Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / Jan. 12, 2006, edition 1 / Page 6
Part of The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
6A NEWS/IEte CMtUtU |p«t Thursday, January 12, 2005 DETRorr Black business owners rail at Super Bowl snnb By Bankolc Thompson WE\uauG.AS crnyiy DETROIT — Detroit will host the 2006 Super Bowl in February, drawing thousands of visitors and celebrities will be in town. A profit-making event, the Super Bowl, organized by the National Football League awards millions of dollars in contracts to render services during the week of the foot ball event. But many black business owners in Detroit say the Super Bowl host committee, which is the official liaison between the NFL and metro Detroit, has yet to give Afilcan American businesses significant contracts. The committee launched the Emerging Business pro gram as part of its overall contract with the NFL to teach new entrepreneurs how to get contracts. On its Web site, the Super Bowl host committee described the business pro- grani as “a business procure ment process benefiting loced emer^;ing businesses includ ing minority and women- owned businesses in the State of Michigan,” Some local Black business es claim it is a charade. ‘Tliey talk a good game. I don’t see how any of us are making money,” said Valena Cade, owner of Big Fellows restaurant. Cade said she bid on four different catering contracts for the Super Bowl but did not win one. “The only one that I received for a possible confir mation was for about $4,000,” Cade said. “When I thought about it, that is no money when I have to pay my staff I called them back and toLd tliem I was not interested.” She said it was an “insult,” for her to be given a Super Bowl contract with such low maigins. According to Cade, she would make a $1,000 profit Cade said she is competent contractor. In the past, she provided similar food service for events such as the Tastefest, Jazz festival and other Detroit summer activi ties. ‘I’m capable doing large contracts,” Cade said. *1 can feed thousands of people ” Visibly upset. Cade said, don't need any part of the Super Bowl.” She said she invested a lot of time and eneigy preparing RFPs [Request for Proposal] to bid for cOTitracts that she did not get “Tou spend hours making these proposals and don’t see the money” Cade said Like Cade, Carolyn Hopkins owner of a therapeu tic masseige center, Be’ Spa E]lite, also said she submitted her credentials for contracts but to no avail. Hopkins was later informed that NFL {dayers would be flying in with their own mas sage therapists instead of using local businesses to per form spa service. “It’s a shame what they are doing to us in this city,” Hopkins said ‘The hotels I called told me that the NFL would not allow anyone to bring in businesses that they have not approved.” Hopkins said the work shops that were held under the Emerging Business pro gram Twere] not even worth the time.” “We thou^t if we go there, well meet the decision mak ers but that was not the case,” Hopkins said. “I’ve been in business for 20 years and everybody in the city knows our business.” Loretta Watson who runs Speu*kle Janitorial had simi lar complaints. “The hype was that they were going to leave so much money in the city but that is not true,” Watson said. “Our concern is the amount of the contract, the amount of busi ness they are leaving. I have bid on a number of the con tracts. I did not get the con tract with the Motown Wmter Blast or the NFL Tailgate party” According to Watson, the business that the Super Bowl was supposed to biing to the dty is hype. When contacted, the Super Bowl host committee’s vice president for external affairs Stacie Clayton, an African- American denied the all^a- tions, “lb date we have spent about $1.3 million in total on contracts. Thirty percent have been with Afiican- American businesses and about 90 percent of those come fiom Detroit,” Clayton send “We have worked with 67 emerging businesses that have received contracts. Of that 67, 25 are Detroit-based businesses.” Out of the 25 Detroit based businesses that have received contracts, Clayton said 23 are Afiican Americans. However Clayton would not disclose the doUar amount for each contract that has been let out to black businesses. “We do not give out the dol lar amount because some of the businesses have asked for confidenti al purposes—not disclose those amounts,” Clayton said. Tt is not true that black business are not getting anything.” She said her committee is working with an overeiU $18.3 million budget out of which they expect to spend about $3.5 million for the Emerging Business program, which has a listing of about 750 busi nesses. Fifty percent of that $3.5 million she estimated will go to black businesses. “We did have a significant budget for the Eknerging Business program,” Clayton said. Tt falls under the exter nal affairs budget.” When asked how much has been allocated for her own external affairs department, Clayton would not release that number. “We don’t give a break down of how much we spend per Competition for Uganda presidency Continued from page 1A He was arrested in November after returning home fiDm four years’ exile but released a week ago Speaking earlier at a news conference, Besigye, of the Forum for Democratic Change party said he had been held illegally on charges of treason and rape and that President Museveni should be the one in court. He told reporters; There are so many people in illegal detention like me, and we shall strug- ^e by all possible means to restore good gover nance in this country* Besigye has been using the recent ruling against Uganda by the International Court of Justice in his stump speech. The Court ordered Uganda to compensate the Democratic Republic of Congo for looting during the 1998- 2(X)3 war. ‘Taking our troops to Congo without the authority of p>arliament as required by the con stitution where thousands of our soldiers died. What more treason can there be?” Dr Besigye asked a news conference at his Kamp>ala home before heading east of the capital to attend a camp)aign rally Besigye is viewed as the first credible chal lenger to Museveni, who has been in pwwer for 19 years. Three other presidential candidates have also thrown thor hats into next ring for next month’s polls. These will be the first multi-p)arty elections since Museveni took pwwer. Mbeki under pressure to deliver By C|arc Nullis mE ASSOCIATE!) PRESS CAPE TOWN. South Afiica - The African National Congress launched its cam paign Sunday fcH* local gov ernment elections, paxanis- ing to do more for South Africans still disadvantaged fix)m decades of apartheid and angry over wide- sp)read cormpv tion. Mbeki In a speech to an estimat ed 25,000 people packed into a stadium in Cap)e Tbwn _ where the ruling ANC faces a tou^ challenge fit>m the oppxeition Democratic Alliance - President Thabo Mbeki vowed to improve education and health care and ensure all houses have access to clean water and sanitation by 2010 and elec tricity by 2012. Mbeki also declared that the ANC branches would be "fixmt-line fighters against corruption, to ensme that nobody uses his or her piosi- tion in government to steal fiom the peop>le to line their pxxkets." At the last municip>al elec tions in 2000, the ANC won 59 pjercent of the vote, with the Democratic V Alliance on 22 pjercent and the rest split between smaller p)arties. At national elections in 2004, the ANC swept to an over whelming 70 pjercent m^ori- ty Althou^ it is exp)ected to win in the March 1 vote given its support among the m^caity black community it risks a backlash frum p)eople fed up with inefficient, cor- ruprt local govemn^nt. There have been violent protests on numerous occa sions in the p>ast year by South Afriicans frustrated that their lives remain relentlessly grim despite nearly 12 years oi multira- department,” Clayton said. “The departmaital budget is not public information. When everything is done, we will have a breakdown of how much was sp)ent for each department.” Clayton said the host ccan- mittee does not handle the NFL contracts and that not everyone who applies for a contract will get one. Gwen Thomas, who heads Promotions Unlimited 2000, Inc. a promotional group, decried the bureaucracy in getting contracts for the Supjer Bowl. T did not ev^ get a chance to bid on what would have been a perfect match for my company the NFL staffing project,” Thomas said. “A TVoy-based company Ekitech Staffing, was awarded the contract.” Tbny Davis, who owns a transportation company said he was not surprised to hear many local businesses in the city complain “That is the same thing that happened during the AU Star Game,” Davis said. “Most of the cab services they used were not Afidcan- American and some were not Detroit-based.” Iconic Creative Media, a Detroit based graphic arts company said it had to fight for the amendment of the city’s signage ordinance, which previously restricts the length of posters and banners to be posted on a downtown first floor building facade to 10 percent. ‘First they said the ordi nance allows only 10 percent of a first floor building and tlie NFL wanted that,” said TVent Jones ol‘ ICM. “But we got the coimdl to increase that to 40 percent in the Super Bowl ordinance. This is not just about the game, we want to contribute to the revi talization of downtown Detroit.” Jones said local businesses “must stand up and protect themselves,” just as they did in lobbying the signage ordi nance. “The dty was forced to con sider minority businesses that would want to post signs and banners during the Super Bowl,” Jones said. “They heard our argum^it and stood for downtown prop erty owners.” One local tavern owner dose to Ford fidd said he must sell a brand of beer he has never stocked and cannot use his vacant lot to park cars during the S\q)er Bowl week Brian McCarthy, NFL director of communications in New York did not return calls. What’s your story? We’re listening. The Post is your community newspaper, and we’re interested in reporting about the people, events and issues that shape Charlotte. If you have an idea or information, comments or opinions, e-mail editorial@thecharlottepost.com or log on to www.thecharlottepost.com i:i)e Cljarlotte Heartstrings Wedding University trto Next Gooetofton of Wckidng pfoteastonate Register For The 2006 Heartstrings Wedding University® The Heartstrings Wedding University® Is BACK and Better Than Ever! Do you have interests or dreams of planning ft coordinating weddings and/or staKing your own business? You won't want to miss the 2006 Heartstrings Wedding University® Certificate Program. Marh your calendar for the 2006 Classes: ■ Past Track X: The Basics of Wedding Planning (Mar^ 2006) a Fast Track XXt A Model for Business Stsrt-Up (June 2006) Register for the 2008 Heartstrings Wedding Unlv«vlty classes by attending an upcoming informatimi session. Make reservation now for the information session try calling WialMllan Howard at tViaillllan ft Company, 704-376-B476 or e-mail: iy|aBIM»C9QV9tlM.i^in WlaMItlan ft Company: Events, Training ft Consulting Specialists P. O. Box 364B2 Charlotte, NC 28236 Presented By Afro-American Cultural Center Friday, February 17, 2006 • 8:00 p.m. Belk Theater at Sorth Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center Tickets: $25 - $55 Call the Blumenthal Box Office at 704.372.1000 or go online, www.aacc-charIotte.org! AACX^ ttembrn etta call 704.374.J565 for pr^emd teafing ^ now thni January 6,2006 ' S dal democracy Offidal unemployment is at 27 percent, but the coun try faces a crippling shortage of skilled workers and has to import qualified labor fixan abroad. Even though the govern ment has buUt about 1.8 mil- hon new homes since 1994, the number of households living in shacks rose fium 1.45 million to 1.84 million — a 26 percent increase. “The protests over poor delivery around the country last year have demonstrated that people are losing patience with ANC ehtism and cronyism,” the Democratic AUiance said in a statement. Absent finm the platform was Jacob Zuma, the ANCs popular deputy president who last month stepped down finm his leadership duties pending the outccane of his trial m charges that he raped a family fiiend. Zuma also has been implicated in a separate comqjticai scandal. Why read The PostP Unique perspective "I think it’s important to have the perspective of all parts of the community on public policy. The Post provides a unique perspective and I value that p^pective." Dimiont Clarke, Mecklenburg County commissioner Call (704) 376-0496 to link with news that’s important to Charlotte ®I)e Cljarlottc ^osit CAROLINA _ Tiirnpike Authority NORTH CAROLINA Join us for one of three Citizens Informational Workshops Gaston East-West Connector Study The N C. Turnpike Authority and the N C Department of Transportation propose to improve east-west travel through Gaston County by constructing a new roadway between i-85 west of Gastonia and 1-485/NC 160 in Medclenburg County (TlPProject No U-33211 This wort:shop series will present maps and information on the alternalnes to be studied n detail m the next phase of planning and design The N C, Turr^ke Authority ts authorized to study, develop and construct up to 9 toll roads m the state The Gaston East-West Connector is one of the projects under consideration for development as a toll road Wost sld« of Gaston County: Tuesday, January 31, 2006 4:30-8:00 pm Hunter Huss High School 1518 Edgefield Avenue Gastonia. NC 28052 Mockkmburg County: Wednesday, February 1, 2006 4 30-8:00 p m Olympic High School 4301 Sandy Porter Road Charlotte, NC 28273 East sido of Gaston County: Thursday, February 2, 2006 430-8:00 pm South Point High School 906 South Point Road Belmont, NC 28012 NOT! Portkpants ere ofKoaragod to drop in »t »ny time between 4 30 and 8 00 pm for any of ibe workshops AiS three ¥rorkshops wtH present the SAM! tnfomakion and displays The NCTA w)l provide auxthary aids and services for deatiedpersons who wish to perticipete m the workshops For more mformaPon or to receive special servKcs. please cain-800-47S-6402 wwwjKckiLofg/projecls/gaatDiKonnBcliof
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Jan. 12, 2006, edition 1
6
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75