Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 11-18-16 Online Edition

Local
City’s Minority Business Manager Claims Articles Did Not Construe Truth
Dear Editor,
By simply reporting raw numbers without any context and accompany- ing facts, recent articles about and by James Ran- som of the Tampa Organi- zation of Black Affairs (TOBA) continue to mis- construe the City of Tampa’s Minority Busi- ness outreach and per- formance.
Of the many shortcom- ings, the articles used gen- eral Black population figures for comparison – a completely irrelevant and inaccurate method. Be- cause not every Black citi- zen owns a business; and, not all Black busi- nesses can perform every service, this failed to ac- count for the number of Black businesses certified within industry cate- gories, and included pay- ments for services for which Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) were either unavailable to com- pete or did not have the re- quired resources to perform.
2015 offers a good ex- ample of how and what the City purchases can conflict with the availabil- ity of what Certified Black businesses can provide.
In 2015, the majority of City contracts (51%) were for goods and materials, yet only 3% of certified companies in goods/mate- rials were Black busi- nesses. The majority of
certified Black businesses (33%) were in construc- tion, yet only 5% of City contracts were for con- struction; where Black certifications are highest.
Quite simply, as was stated, there were few “ready, willing, and able” MBEs for the required services referenced in the articles.
Rather than continuing efforts at deception, an ac- curate analysis on eco- nomic inclusion should include/encompass all major area public sector entities, including Hills- borough County – for ex- ample, the City of Tampa is but one part of the larger Tampa-Hillsbor- ough Metropolitan Statis- tical Area (MSA), and the City of Tampa and Hills- borough County share a constituency.
In summary, the City of Tampa has a documented history of not only inclu- sion, but continuing im- proved inclusion, within the restrictions defined by law. We have made unde- niable progress, and any areas for improvement are continuously diag- nosed and rectified through Disparity Study and Disparity Analysis. To declare the City is unfairly denying MBEs access and opportunity is ludicrous.
GREGORY HART Minority Business Development Manager, City of Tampa
Special City Election Runoff Set For December 6
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Earlier this month, a spe- cial election was held to elect a candidate for the City Coun- cil District 7 Seat. However, none of the six candidates se- cured enough votes to be cho- sen as the winner.
On December 6th, the Hillsborough County Supervi- sor of Elections Office will conduct a runoff for that race. Voters living in that district will choose either Dr. Jim Davison or Luis Viera as their representative.
The seat became vacant after Council woman Lisa Montelione resigned to challenge incumbent Shawn
DR. JIM DAVISON
Harrison for the State Rep- resentative District 63 post.
Dr. Jim Davison, 61, is an Emergency Room physi- cian. He has served on the Health Care Advisory Board, the Emergency Medical Plan-
LUIS VIERA
ning Council and the Health Care Task Force.
Luis Viera, 38, is the youngest of the candidates. He is a practicing attorney with the law firm of Odgen & Sullivan.
Promoter To Host Release Party For First Movie
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
On Sunday, November 20th, Dorian “Dowjuan” Welch a release party for “Playa Connection Movie.” The movie is being promoted by Dorian “Dowjuan” Welch, of Playa Connection Magazine and Miss Marily Entertainment.
The release party will take place at the Pegasus Lounge, 10008 N. 30th Street, from 8 p.m. until 2 a.m. Miss Marilyn J will host the Release Party, Comedy Jam and Scorpio Bash.
Live performances by An- gela Moore, Rio Paris, and the BBQ Pimp, Vee The Recruiter, (who co-wrote the movie), and Trab813, are planned as well.
Welch said the list of spe- cial invited guests includes Bernice Willis, Donald Campbell, Skii Star, Swanne River, DJ George, Big Snooke, James Gates, Comatosse Pimp, BJ Rudgeboy, Big A, Corey Miller, Reggie Reg, Come- dian Taurus, Mr. P, Krazy Legs, Beats, and Crim.
Shown in this photograph from left to right are Don Magic Juan, Promoter Dowjuan, and Snoop Dog.
This movie is one of many enterprises that Welch has taken on as promoter. Other movies include “Short Sale,” “Franchise Boys,” and “Sunshine.”
A native of Chicago,
Welch moved to Tampa in 2000, having been lured by the weather. After arriving here, he continued his involvement in the entertainment industry.
In 2013, he launched the
Playa Connection Maga- zine. The hard copy is planned for release in the spring of 2017. Another venture planned for next year is a Pod Cast hosted by Marilyn J and An- gela Moore.
He’s also works with his brother, Don Campbell, in real estate in Chicago.
The movie is available on Amazon.com or by contacting Welch. Anyone wishing to learn more about the release party can contact Welch at (813) 765-5066.
PAGE 4-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2016