Black, Latino Caucuses Call for Enhanced Role for Minority and Women-Owned Businesses in Economic Stimulus

Trenton –The New Jersey Legislative Black and Latino caucuses today held a joint news conference where they outlined recommendations that they have submitted to Governor Corzine to help ensure that women and minority-owned businesses receive equal opportunities and access to the billions of economic stimulus dollars that will be dispersed across the State through the New Jersey Economic Assistance Recovery Plan.

“Diversity is our greatest strength and asset, and now more than ever, New Jersey has an affirmative responsibility to develop and maintain equitable practices and policies in the public marketplace,” said Senator Ronald L. Rice, D-Essex, who chairs the Legislative Black Caucus. “Recently we met with Governor Corzine and his staff to present our recommendations for steps that can be taken to help correct some of the mistakes of the past by ensuring that New Jersey’s diversity is reflected in the awarding of government contracts. I believe our meeting was productive in that it provided the ground-work for a new beginning of long-overdue opportunities, and I am confident that these opportunities are soon to come.”

“New Jersey’s many women and minority-owned small businesses must be given an equal opportunity to put our state back to work and pull New Jersey out of the depths of recession,” said Assemblywoman Nellie Pou, D-Passaic, who chairs the New Jersey Latino Caucus. “The impacts of this recession do not care about gender and they are color-blind. If New Jersey is to emerge from this crisis stronger, women and minority-owned businesses must have an equal change to compete for the billions of dollars that will be invested in the name of the economic stimulus.”

Senator Rice and Assemblywoman Pou noted that they held today’s joint news conference to inform the public of the groups’ collective efforts to work with the Governor and their colleagues in the Legislature to ensure that, during these tough economic times, minorities and women are given the same opportunity to earn the construction and professional contracts that will undoubtedly be made available through economic stimulus plan.