Orange County NC Website
00448 <br /> had to call sub-con-tractors and you know you have no contractors in this <br /> country who undertake full responsibility for a job and perform everything <br /> themselves all the time. You need electricians, plumbers, etcetera. So <br /> you don't have that expertise but you get people under contract with you <br /> and you subcontract. And because of that Mr. Smith's priorities differed <br /> from the anticipation of the structured rehab counsel, counselor. The <br /> counselor's articulation in the farm of a memo addressed Mr. Smith Laving <br /> dome something to the roof prior to doing something else. And for that <br /> reason, he didn't have sufficient knowledge to justify continued partici- <br /> i <br /> i <br /> paticn in that program. I would raise ,great question with that. T,--t <br /> me touch briefly on why Mr. Smith quote dated in the letter received frM <br /> the younci lady who had just taken the position, the new position in Durham <br /> was denying him the right to participate in that program. There had <br /> initially.been 66 2/3% of the contracts participating in the Durham <br /> rehab program who were black; 33% were white. As the program wont on <br /> the blacks were eliminated practically to one contractor. At that point, <br /> I went to Washington and talked with Mrs. Harris who was then the Sec- <br /> retary of HEW. I went to Atlanta, I talked with the Solicitors General <br /> Office. I went to Greensboro, and we brought in the solicitors General, <br /> we brought in the Auditors, we brought an the FBI and we brought in HOD <br /> f--= Atlanta- At that time, if you read the papers, it was docuzTented, <br /> they found there was discrimination. The Redevelcpment Ounnission over <br /> there was practically, it.was, they discontinued they were banned. They <br /> went out of business. They were audited; they found some discrepancies. <br /> And on the basis of that, they cam up with a new program in Durham. And <br /> I felt that it was extremely significant that you be informed as to what <br /> has taken place in your program and what kited of data, what kind of good <br /> clean raw data is being used to justify denying Mr. Smith participation <br /> in this program. Especially after he completed the building that he under- <br /> took.on bid in the manner in which they wanted it completed. There was a <br /> sign off by the property Owner. The property owner was completely satisfied <br /> with the }wilding. Ah Your director would not provide us with a copy of <br /> that sign off. said he didn't k now where it was. He couldn't fixed it. <br /> It wasn't in the file. We went over to the house where the daughter now <br /> lives and she said as far as she ]mew the parents were satisfied. She's <br />