According to Zennie62.com (Oakland City Auditor Wrong: Staff Asked Black Local Firm To Front For White Livermore Company) A key part of the “non-interference” report issued by Courtney Ruby, the Oakland City Auditor, and that blamed Councilmember Larry Reid (District 7) and Councilmember Desley Brooks (District 6), leading this blogger to brand it as racist, was proven to be completely wrong in a bombshell speech and interview at last night’s Oakland City Council meeting.
Ken Houston, who represents Turner Group, stepped forward during the public comment period on the Oakland Budget, to explain that his firm was not offered as an alternative to Top Grade Construction, but that Pat Cashman, who has been the City of Oakland’s Staff point person on the Oakland Army Base Project (and someone I worked with in the past, and a friend, so this is not intended to be hostile), asked Turner Group to be in the project and such that the black construction organization would be a “front” for the white Top Grade Construction company, which isn’t even based in Oakland – it’s in Livermore.
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