Even though Illinois didn't rank as a leader in a listing of states, Cook County did come in fourth in a tally of the number of minority business owners in U.S. counties. A little more than 30 percent, or 154,811, of the firms in Cook County are minority-owned, according to new numbers by the Census Bureau's Survey of Minority Business Owners.
While it is encouraging to see that Illinois is a leader in minority business ownership, a new report by the city of Chicago's inspector general stating that the municipality's Minority & Women Owned Business Enterprise program (MWBE) is "beset by fraud and abuse" is quite disheartening. What does that mean for the thousands of women and minority business owners in Cook County that bid on proposals meant to ensure that city contracts are doled out fairly to all qualified parties? Read more »
