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Glad Indiana is so welcoming and going back in-time.
Can we expect anything else from our illustrious AG and Governor? Sad.
Shouldn’t all jobs be bid out and we accept the bid that saves the taxpayers the most money?
The white supremacy battle continues. Interesting that Rokita is using the 14th Amendment to justify the constitutionality of this law, yet they were just all complaining about the 14th Amendment being upheld by the Supreme Court with regards to birth right citizenship. The sad truth is there are hundreds of minority and women owned businesses in the state of Indiana that will now be viewed as “inferior” because they used M/WBE status to help grow their businesses. They did not “earn it” on a “level” playing field.
💯
Glad to witness the removal of these programs that promote anti-white racism and anti-male sexism. Good riddance.
This is just cultural war rhetoric. The real discussion lies within, Should government try to remedy demonstrated disparities through race- and sex-conscious programs, or should assistance be based strictly on economic disadvantage and other race-neutral criteria?
Yeah – maybe these groups should now have allowed us white men to oppress them for 500+ years. If they had just pulled harder on their bootstraps they would not have been so oppressed!
This is what you sound like…
Wild how Indiana went from being nationally celebrated for it’s supplier diversity in 2016 to throwing a tantrum over sharing with its own teammates. Ending the XBE program because ‘everyone’s equal now’ is like shutting down the fire department because there hasn’t been a burning building in a few days. 🤔…😮💨 Tracking who’s at the table is suddenly ‘divisive,’ but keeping all the food on side of the table for decades was somehow tradition. If sharing and fairness feel like loss, maybe the issue isn’t the policy…
10+ years of prop up for minorities should be plenty for those folks to prove themselves. The cream has risen to the top by this point, it’s called meritocracy which should rule the day
The county is 250 years old. And you beseech me that 10 years of intentionality is sufficient instead of a good start to balance. So 240 years of domineering, good old boys clubbing, redlining, minimization, marginalization, and intentional discrimination is bested by 10 years of sharing and growing the pot for everyone on purpose? You’ve made your unforgettable point Jeffrey.
May we never meet. 🖖
Not taking a side, but at least argue from the reality: The General Assembly enacted the Supplier Diversity program in 1983, 43 years ago.
By that logic, Jeffrey, the veterans part of the program should go as well.
History suggests that discrimination does not disappear on it’s own; it adapts. Without structured safeguards and accountability, the persistent realities of the disease of racism and bias are likely to reassert themselves producing glaring disparities that will become increasingly difficult to ignore.
This is one of the few actions of this administration that I think is prudent and long overdue.
Best comment here – Discrimination does not disappear – it adapts. As long as there are men only clubs (WRYC anyone?) and golf courses, white men will do what white men will do. Stop complaining and do your own adapting to get business.
Racism is still alive and well in the Republican Party! Don’t let these people hide behind their “meritocracy” arguments. They feel that white men are the most meritorious BECAUSE they are white men. The same people propping up these bad-faith arguments are also complaining about the Punjab Properties proposed truck stop in Greenwood. They conveniently hide their racism behind concern for wetlands, but the real story is clear as day.
I’m assuming Michael whenever you have work done on your private residence you only hire women or minority-owned businesses correct?
So maybe when a company wins a bid from the state, all aspects of their winning bid (including their demographics) should be public as well as those that didn’t get it? That way the public could see if they truly received the bid on their merits. I would be curious if patterns would emerge.
💯
+1000 – most important will be the cost of each bid as well as any political donations made by the winning bidder
What! Contracts are to be awarded on competency? As MLK said 60 years ago: My dream is we are all judged by our skin color(and DNA) not by our character or ability. Right?
Let the grift continue since obviously we are not created equal.
If a federal court upholds this decision, it will accelerate Indiana’s race to replace Mississippi as the worst place in America to live and do business. What’s next? Adopt the Confederate flag as the state’s state flag?
Shouldn’t a company that is able to provide the best service at the lowest cost be the one that’s chosen?
Talk about being over dramatic. Do you go out of your way to hire only minority or women-owned businesses in your personal life?
Certainly glad to see this program go away. I had to fight against it my entire 50 year career! With the best experience and best knowledge for many of the projects, I was told by both City of Indy and State of Indiana that they had to hire a minority instead of me. And it was usually a white female ‘minority’. The entire mbe, dbe, and wbe program was a sham and shame! Good riddance to it all!
And now, you would lose deals to Diego Morales’ company because he’s a veteran.
Keith, based on the age you gave us …
There is truly nothing like a member of the generation that benefited from perhaps more government investment in their future than any other … that turns right around and tells everyone else to pound sand. I just don’t know if it’s willful or if you haven’t thought of it that way.
Joe’s right. I’m a Boomer who acknowledges the hand up:
1. Dad eligible for a VA home loan.
2. Federally guaranteed student loans.
3. Deductible car and student loan interest (for a few years at least).
3. FHA mortgages.
4. SBA business loan.
Not to mention the Interstate highway highway system (built entirely in my lifetime) and Federal investment in developing technology that has made me vastly more productive in my work.
Considerng how their great leader in Washington has now adopted the “no bid, just build” policy. Which is getting us some great quality. Reflecting pool included.
Would love to hear how those voicing in favor of Braun’s move would respond to Thomas H’s spot-on point about Trump’s no-bid contracts to incompetent ‘majority’ contractors such as the reflecting pool company, whose only qualification (by their own acknowledgement) is their financial support of the biggest grifter in history. Their abject racism knows no bounds!
No one is endorsing grift or nepotism, or any set aside that is discriminatory.
But it happens.
That’s why need open records on all municipal and government contracts.
That said,
Believe it or not, the lowest bid does not always equate to savings. You want quality contractors that will do the jobs with the highest standards, skill,
quality, snd capabilities,. Contractors that can afford to fix their own mistakes to get the job done. Contractors that meet these criteria are typically well established companies with proven track records,
Usually these companies started small on small projects gradually building themselves up to become reputable reliable companies that will finish a project on time, with the job done properly to quality standards
It takes a long time and a solid commitment to develop a contractor company to the standards that most people want.
Keith, that’s exactly what XBE goals were intended for: helping small contractors get a toehold so they could build experience and trust.
LOL. Nate’s Flock never disappoints. Neither Nate Feltman, Ed Delaney, Joe B, or Michael N would EVER employ affirmative action in their personal life. When selecting a provider for a product or service, they do their best to strike a balance between price, quality, and speed when it is THEIR money in play, but wail in agony when everyone else want to apply the same criteria
Chuck, the state of Indiana was so rife with buddy/buddy deals that it was only last year that they finally banned the practice of no bid contracts because Diego made it so obvious.
And remember Braun himself is continuing to hire “advisors”. Think he’s posting the job description on a government website and taking applications?
https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/politics/2026/07/15/contract-indiana-governor-mike-braun-economic-development-advisor-role/90903705007/
Some of us, with time and perspective, have been able to look back and realize that we were born on second or third base compared to others. And our response to that hasn’t been to build a higher fence and pretend “I did it all myself”, but to instead try to help others.
I agree 100% Chuck. I think it’s humorous these people are always so unhappy about Indiana but yet they continue to live here. They espouse democratic ideals and propaganda they should move to illinois.
Whether some of us were born with advantages or not, you still need to be able to do the job.
That’s the bottom line.
When you are paying for a project, especially a large scale project, you want the job done right, on time, and at budget. You’re NOT thinking about past injustices, you’re concentrating on the here and now as any sensible person would. Sensible people putting their money on the line typically want reputable contractors with proven track records. That’s just common sense.
If I remember correctly,
There were many minority set asides during the construction of Lucas Oil Stadium. It caused several delays and cost overruns because qualified minority contractors could not be found for such a large project.
That was kind of my point in my earlier comment. That qualified contractors to work on state and local Indianapolis projects have had to gradually build themselves and their reputations up over decades.
It wasn’t just a spontaneous decision to for someone to just say “ hey, I’m out here so hire me. “
It decades took decades to build reputable companies to do the work needed on these large scale projects.
You are unintentionally proving the need for the program, Keith. Women couldn’t own property or borrow money in their own names until the 1970s. And you surely aren’t trying to tell us that black people were never discriminated against by state and local governments in Indiana, when those same governments were run by Klan members 100 years ago.
Yes, it takes decades to build from nothing when you have always been shut out of the game.
Chris B.
Agreed completely on the ugliness of past discrimination and its negative affects against many groups in our state and nationwide.
But we also have come a long way in the last 60 years with many trying to right the wrongs of the past.
I am a firm supporter of Affirmative Action, but not quotas.
Maybe some of these minority contractors could team up with larger contractors on these large scale jobs. Just an idea.
Also, these large projects usually require union contractors. That’s another hurdle for many contractors that are not union, especially the smaller ones.
Why do some women and minorities continue to vote Republican?