Layers of insulation keep politicians from being swayed on development projects

Crain’s New York Business, August 8, 2017

The General Contractors Association of New York Executive Director Denise M. Richardson responds to report Cuomo took cash from troubled contractor.

There are entire government departments and floors of procurement professionals who report to work each day to review, analyze, audit, critique and reject the submissions of contractors who seek to participate in the construction of public infrastructure projects. It can literally take a year for a construction firm to go through the review and vetting procedure before a contract is awarded and that is just the start of what will be a lengthy, exhausting and daily inspection process that examines every aspect of a company’s performance.

So to suggest that contracts are awarded because an individual or corporation exercises its right to support a particular candidate (“Cuomo, who once hit rival for taking cash from troubled firm, did so himself”) ignores the reality of how and who awards contracts for city and state infrastructure projects. Perhaps no other sector is so scrutinized by so many independent third parties as the heavy construction company for the purpose of ensuring that competence is the sole criteria for selection.

Denise M. Richardson

Executive Director

The General Contractors Association of New York