10-year-old Luke Bresette -- Death by State-Mandated Diversity at the Birmingham Shuttlesworth International Airport

Writing at Al.com, resident white-guilt drenched editorial writer John Archibald voices his disgust with anyone daring to notice a racial angle to the disaster (mind you, a disaster normally reserved for a "developing country" or a "third world" nation) at the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport.

10-year-old Luke Bresette is dead, so trying to ascertain how an information sign could fall off the wall and crush this young boy should be priority no. 1.

Idiocracy -- Thy name is Birmingham, a third-world city run by third-world people

And, yes, in a city stuck in 1963, it should be fairly obvious a racial angle is in play. In fact, the Birmingham Airport Authority (BAA) - the city of Birmingham owns the airport, but the BAA is tasked with running it - needs only look at the fabled "Birmingham Plan" of 1990 to see why the city is perpetually stuck in 1963.

Since 1989, the city of Birmingham has operated under a consent decree ensuring that something called the "Birmingham Plan-Construction Industry Program" guides all city contracts, fuels the Minority Business Enterprise Program, and demands minority inclusion in all private and public construction efforts:

The Birmingham Construction Industry Authority (BCIA) is one of several voluntary programs that are collectively referred to as “The Birmingham Plan”, a plan established in 1990 and designed to overcome the critical under-utilization of Minority and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (MBE/DBE) in the City of Birmingham’s economic growth.

The BCIA Board of Directors establishes voluntary goals for minority and disadvantaged business participation in construction projects. These goals apply to both the public and private sectors of the construction industry, and are used throughout the Greater Birmingham four-county area.

All companies, public and private, that engage at any time in the purchase of construction services within the metropolitan Birmingham area are encouraged to become signatories to the Birmingham Plan-Construction Industry agreement.

Signatory participants agree to participate by adopting the BCIA guidelines and pledging to comply with the participation goals and objectives established. BCIA guidelines are included in the specifications of each signatory participant’s projects; making them obligatory upon the general contractors negotiating/bidding such projects.

 Since the city of Birmingham owns the airport, this consent decree applies to all construction projects there as well. Wait a second though, what is this Birmingham Construction Industry Authority?:

The Birmingham Construction Industry Authority (BCIA) is one of several voluntary programs that are collectively referred to as "The Birmingham Plan", a plan established in 1990 and designed to overcome the critical under-utilization of Minority and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (MBE/DBE) in the City of Birmingham’s economic growth.

 Birmingham in 2013 is a 74 percent black city, so surely some quality black entrepreneurs must have been attracted to a city whose operating goal - according to the consent decree of 1989 as established in "The Birmingham Plan" - is to promote black business interests?

Not exactly.

What are the goals of this BCIA?

The goals and objectives expressed in the BCIA mission statement are: 

• Promote community awareness and a sense of responsibility for including MBE/DBE contractors in the economic mainstream. 

• Promote a thriving and diversified construction marketplace for both business and employment in the Greater Birmingham Metropolitan area. 

• Promote the recognition of the BCIA by construction users as a resource center for community responsible construction businesses, both mainstream and MBE/DBE. 

• Promote proactive and innovative efforts to meet the goals and objectives of the Birmingham Plan. 

• Promote the construction industry as a viable career option for minority students as well as by providing assistance through scholarship and expanded employment opportunities. 

• Certify and monitor the development of bona fide firms which are owned and controlled in both form and substance by qualified minority and disadvantaged persons.  

How's that working out so far? That's right: black-owned businesses account for only one percent of all annual corporate revenue in the state of Alabama.

Yes, white man, that is what 2013 Birmingham looks like

Blacks are 26 percent of the state of Alabama's population.

Even with government mandated programs, only one percent of annual corporate revenue in the state comes from black-owned firms. 

But let's get back to the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport and the "Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)" program. Would you believe the federal government mandates, as a condition of receiving federal assistance from the Board of Transportation, airports to have a DBE?:

Welcome to BAA's DBE Program Office

PURPOSE: As a condition of receiving federal financial assistance from the Department of Transportation, the Birmingham Airport Authority maintains a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise(DBE) program in accordance with regulations of the U. S. Department of Transportation (DOT) 49 CFR Part 23 and 26. The DBE Programs seek to ensure DBEs have an equal opportunity to received and participate in DOT-assisted contracts by removing barriers to the participation of DBEs and assists the development of firms that can compete successfully in the marketplace outside of the DBE Program. DBE Certification Module (for New and Existing DBEs) In BAA's Certification Module, potential and existing DBEs will be able to do the following: Receive an overview of the DBE program and learn the requirements for DBE applicants Complete and submit the DBE application online Review the status of previously submitted applications Download the No Change Affidavit and Personal Financial Statement Update your DBE contact information Contracting Module (Opportunity Awaits) BAA's Contracting Module assists prime contractors and DBEs to do the following: Search the DBE directory View prospective bidders for BAA contracts Post and view subcontract opportunities Compliance Module (Project Tracking) BAA's Compliance Module allows prime contractors and subcontractors to do the following: Submit monthly compliance reports on current contracts Confirm subcontractor payments Submit 1391 forms

 What do you think the government of China does when issuing contracts for potential builders/contractors? Does their government stipulate in the issuing of grants that a dysgenic sounding Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program exist for the successful transfer of funds?

No.

America is not a super power anymore.

Birmingham is not a first world city anymore (new city slogan: "Where it's always 1963.")

No super power would handicap construction projects that serve the general public with egalitarian guidelines, just as no first world city would see an airport they own have an information sign fall off of a wall and kill someone.

Yes, John Archibald, this story has everything to do with race.

Welcome to "The Tragic City."

10-year-old Luke Bresette is still dead, while "The Birmingham Plan" still clearly illustrates that some races are more equal than others in 'The Magic City.'