Why does Minnesota's "liberal" Democratic Governor Mark Dayton continue to undermine the enforcement of Affirmative Action?

Mark Dayton and the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party are irate working people are abandoning them so they have turned to trying to appease the racist bigots in suburbia and the "gated communities" of the well-heeled in competing with Republicans for their votes.

The Viking Stadium with huge public investment is just the type of project Federal Executive Order #11246 (Affirmative Action) was meant for.

Minnesota Democratic Governor Mark Dayton, while campaigning for office, pledged in no uncertain terms to enforce Affirmative Action.

Once elected, Dayton then turned around and appointed as Director of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development a vile racist like Mark Phillips of Kraus-Anderson Construction whose job it was to help politicians, public officials and their other clients to AVOID the enforcement of Affirmative Action.

In fact, it was Mark Phillips who was the front-man for Kraus-Andersen in preventing the enforcement of Affirmative Action in the planning, construction and staffing of the Sanford Center (Bemidji Regional Event Center)--- a 60-million dollar boondoggle; thus preventing Native American from getting any jobs to which they were entitled since the three surrounding huge Indian Reservations are experiencing racist unemployment rates ranging from 60% to 80% which means the people living on these Indian Reservations are literally mired in poverty here in northern Minnesota.

Now, here we go again with the Viking Stadium--- a billion-dollar boondoggle tax-payers didn't want but like these dirty wars it got shoved down our throats anyways; and, once again here in Minnesota, without Affirmative Action being enforced--- no minority, women or handicapped owned developers were even considered for this job as the law requires so the law was violated right from the get-go.   

Affirmative Action should have kicked in the minute these politicians and Viking owners started discussing a new Viking Stadium--- this is the law of the land: Executive Order #11246.

Some may argue that EO #11246 DOES NOT APPLY; HOWEVER, PRESIDENT LYNDON BAINES JOHNSON IN SIGNING EO #11246 MADE IT VERY CLEAR IT WAS EXPECTED THAT THIS WOULD BE USED AS A MODEL FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.

Obviously the politicians are pandering to the band of bigots who scream, "Reverse discrimination" and "You can't remedy a wrong by taking away our jobs."

But, the enforcement of Affirmative Action requires its implementation before a single contractor or worker is ever employed or hired so the idea that Affirmative Action enforcement takes jobs away from anyone is a racist fabrication based on a caricature of Affirmative Action rather than what it really is as explained in the letter following below.

Another huge boondoggle is coming down the pike that involves hundreds of millions of federal, state and local tax-payer dollars--- the bridge over the St. Croix River--- again, Affirmative Action is not being enforced.

Billions of tax-payer dollars; over ten thousand jobs--- no enforcement of Affirmative Action.

The real question we need to ask of Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton is what he finds so objectionable with EO #11246 that he refuses to enforce its intent here in Minnesota?

By refusing to enforce Affirmative Action pursuant to Executive Order #11246, Governor Dayton has opened the state wide to one huge class action law-suit not to mention the possibility of massive grassroots action and upheaval by people justifiably fed up with their tax-dollars being spent on these public works projects but getting mired in poverty instead of being provided with a job which is the only "ladder out of poverty" for working people. 

People without jobs are going to be poor.

Obviously this is too much for a billionaire governor like Mark Dayton who was born with a gold spoon in his mouth to understand.

Make no mistake: a job is a right; a human right.

Any school child understands what Minnesota's "liberal" Governor Mark Dayton can't get through his head: Working people without jobs are going to be poor.

At the request of Micah Hines, Governor Dayton's top legal adviser, I submitted this letter to Governor Dayton which has gone without answer and obviously without implementation; and, again, we need to ask WHY, especially since no one but a few racist bigots have opposed this suggestion?

Proposal for a Minnesota Governor’s Advisory Committee for the Enforcement of Affirmative Action 

Goal and objective: A level playing field.

All the talk about a new Vikings’ Stadium, the need for infrastructure development and repair, talk of light rail and other large-scale public works and joint public-private initiatives and projects begs the question: What will be done to end racism in employment here in Minnesota that has historical roots combined with present indifference?

Fact: People without jobs are destined to be poor.

Unemployment, under-employment and poverty-wage jobs are the root of poverty.

Poverty is more than statistics. For living, breathing human beings, poverty means going without adequate food, clothing, health care, education, housing, and transportation.

When unemployment rises well beyond the “normal” levels for people of color, women and the handicapped, Affirmative Action as articulated and defined by Federal Executive Order Number 11246 must kick in unless we end up with large pools of unemployed in communities--- and on Indian Reservations--- of people of color which hurt us all, but no where near as much as it harms the victims of racism in employment.

These large pools of the unemployed serve to push down wages and living standards for everyone.

The enforcement of Affirmative Action will help make sure Minnesotans get the jobs funded by Minnesota tax-payers rather than workers from other states.

The enforcement of Affirmative Action will lead to encouraging and strengthening small businesses and entrepreneurship among minorities as minority contractors help recruit people of color through the enforcement of Affirmative Action.

Politicians who pander to the voices of bigotry, racism and hate often claim that advocating for the enforcement of Affirmative Action is so controversial that its enforcement creates divisions in society which tears apart our social fabric. In fact, issues like a new Vikings’ Stadium, as we have seen, are themselves very controversial.

Politics embodies controversy.

The Governor of Minnesota has the responsibility to provide leadership in the just struggle for the enforcement of Affirmative Action in a way that guides Minnesotans to creating a level playing field for everyone.

Governor Mark Dayton should establish “The Minnesota Governor’s Advisory Committee for the Enforcement of Affirmative Action” and this Committee shall consist of: one member representing the Governor, one member each from the AFL-CIO & Change To Win, one member each representing the following firms: public relations, architectural, engineering, general contractors and minority contractors, with two members representing each of the following communities: Black, Native American and Hispanic with at least one member from each of these communities being among the unemployed; three women and one handicapped representative--- 18 members in total.

All members of this Advisory Committee shall participate, together, in at least one training session explaining the history, goals and objectives ofAffirmative Action and must be made aware of the present problems relating to how racism in employment has led to current social and economic problems in the specific communities of people of color, women and the handicapped.

This Advisory Committee shall present concrete goals and objectives in reviewing all public funding where there is any type of state involvement in funding and financing including proposals for bonding bills and any joint public-private ventures in which more than $20,000.00 in public funding is involved and/or more than 15 employees hired.

The loop-hole preventing enforcing Affirmative Action must be closed by the Governor and State Legislature refusing to participate in any township, city, county, state, park’s commission, school district, college or university where there is not an Affirmative Action Policy in place being enforced.

Affirmative Action must kick in when any project is first publicly proposed or there is significant public-private cooperation towards project development--- whichever occurs first; long before the first shovel is sunk into the ground.

It is up to the parties involved to implement Affirmative Action in a timely manner so as to prevent project delays which might lead to additional costs incurred by tax-payers. Where this is not done, any costs relating to project delays should result in fines levied at the direction of the Advisory Committee on the parties responsible.

Affirmative Action is the law of the land. For the victims of historic racist employment practices continuing today which results in the need for the enforcement of Affirmative Action, Affirmative Action is both a Human Right and a Constitutional Right.

The Governor of Minnesota has a Constitutional responsibility to see to it that Affirmative Action is enforced. This Advisory Committee provides the Governor with the tools to achieve the enforcement of Affirmative Action.

People should not have to resort to law suits, direct action and other means of protest in order to have their right to employment protected.

Everyone has the right to seek employment from a level playing field.

A means to enforce Affirmative Action on the Vikings’ Stadium (and all other projects stated above) in line with stated goals and objectives must be found before planning for this project proceeds any further.

I am submitting this “Proposal for a Minnesota Governor’s Advisory Committee for the Enforcement of Affirmative Action” for consideration to Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton upon request from Micah Hines, General Counsel to Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton, who requested I submit this proposal in writing to Governor Mark Dayton.

Alan L. Maki
Director of Organizing,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council

Contact information:

58891 County Road 13
Warroad, Minnesota 56763

Phone: 218-386-2432
Cell phone: 651-587-5541

E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net

Blog: http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/

FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/alan.l.maki

Copies provided to:
NAACP
Urban League
Minnesota Indian Affairs Council
AFL-CIO
Change To Win
Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party
Republican Party
Green Party

Posted to:
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Blog.......... http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/proposal-for-minnesota-governors.html


Preliminary response from Governor Dayton:

Thank you for contacting the Office of Governor Mark Dayton. We appreciate your feedback and suggestions about how we, together, can build a better Minnesota. A member of our staff will read your message promptly.

Note: Further responses will be shared. Please share your own concerns on this issue with Governor Dayton. Contact information:

To contact Governor Mark Dayton, please write, phone, fax or e-mail.

Mailing Address:
Office of the Governor
130 State Capitol
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55155

Other ways to reach our office:


Telephone: 651-201-3400
Toll Free: 800-657-3717
Minnesota Relay 800-627-3529
Fax: 651-797-1850

Contact the Governor's Office by e-mail:
http://mn.gov/governor/contact-us/form/

--
Alan L. Maki
Director of Organizing,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council

58891 County Road 13
Warroad, Minnesota 56763

Phone: 218-386-2432
Cell: 651-587-5541

Primary E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net
E-mail: alan.maki1951mn@gmail.com

Blog: http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/