Meeks Dives Into Hot Water Again

Ill. state Sen. and Chicago mayoral candidate James Meeks was forced to backtrack Dec. 16 after telling listeners of a Chicago radio show the day before that only African American-owned businesses should get city minority set-aside contracts.

"The word 'minority' from our standpoint should mean African-American. I don't think women, Asians and Hispanics should be able to use that title," Meeks said on WVON-AM radio. "That's why our numbers cannot improve - because we use women, Asians and Hispanics who are not people of color, who are not people who have been discriminated against."

Meeks started backtracking a few hours later by saying that he would allow minority set-aside contracts to go to most businesses that qualify now as being owned by racial minorities or women, but that he would exclude those owned by white women.

The following day, he backtracked completely, issuing a statement that he believes "all minority and women-owned businesses deserve their fair share of City contract opportunities." The statement went on, though, to criticize the city's program, alleging that too few contracts go to black-owned businesses while many "have repeatedly gone to companies disguised as minority- or women-owned."

LGBT-owned businesses are not included in the city's minority set-aside program. Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) did raise the issue at one point but it was concluded that including LGBTs would actually only benefit businesses owned by gay white men since other members of the LGBT community are already covered in the program's existing categories.

Because of that, some LGBT-owned businesses that have received contracts under the program would be excluded if it was limited only to African American-owned companies. Christy Webber Landscapes, for example, is a lesbian-owned business that has bid on and won a number of city contracts available to women-owned businesses.

Meeks' opponents in the mayoral race were quick to criticize his remarks. Carol Moseley Braun, Gery Chico and Miguel del Valle all stated their support for the program, with Chico saying it should be broader and del Valle calling for better outreach to minority- and women-owned businesses to make them aware of contract opportunities.

Meeks has already come under fire from LGBTs for his votes against LGBT equality in the Illinois House and anti-gay remarks he's made as minister of a South Side mega-church. He recently was the only African American legislator to vote against the civil unions bill that passed the Legislature, an action that the state's top LGBT lobbyist, Rick Garcia, said "pretty much slammed the door" on any effort by Meeks to win LGBT votes in the race to succeed retiring Mayor Richard M. Daley.

Similarly, Meeks' remarks on the minority set-aside contracts appear to have driven a wedge between him and women's groups. Hedy Ratner, co-president of the Women's Business Development Center, strongly condemned Meeks' statements, saying the city's 5-percent set-aside for women-owned businesses should be higher, not cut.