(A) A participatory democracy requires that citizens share equally in the rights, privileges and opportunities that abound. To emphasize this point, the Congress enacted the Civil Rights Act of 1964, being 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000d et seq.
(B) Until recently, Affirmative Action Plans were only for the industrial giants who dealt directly with the federal government. It was an undertaking that many companies felt “infringed” on their rights to conduct business “freely”.
(C) Today, however, large companies without Affirmative Action Plans are increasingly rare.
(D) Just as unwillingness to hire qualified and qualifiable workers on the basis of ability denies the applicant the economic means to earn his or her way in the American society, and deprives the potential employer of an available service, so the unwillingness to do business with minority businesses deprives a firm of a wider marketplace for its purchases. Such unwillingness depresses the economy even further with resulting social and economic penalties which impact on the entire community.
(E) The Commuter Rail Division of the Regional Transportation Authority believes strongly in providing equal opportunity both in employment and in the procurement process.
(F) The disadvantaged business enterprise program/policy set forth in the pages that follow formalizes the Commuter Rail Division’s actions with respect to our commitment in extending opportunities to minority and female entrepreneurs.
(Ord. CRB 84-42, passed 9-14-1984)