Claim: It has been claimed that businesses owned by white men are not allowed to bid on a $2.3 billion grant for the redevelopment of New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Reasoning: The claim is false and misrepresents the facts. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which oversees JFK, has clarified that the $2.3 billion refers to contracts awarded to minority- and women-owned businesses (MWBEs) as part of the airport’s redevelopment. The project aims to involve certified MWBEs but does not exclude other businesses from bidding. In fact, non-MWBEs have been awarded over $5 billion in contracts as of February 2024. The Port Authority has set a participation goal of 30% for MWBEs in its capital projects, including JFK’s redevelopment. This goal is about expanding opportunities and increasing competitiveness, not limiting them.
The $2.3 billion figure does not represent a grant but rather the value of contracts awarded competitively to MWBEs. The redevelopment project, valued at $19 billion, involves private investors and prioritizes local businesses for contracts, regardless of the race or gender of their owners. The Port Authority is a self-funding agency and does not use tax revenue for this project.
Fact or Fiction? Fiction. The claim that businesses owned by white men are barred from bidding on JFK airport redevelopment contracts is incorrect. The bidding process has been open to all qualified businesses, and the $2.3 billion figure represents contracts awarded to MWBEs, not a grant exclusively for them.
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