NAACP to Mayor: “Deliver to your constituents what they want most: Jobs”

Mayor Bill Bogaard
100 N. Garfield Ave., Rm. 228
Pasadena, CA   91109

Dear Mayor,

For the past three weeks, we find ourselves encountering open criticism and verbal complaints regarding “the lack of employment opportunities for local residents”.

As each of you are aware, we were on the front line of support for the approval of the Rose Bowl Renovation Stadium project. We remained steadfast in our commitment over the objection of many local associations who cautioned us to “go slow” and “get it all in writing”. We truly believed that many local residents would be employed in the 1st phase of this project.

As painful as it is we must admit, various neighborhood groups and hundreds of nay-sayers were correct. In spite of our letter to you over 30 days ago sharing concerns, it appears that a deaf ear has been shown to understanding [your] communities plead for a stronger local hiring enforcement commitment.
If our numbers are accurate, $15 million has been committed to the 1st phase already. Ground breaking has occurred and general labor related work begun (stadium seats and score board removed). As we all view the local unemployment figures, want you agree that it suggest far more residents should be employed given the amount of public dollars being spent on taxes, housing, commercial and public projects in our city? The shortage of visible locals in the current work pool is dis-heartening.

I must admit, that the NAACP’s support would be far more effective if we had knowledge of how the process is currently proceeding and what has occurred in the past months to ensure employment of Pasadena residents. We believe the city’s effort will be more economically feasible utilizing community resources that know effective strategies for influencing local hiring of residents.

Our city created the first source ordinance to ensure employment of Pasadena residents. We support that concept for the purpose of the ordinance and the employment outcomes it is intended to produce. However, reports and data reported have not provided any clear evidence of the effectiveness of the ordinance. We have seen great numbers with regard to contacts with potential employers and residents. What has been lacking is no information regarding residents hired over the years as a result of 1st source agreements or the City’s implementation of the strategies.

We are all knowledgeable that past practices with contractors and projects has left a sour taste in the mouth of many tax payers in the City. Now is the time to restore confidence that Pasadena’s labor can be engaged in the work force in this city. The NAACP is aware of several cities that have experience tremendous success with similar ordinances when community based organizations and potential employers publicly collaborate with municipal authorities.

For transparency we request that you;
1. Develop a Rose Bowl oversight committee comprised of citizens to monitor local hiring efforts.
2. Request the local hiring plan/contracts.
3. Provide a report of the Phase 1 local hiring efforts to date from the outreach coordinator.

What better way than for each of you (as elected and appointed representatives) to deliver to your constituents what they want most,  Jobs.

Sincerely,

Joe Brown, President
Pasadena NAACP