TODAY’S BIBLE VERSE

Help minority vendors and taxpayers

FedEx's Richard Smith and City Council Chairman Berlin Boyd made comments recently concerning EDGEgranted PILOTs and minority vendor participation.

I am not against economically-disadvantaged minorities getting a leg up. However, what should be changed is the

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. Psalm 103: 8 following: The paperwork and legal qualification rules are very complicated and discourage otherwise qualified firms. There should be a common-sense method of qualifying vendors such as the Better Business Bureau or other independent organizations that use a rating system based on customer satisfaction reports.

Most importantly the purchasing system should be open and transparent with the final bids and selection online and open to all. If a minority firm is the low bidder, so be it. If it is not the low bidder, and is selected, then the price differential should be no more than 3-5 percent. The minority firm should be

LETTERS

Email letters to letters@commercial appeal.com; mail Letters to the Editor, The Commercial Appeal, 495 Union, Memphis, TN 38103; or click on the “Submit Letter” link on the Opinion page atcommercialappeal.com. given a 1-2 year time to graduate to a zero price differential status for future competitive bids.

Presently we do not know what this purchasing system is costing taxpayers and with millions of our tax dollars spent locally, we need to know if they are spent wisely.

Joe Saino, Memphis