Private firms will screen city contract bidders

The city of Chicago is planning to exit the business of screening minority firms before certifying them to bid on city contracts. Instead of struggling with a 1,600-case backlog that's forced minority businesses to wait two years for certification, Chicago will rely on groups that do certification for the federal government and some state and local governments. The groups include the Women's Business Enterprise National Council and the National Minority Supplier Development Council. Chicago Mayor Richard Daley says the city's efforts to certify minority contractors was cumbersome and slow. The city's minority contracting program has been compromised by fraud, with white-owned firms masquerading as minority companies.