<p>A campaign to change abuse of power in government entities!</p>

Institutionalized racism



My name is Dineen Etienne president of Dee’s Construction
a small business owner, certified minority/female owned business. 

We would like to provide an overview of my personal experiences in doing business with the state of North Carolina.

I was encouraged to get disadvantage business enterprise (DBE) and historical underutilized business (HUB) certification. In-order to do business with the state/local government. 

It took close to two years for the North Carolina Department of transportation certification unit to complete my certification as a DBE firm. After losing my documents multiple times! Federal guidelines require completion of certification within 90 days.

North Carolina Department of transportation also sent my confidential documentation over to a consultant without my consent. Which is also a violation of law!

North Carolina Department of Administration, contract consultants. Later documented showed that the consultants were not knowledgeable in the construction industry. It was also later found out that North Carolina Department of transportation, transferred money over to the department of Administration In the amount of $750,000. And was never used to help the minority firms! 
 
There have been federal funds that have been given to North Carolina Department of Transportation year after year in the amount of $150,000 each year for the past five years, now totaling $750,000 those funds were transferred over to the North Carolina Department of Administration. The funds should be used to help small minority firms. But instead the state is scrambling to use the money for consulting firm’s that do not have any experience in construction. And or used for campaigning purposes! This is very unfair to minorities participating in the program.

In pursuit of contracts with North Carolina Department of Public Safety, I had questions on why the packages were put out for bid. Because, if all the work was going to be performed by inmates and only materials to be purchased by the contractor bidding on the project. It would make sense that North Carolina Department of Public Safety purchase materials from a supplier or manufacture. 

In pursuit of pricing for materials from suppliers, I found that when receiving price quotes they were significantly higher than a non-minority contractor!

After, I secured a contract with the North Carolina Department of Public Safety! I experience collusion, antitrust, public corruption! North Carolina Department of Public Safety communicated with my suppliers. Abby at A1 supply stated “DPS had fun making a fool of a black woman”! 

Department of public safety also communicating with a former contractor, that DPS had relationships with for years! And communicated with this other supplier regarding the project Dee’s Construction secured with North Carolina Department of Public Safety.

President Trump and Governor Cooper, I want you to know the things that I have experience here within North Carolina are unthinkable as a small business owner! 

There are 2000 firms with in the state of North Carolina that are certified as minority firms, and have had some experienced some discrimination and or retaliation from these government entities.

President Trump, and Governor Cooper I am contacting you both for all those firms, that do not have a voice! I asked you to step in, and help us small business owners here in the state of North Carolina, and with in the United States that are experiencing these very same of these very same problems on a day-to-day basis. 

We cannot be competitive in the construction industry and receive contracts. Unless there is fair pricing and the paid to play operation is stopped! 

The prime contractors that are trying to meet that 1% to 3% minority participation cannot do so. Because, the small minority businesses cannot meet the capacity to go on a job site and complete the job! Everyone is getting the short end of the stick! 

Prime contractors say they cannot meet the federal government or state requirements for minority participation! Because, the HUB/ DOT office has not helped the firms within the state of North Carolina! Instead use to help the individuals that are consultants that are friends or that are contributing to their campaign within the state of North Carolina.

The contacts that are awarded to the owner, the owner states that they made a good faith effort to get minority participation for the project. If the federal government and the state of North