025. The Chief Technology Officer reports to First Deputy Mayor Anthony Shorris.

Chief Analytics Officer, Dr. Amen Mashariki, directs the Mayor’s Office of Data Analytics (MODA), spearheading projects that aggregate and analyze data from across City agencies using analytics tools, helping to make critical data-driven decisions that address some of the City’s toughest problems. Dr. Mashariki is also the City’s point person on projects that utilize the City’s open data strategies, having defined his vision for open data in Open Data for All which commits to making datasets released through the Open Data Portal more accessible, useful, and user-friendly for all New Yorkers. Dr. Mashariki reports to Mindy Tarlow, the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Operations.

Chief Digital Officer, Sree Sreenivasan, works to promote access to City government through technology and serves as the City’s primary liaison to the tech start-up community. He directs the Office of Digital Strategy (NYC Digital) to launch digital products that encourage civic engagement, increase government transparency, and support New York City’s thriving tech ecosystem. The Chief Digital Officer reports to the Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development, Alicia Glen.

“I’d like to congratulate Miguel A. Gamiño Jr. on his appointment as the City’s Chief Technology Officer. The selection of Mr. Gamiño is a great step forward for the City’s future as a smart city,” said Council Member James Vacca, Chair of the Committee on Technology. “Mr. Gamiño was a key figure in advancing San Francisco into becoming the technology epicenter it is today. I’m hopeful that he will have a great impact on New York, bringing innovative thinking and ideas to the conversation. I look forward to a productive working relationship with Mr. Gamiño.”

“Around the country and the world, many cities look to New York for leadership in finding innovative ways for technology and government to work together,” said Council Member Ben Kallos. “Congratulations and good luck to Miguel A. Gamiño Jr. in his new role as New York City’s second Chief Technology Officer. His background as a technology entrepreneur and government technology leader will be an asset to New York City. I look forward to working in concert with him in helping improve the City’s technology ecosystem.”

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