OCR Text |
Show "Initiative is doing the right thing without being told. " Victor Hugo, French writer (1802-1885- ). The Daily Herald Two words appear to have been left out of the Department of Energy's "small disadvantaged business" program: Common sense. A review of the program provides an embarrassing reminder of why the Clinton administration's review of affirmative action is long overdue. While this program was launched with the best intentions, it has evolved into a system where cheating not only goes unpunished dollar it can often bring multimillion-windfalls from the federal gov- ernment. The "small disadvantaged business" program was designed to give minority-owne- d firms a leg up in winning subcontracting work from the government. As a result, large private firms like Westing- house, Boeing and Martin Marietta, which operate entire DOE facilities, are required to set aside a certain part of their subconfirms. tracting work for minority-owne- d Unfortunately, neither the DOE nor the contracting firms were required to check if the subcontractors really were as disad- i ' vantaged as they claimed. Take for example the case of 12 small companies that applied for the program a few years ago claiming to be owned by Native Americans, and therefore socially disadvantaged. Without verifying if these firms were minority owned, the primary contracting companies awarded them a combined $14.5 million in subcontracts. ; When DOE auditors began snooping around after the fact, the subcontractors were unable to provide any "documented proof of their ancestry. Instead, the owners said they relied "mainly on what they had been told by relatives or information recorded in a family bible. ' ' Sadly, this was not an isolated incident. By failing to police its own policies, the DOE has created a system where subcontractors who apply are essentially on the ,honor system when it comes to reporting their minority status. Awards are given out based on "vendor where business owners fill out forms Z claiming to be socially or economically disadvantaged. ; According to the audit, the DOE's ; "management and operating contractors or 20 percent of ; awarded $26.3 million ; the money reviewed in a random audit - to 33 subcontractors whose eligibility was - questionable because they were not owned - and managed by socially and economically - disadvantaged individuals." The majority I of these false were made I by "subcontractors who claimed to be so- I cially disadvantaged" but were not. " One business owner who pleaded hard- ship was found to have a net worth in excess of $750,000. Four subcontractors who claimed to be "small disadvantaged actually had annual sales I ranging from $46 million to $76 million, even though the program is designed for " companies with annual sales of less than : ; ; - Tuesday, June 6, 1995 $4.5 million. In this program, however, it may not pay to be honest. Before the report came out, DOE not only failed to check up on its subcontractors, it also failed to penalize those who broke the rules. DOE officials now say that violators will be punished, yet there are no plans to aggressively beef up compliance enforcement. Meanwhile, the DOE says it's working on the problem. "We're coming up with a process that would randomly check the subcontractors periodically," Corlis Moody, director of minority economic im- - nap? a Washington 3 x Merry-Go-Roun- d pact at DOE, told our reporter Aaron Karp. "Now that we know there is a problem, we're trying to be more careful." In either case, programs like this should provide plenty of grist for Republicans in Congress, who are planning to eliminate such altogether. UNDER THE DOME House Speaker Newt Gingrich euphemistically declared the recent Memorial Day recess a "district work period," yet some members of Congress and staff were packing suntan lotion and dreaming about the fair- - set-asid- ways. The latest junket came courtesy of the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association, which footed the bill for a "Wireless Leadership Forum" in South Lake Tahoe, Nev. The "forum" consisted of brief "morning business agendas" described in an invitation the CTIA sent to members of Congress as "both informational and enjoyable" and "informal." Afternoons and evenings, however, "are reserved for you and your spouse or guest to take advantage of the magnificent sce- nery." The CTIA, established in 1984, is the national organization of the wireless communications industry. It's extremely active on Capitol Hill, weighing in on a variety of telecommunications issues. The CTIA's political action committee gave more than $33,000 to members of Congress and candidates during the last election cycle. Judging by the list of Lake Tahoe activiinties that accompanied the invitation cluding golf and tennis tournaments, balloon speedboat charters, and hot-arides we suspect some lawmakers didn't live up to the spirit of the "district work period." ir Back pain no laughing matter, at least not most of the time By JESSE E. TODD JR. Newport News Daily Press ' The first time I hurt my back I was standing on the roof of my cousins' clubhouse. We had these big boxes. I think bicycles came in them. I was using one of the boxes as wings, my arms shoved into slits cut in one side of the box. Below, far below, my sister and one of my cousins were holding another box as a kind of hurdle. The object was for me to race off the roof and fly over the hurdle. Let me say in my defense that I was the youngest and, at the time, the smallest of this unsavory gang, and so I was often the one placed in difficult situations such as this one. Alas, at the time I didn't appreciate the difficulty of the situation. But, having faith in my sibling and cousin, I raced off the roof. Without the wings, I think I could have made it over the hurdle. Instead, I landed on my back on the edge of what was a really hard box. This hurt enough that my sister had to take me home in a wheelbarrow, or maybe it was a wagon. Wasn't far, but I needed the ride. All of this comes to mind because of a misstep on my part a little more than a month ago. I was doing some yard work when, through a combination of events the details of which I won't go into here, I thought I was about lo be assaulted by a gang of bees. Turning to run, I fell down. I'm sure if there were a videotape of the incident, it would show I fell with great grace. Sitting at the table eating dinner about 30 minutes later, my back began to feel like an aluminum can, slowly having the air sucked out of it and crumpling under the pressure. Not long after, I crawled up the steps to bed. I'm sure I crawled grace fully. Now, there is nothing unusual here. I've noticed that talking to people about bad backs is like talking about divorce. Many people have had one. For the "recdrd, I've not had a divorce. , Despise their common nature, back injuries' seem to suffer from a lack of re 6 L spect. My wife was laughing - yes, laughing! - when she called my boss to tell him I couldn't come to work because I'd hurt my back. She didn't think it was so funny 1 1 days later when she still had to put my socks on, har, har, har. If you told people you had to take things easy for a few days because you had open-hea- rt surgery or your entire digestive sys- tem needed to be replaced, chances are they'd think you were entitled. But when you tell them you've hurt your back, they seemed surprised that you don't want to spend the weekend planting baby pine trees for a conservation project or running Goinmsntaffy a marathon to raise awareness about the diets. They seem importance of low-fshocked that you missed work and want to know what movies you rented while you were home. In the past, I've been guilty of this lack of sympathy myself. When I would see a baseball player on the disabled list because of back spasms, my reaction would be: The bum's a wimp. One of my colleagues out with a bad back? Hey, bub, how much do you use your back to type? But I'm a changed man. When your spine is so crooked that your navel and shoulders sleep on different sides of the bed, you gain a new appreciation for flexibility. When your back hurts so much that the prospect of having to sneeze causes you to panic, you can understand why someone with a bad back wouldn't want to try to hit a curve ball. I'm on the mend now, but sitting in a chair all day long is one of the worst things a person with a bad back can do. I'm trying to exercise and stretch, but you never can tell with a bad back. As soon as the ocean water warms up a little, I might have a relapse. Jesse Todd is associate editor of the s, editorial page of the D;dly Press in at Happy to be non-LD- S Bravo to The Daily Herald for printing Eric Clyde's letter! Bravo to Eric for writing it! I've lived in Provo for 26 years and have had the same experiences Eric wrote of. S as a child wasis very diffiBeing cult. I had friends tell me they could no longer play with me because I wasn't LDS. At the tender age of six, I experienced firsthand the ignorance of prejudice. I still feel ." the sting of being a Like this one religion is the chosen one. I will not disclose my religious upbringing because it's irrelevant. The fact that it's not LDS seems a condemnation to Hell in some of my neighbors' eyes. It took many years to get over my resentment toward the entire church. As I've matured and ventured out of the ever so "Happy Valley," I've been able to experience other cultures. I've realized there are other religions, races, etc., that discriminate toward the unlike. For me to hold such contempt toward one religion made me as low as the very people whom I have written about. I have had the opportunity to meet quite a few of my neighbors. Most of whom are practicing LDS. It was a slower come-aroun- d for some. Some knew that I wasn't in their ward, or even attended what would be considered church. I observe my "Higher Power" in my own way. I find it amazing that I can pass someone on the sidewalk and say "Hi" only to be ignored. Sometimes I want to say "Hey, I'm a worthwhile human being! Talk to me, smile, acknowledge me! " I've forced myself on a few, saying Hi when they pass in front of my house, starting conversations with them, forcing them in a sense to see that I'm a decent, likable perto boot. son, non-LD- S Everyone is an individual with rights. Rights to choose any religion or not. I am a spiritual person and God grants me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. I'm curious as to how this community would feel if I went shoving my beliefs down their throat? If the LDS church is everything they say it is, why not let it be an attraction rather than a promotion? A very happy who would like to remain anonymous non-LD- "non-member- door-to-do- or non-memb- er Make recycling easier Compared to what the rest of the United States is doing to support the recycling program, Utah County isn't doing enough to help conserve used materials so it doesn't just pile up at the city dump. So far, we have made some effort to help recycle newspapers and aluminum cans. But as for plastics, nothing is happening. Most people who do recycle their aluminum cans and their newspapers can do it with no hassle. There are quite a few convenient places you can drop them off and not have to worry about when to put your recyclable garbage out on the curb-sid- e. Curbside recycling is quite expensive, and some people just can't afford it. But as for plastics, there are practically no places where you can drop them off. Plastics are becoming very important nowadays for items such as pop bottles, grocery bags, and other household items. The higher demand for plastics gives us a better reason to start recycling them. Some efforts are being made in Utah County, but again compared to everywhere else in the United States, we are hardly doing anything. One of the best ways to solve this would be to get the city involved by making it more convenient to recycle your newspapers, aluminum cans, and especially your plastics by having more recycling bins in the city, where people could drop them off whenever possible. JeffFielding Orem High School Stop cop harassment in a proctor home in Orem and since that time he has received A's and B's in school. I have tried to teach Mesa that it is alright for him to voice his opinion as long as he does so appropriately. Mesa is very aware that he should not have made any remarks to this officer. However, he felt that the offipcr was harassing them, and being the strong-wille- d person Mesa is, he replied without thinking. Mesa has learned a great deal from, this experience. He has learned the correct; ay to make his opinions known. He has learned that perhaps racism is prevalent in our community, however, there are appropriate and inappropriate ways to fight against it. , t It is so discouraging that when a youth is trying so hard to change and progress an officer of the law can hold him back. At one point the officer made the remark that "people like you always end up in jail." What did he mean "people like you?". I have always been under the impression that government representatives should feel an obligation to help our youth, to bring them up and not pull them down. As citizens, I ask what can we do to prevent situations like this from taking I am currendy employed as a tracker for a company called Organization for Family Advancement (OFF A). On May 11, a student that I track, Mesa Rith was arrested by the Orem Police department for "jaywalking" and interfering with an officer. Mesa was with six peers about a block away from the alternative school when the officer stopped them. There were five Caucasian and Mesa who is kids, one African-AmericCambodian. The officer held up the African-Americyouth and told the others to return to school. It appeared to all the kids that this officer was harassing them. As they walked away, Mesa turned around and replied, "Man, they're only keeping you 'cause you're black." At that point the officer let the African-Americkid leave. He asked Mesa how old he was and when Mesa informed him he was 18 the officer said, "Welcome to the adult system, you are under arrest." When Mesa asked what for, the officer informed him he was being arrested for "jaywalking." Mesa's bail was set at $440. He spent the night in the Orem City jail for "jaywalking." place. I also dare say Mesa may be the only citizen in Utah history to ever spend a night in jail for "jaywalking." What a waste of our tax dollars. I think most of us have time and time again been guilty of this terrible crime and surpassed the trip to jail for it. ShaharaA. Sanft Provo an an an The next day in court, the judge asked Mesa why he was in Youth Corrections. When Mesa told the judge of his past crimes, the judge issued a fine of $1000 and six months in jail for this crime. Mesa felt strongly the judge had been harder on him because he is in Youth Corrections. It is very frustrating to work this closely with a youth and have him spend a night in jail for "jaywalking." I have worked with troubled youth for three years. In all the time I have worked with youth, I have never felt that any youth has as much potential to succeed as does Mesa, thus making this recent incident even more frustrating to me. I feel as though Mesa is currently giving an effot of 1 10 percent to turn his life around for the better. He has been placed Greed ruining Earth My friend and I were walking through Highland's foothills. We took our time, careful not to step on the small plants and examining nearly every detail nature had to offer. We stopped to listen to the chirps from an array of different birds and observe a herd of grazing deer. We stood consumed in this scene, only to turn 10 degrees and witness the developing and industrialization creeping up the hillside. Later that night, I expressed concern that people would become unhappy without the beauty of nature to clear their minds and souls. My mom replied, "I know, but peo'' ple only care about making money . How unsettling for me to realize I'm growing up in a generation that places greater value on the greenbacks than on the green pastures, valleys, meadows 'and mountains. We'll realize, perhaps too late, that money is no substitute for the therapeutic refuge of nature. Elizabeth Burgoyne American Fork Name misspelled Marilyn Morley Washburn's name was misspelled in a letter to the editor from Roger J. Sturman in Sunday's Daily Herald. The editor apologizes for the error. Doonesbury BY GARRY TRUDEAU hwmio&eimjNiN! Sfm F&mj4HMENT UM ysJi PC N0.7HAT KATAIL, WOULD BE A AVAILA3LB HI6HT! New-portNew- T P&MfBOI. AKTXmC i : It OFUHICH, HWLPTHAT . Va. : y caxhiou LAM. V wm fm : |