Last week’s question: Should major government-funded
construction projects be required to award a specific percentage of contracts
to minority-owned businesses and/or women-owned businesses? Why or why not?

No – 78 percent
Yes – 22 percent

NO: “Contracts should be awarded to the lowest qualified
bidder, regardless of race, color, creed, gender, etc. Fair is fair. If
minorities and female owners want the work, then they should work to become the
lowest qualified bidder. I do not believe in awarding contracts to businesses
based on personal affiliation, nor to low-priced, unqualified contractors.”
-Frances Edgar, Lancaster
County

NO: “Every company should compete for government-funded
construction projects on equal footing based on quality, pricing and ability to
deliver!”
-Wayde Delafield, Cumberland County

NO: “I think that contracts should be awarded to the most
qualified bidder and should not be based on the gender or nationality of the
business owner.”
-Cathy Dallas, York
County

NO: “Minority- and women-owned businesses should have to
compete in the marketplace with no special advantages, like everyone else. The
free-enterprise system allows for fair and equitable competition to all who
work hard and build their businesses on strong and viable relationships within
the business community. Working to build your credit, acquiring investors and
building capital to get the business up and running requires diligence,
acquiring knowledge and skills, and being able to stand up to the competition.
That’s what having a business is all about. Being a woman or a person of color
should not enter into the equation at all. It’s all about drive, being smart,
having that passion to work for your own paycheck and setting your own limits
to what you can achieve. If you’re good at what you do and there is a need for
your product, you will be successful regardless of your race, color, creed or
gender.”
-Anne C. Miller, Dauphin
County

NO: “Absolutely not – it is unconstitutional discrimination.

It is amazing how politicians can rationalize discriminating
against Caucasians and males with impunity while saying it is not
discrimination when they protect and provide special privileges to
non-Caucasians and women. Such a policy is about as racist as one can possibly
be.

Every person and company should be treated equally – all
should have ‘equal opportunity.’ If the company is qualified and is the lowest
bidder, they should be awarded the contract. To do otherwise is to risk the
safety of the populace and needlessly increase costs.

And the size of the contract should make no difference.
Illegal discrimination is illegal, whether it is a $1 million contract or a $1
billion contract.”
-Wendell B. Stockdale, Lancaster
County

This week’s question:
Should Pennsylvania
pass House Bill 1400, which would prohibit discrimination on the basis of
sexual orientation and gender identity?