BY LUCY MAY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
If Hamilton County does not quickly honor its pledge of 15 percent minority participation in its football stadium project, a group vowed Friday to begin daily "harassment" of public and private construction projects throughout Cincinnati.
The county's most up-do-date figures show minority participation at about 11 percent, spokeswoman Brooke Hill said.
Unlike the city of Cincinnati, the county can't legally have specific minority set-asides. County officials are trying to reach the goal voluntarily.
Flanked by members of the Baptist Ministers Conference's Social Action Committee, the Rev. William Land, the committee's co-chairman, said the county has a moral obligation to reach 15 percent minority participation in the $400.3 million project, despite legal hurdles. "Until such a time as the county can bring this reality about, no construction building work will go on in this city without harassment on a daily basis," the Rev. Mr. Land said. "We're not worrying about the legal decision. We're worrying about the moral decision." He called on African-Americans to join with the social action committee to take part in the protests.
County officials insist they continue to work toward the 15 percent goal. County leaders periodically meet with representatives of the Baptists Ministers Conference and the Cincinnati chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to discuss progress and strategies, Ms. Hill said.
Most recently, they discussed establishing training programs for minority workers, something the protesters argue should have been started long before now.
The Rev. James Jones, social action committee co-chairman, said he doesn't believe commissioners are sincere about the 15 percent goal pledged in a 1996 agreement with Cincinnati City Council.
"They are philosophically against it," the Rev. Mr. Jones said.
Hamilton County Commissioner Bob Bedinghaus said the county is against set-aside programs for minorities. But the county believes in "lifting up" the best qualified minority firms, he said.
"This isn't about handouts," he said.
"This is about encouraging real businesses to do real work."
