The LAUSD may be committing fraud with minority construction contracts
The LAUSD published its Small Business Program Year-End Report, ending March, 2004. In this report the LAUSD stated that African Americans were awarded ,230,750.40 in prime construction contracts, and that they were awarded ,644,998.00 in construction subcontracts.
In this same report, the LAUSD stated that it awarded Hispanics ,171,253.88 in prime construction contracts, and ,966,085.00 in construction subcontracts with the LAUSD.
On November 4, 2004, the LAUSD was presented with a Freedom of Information Act request, asking for the names and addresses of these minority firms who won these construction contracts. As of today, November 20, 2004, we have yet to receive this information. We have also visited the LAUSD headquarters, the Facilities Services Divison, with no success.
It is against the law to withold this information, and it is the law that the public agencies must reply within 10 days when a Freedom on Information request is requested.
We are now wondering if these contracts were ever awarded to these minorities. I don't believe that they were.