CHARLOTTE, N.C. Some Hispanic Democrats are angry that one of the few major contracts for minority businesses at the Democratic National Convention went to a Hispanic leader of North Carolina’s Republican Party.
Convention organizers made a big effort to contract with minority-run businesses. But some Hispanics see contracting with the chairman of North Carolina’s Republican National Hispanic Assembly as anathema to the mission of the Democrats, especially considering the partisan differences on major issues such as immigration.
The contract has reopened existing rifts between advocates for undocumented residents and more conservative members of the Hispanic community who are more integrated into the business community.
“The DNC convention people were hoodwinked,” said German de Castro, co-chairman of the Hispanic Voter Coalition of Charlotte and an active member of the Hispanic American Democrats of North Carolina. “We have people in our party that needed those contracts that we should have supported because they support us.”
Victor Guzman, who leads Republican campaigns across North Carolina, received an $80,000 contract to produce thousands of blue reusable water bottles emblazoned with the skyline of the host city, Charlotte, for DNC volunteers and other attendees. Before the convention, he spent several months campaigning across the state and leading the work of Republican Latino offices in Charlotte, Raleigh and Greensboro.
Guzman credited the Democrats for putting the economic benefits of Charlotte ahead of party affiliation.
“The fact that they were blind to whatever party you belong to, I think, is a good thing,” Guzman said. “I would hope that the Republican Party was the same way.”
In March, convention planners announced an ambitious goal to spend at least one-third of contract dollars with businesses owned by a diverse range of groups, including minorities and women.
Organizers said Thursday that they were still tabulating expenditures, but they expected to reach their one-third goal for diversity spending. They would not answer questions about concerns from Hispanic Democrats about Guzman. His contract was chosen by the convention host committee, which is nonpartisan.
A senior host committee official, who did not want to be named because of the political dispute, said vendors were chosen not by party affiliation but “based on their ability to meet our needs.”
At least one member felt they were part of a “dog and pony show,” she said. Others felt like the convention organizers micromanaged contracts.
“If you had an event at your venue, well, they assigned you a caterer,” Forrest said. “They assigned you the event planner. They assigned you the entertainment. You could not choose who you would work with. The DNC assigned who you would work with. So that what was kind of awkward for some of the members.”
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/09/13/3528039/hispanics-upset-about-dnc-contract.html
Convention organizers made a big effort to contract with minority-run businesses. But some Hispanics see contracting with the chairman of North Carolina’s Republican National Hispanic Assembly as anathema to the mission of the Democrats, especially considering the partisan differences on major issues such as immigration.
The contract has reopened existing rifts between advocates for undocumented residents and more conservative members of the Hispanic community who are more integrated into the business community.
“The DNC convention people were hoodwinked,” said German de Castro, co-chairman of the Hispanic Voter Coalition of Charlotte and an active member of the Hispanic American Democrats of North Carolina. “We have people in our party that needed those contracts that we should have supported because they support us.”
Victor Guzman, who leads Republican campaigns across North Carolina, received an $80,000 contract to produce thousands of blue reusable water bottles emblazoned with the skyline of the host city, Charlotte, for DNC volunteers and other attendees. Before the convention, he spent several months campaigning across the state and leading the work of Republican Latino offices in Charlotte, Raleigh and Greensboro.
Guzman credited the Democrats for putting the economic benefits of Charlotte ahead of party affiliation.
“The fact that they were blind to whatever party you belong to, I think, is a good thing,” Guzman said. “I would hope that the Republican Party was the same way.”
In March, convention planners announced an ambitious goal to spend at least one-third of contract dollars with businesses owned by a diverse range of groups, including minorities and women.
Organizers said Thursday that they were still tabulating expenditures, but they expected to reach their one-third goal for diversity spending. They would not answer questions about concerns from Hispanic Democrats about Guzman. His contract was chosen by the convention host committee, which is nonpartisan.
A senior host committee official, who did not want to be named because of the political dispute, said vendors were chosen not by party affiliation but “based on their ability to meet our needs.”
At least one member felt they were part of a “dog and pony show,” she said. Others felt like the convention organizers micromanaged contracts.
“If you had an event at your venue, well, they assigned you a caterer,” Forrest said. “They assigned you the event planner. They assigned you the entertainment. You could not choose who you would work with. The DNC assigned who you would work with. So that what was kind of awkward for some of the members.”
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/09/13/3528039/hispanics-upset-about-dnc-contract.html