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Posted by: PBC FL Cop

Sunday, December 23, 2007

For Patrick, diversity a key in administration hiring

NEWS ANALYSIS

By Ken Maguire THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BOSTON— The state’s first black governor says he’s far outpacing his predecessor when it comes to hiring minorities into government management jobs, which he says is an important step in making the Statehouse feel like the people’s house.

“There are regular citizens who feel like they can’t get heard up here unless they know a lobbyist. It shouldn’t be that way,” Patrick said in an interview with The Associated Press.

One way to remove the barriers, he said, is by hiring from a wider pool of candidates. Patrick cites as one of his first-year achievements hiring a “historically diverse” Cabinet and leadership team.

Twenty-seven percent of hires in the governor’s office are people of color and 52 percent are women, the Democratic governor said.

Nineteen percent of administration managers hired this year are racial minorities, which Patrick said is more than double the percentage hired by the administration of Republican Mitt Romney in its first year, 2003.

“We have made great progress, but there’s no end game,” Patrick said.

The state’s first Democratic governor in 16 years said his campaign message about Massachusetts politics being exclusionary resonated with his supporters.

“I talked about why that was neither a critique nor a compliment, but it was a reality, and that there are a whole lot of people just like me who feel like they can’t get in the club, that you’ve got to wait your turn, that you’ve got to know somebody,” Patrick said.

After winning office, Patrick pledged that his administration would be “a real reflection of the diversity of Massachusetts in every way, racially and ethnically and geographically and in terms of background and perspective.”

Once in office, he signed an executive order mandating state agencies develop an affirmative action and diversity plan. It required Cabinet secretaries to appoint a diversity director and state agencies to appoint a civil rights officer to ensure compliance with nondiscrimination laws. It also mandated diversity training.

Beverly Dwyer, founder of the nonprofit National Diversity Foundation, which runs education programs, said laying the foundation with an executive order was a good first step.

“Diversity is particularly important for state government because the clientele they serve are the most diverse,” said Dwyer, who worked 36 years for the state of Rhode Island, including as state diversity director. “It’s a trust issue with cultures. There’s a comfort zone there.”

Massachusetts is about 86 percent white, 8 percent Hispanic, and 7 percent black, with some crossover because of people reporting mixed race, according to 2005 Census figures.

Patrick in May hired Lily Mendez-Morgan as senior appointments director, overseeing hiring in the executive branch and on state boards and commissions. In doing so, Patrick cited Mendez-Morgan’s experience with a foundation that supports civic participation by minorities.

Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said he’s unable to confirm Patrick’s statement about hiring more minorities, but defended Romney’s record.

“Governor Romney had a diverse Cabinet and senior staff with women and African-Americans who were hired for their skills and capabilities,” said Fehrnstrom, adding that Romney was nationally recognized for having a high number of women in senior positions.

Romney, now campaigning for the Republican nomination for president, told a crowd in Londonderry, N.H., in August that he would surround himself in Washington with advisers who reflect the nation’s diversity. He said he envisioned calling together a group similar to the “kitchen cabinet” of black citizens he said he regularly met with as governor.

Patrick, who is campaigning for Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama, said he’s optimistic about making Massachusetts government more accessible.

“I know that there are traditions and conventions of successful legislating, but I also know that the people want a change and I was elected to lead that change, and I’m trying to do so,” he said.

86% of population is white, 7% is black, yet the black Gov's new hires are 27% black?? Sounds more like discrimination than diversity!!!

Posted by: SOT

He's got a lot of relatives that need jobs...yo!

Posted by: Wolfman

I wonder how many better qualified people were passed over because their shade of skin tone or ethnic history didn't line up with Deval's idea of what face should go with the job title? Looks like he's hiring more based on what's good for his image and ambitions rather than what's good for the citizens of the commonwealth.

Once more the taxpayers get the bill for Deval's window dressing.

Posted by: PBC FL Cop

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wolfman

I wonder how many better qualified people were passed over because their shade of skin tone

Approximately 27%

Posted by: SinePari

Quote:

Originally Posted by PBC FL Cop

Once in office, he signed an executive order mandating state agencies develop an affirmative action and diversity plan.

That's how he made his $$$ before getting into the Clinton Administration. Raping a company with deep pockets by showing them that their diversity numbers do not "reflect" the population.

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