WSDOT hired a consultant to conduct a disparity study last year to determine if women and specific minority groups are continuing to experience discrimination when it comes to being awarded contracts on public works projects. Colorado-based BBC Research and Consulting issued a 678-page report last May that found firms owned by white women are winning enough jobs and don't need the extra help afforded them in the federal Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program. Federal rules give DBEs a leg up on winning contracts on highway projects, as general contractors must hire disadvantaged firms to perform a set percentage of a project.

The Washington State Department of Transportation may be deciding that white women are no longer victims deserving of affirmative action preferences in awarding contracts. KING TV Seattle reports:

Needless to say, hiring the lowest bidding competent firm is out of the question, since the federal government requires states to discriminate in favor of designated groups who collectively do not get "enough" contracts in the view of social engineers. That also means discriminating against bidders who are not members of favored groups.

I know of instances of companies bidding on contracts with various states where the boss's wife is given 51% of the stock and the title of CEO, in order to qualify as a woman-owned firm and this gain preferences allowing them to win a bid despite not being lowest. It is a scam and it works. But is it really less of a scam if the woman (or black, or native American, etc.) is in fact the boss? Isn't the government agency supported by all taxpayers discriminating against some of them? Of course.

Needless to say, the white women affected by this are not accepting the decision quietly:

Many white women who own DBE-certified firms are opposed to the change. A newly formed group, Women in Highway Construction, is threatening a lawsuit, arguing that discrimination is alive and well in Washington state.



"Oh my gosh yes. They (men in the industry) don't want to talk to you, they don't want to deal with you, they're very uncomfortable dealing with you," said Colleen Hallett, who owns Mobile Electrical Distributors in Seattle. "I have salesmen come in here and bypass me and go straight to my male employees even though I'm the boss."

So it comes down t a question of who can claim to be the biggest victim:

The disparity study found that other minority groups continue to suffer "substantial disparities," including businesses owned by African American, Asian-Pacific Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans and South Asians.



"While the other firms (minority groups) got little to no work, white women-owned firms continued to get work for that time (considered in the study). That was good for that group, but the other firms didn't get much work," said Brenda Nnambi, WSDOT's Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity.

Wouldn't it be great if these people spent their time trying to be the best qualified and most cost-effective? A guy can dream, can't he? You know, the whole outmoded content of his character (and cost effectiveness of his bid) stuff.

