To: President Donald Trump, Mayor of Yuma, The Arizona State House, The Arizona State Senate, Governor Doug Ducey, The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate
Government Grants/Competitions
We believe that all Grants and Competitions should be "Open to the Public." "Size of the Organization" or "Profit/Non-Profit Status" should not be a deciding factor, but "Quality" should.
Equal Opportunity must be observed. Intellectual Property Rights must be protected, NOT "Waived." Judging Criteria MUST be included. An Evaluation should accompany each "Rejection Letter." Using excuses such as "Not enough room," or "Too many Applicants" is not allowed. There should be an Appeal Procedure for Rejected Applicants. All Rejected Material should be Returned to the Applicant, in good condition. Judging criteria should not include previous Familiarity with the Applicant or their Family members.
Why is this important?
During my past 23 years of Residence in Arizona, I have observed many examples of Government Grants and Competitions which appear to be Discriminatory:
1) Grants are based on size of Organization, instead of Quality of Work.
2) Grants are based on Non-Profit 501(c)3 status, which does not always tell you the whole story about the organization.
3) Grants are usually awarded to well-known organizations instead of newcomers.
4) In "Individual Competitions," Judging Criteria are not always listed.
5) Rejection Letters do not include Evaluations.
6) Contestants are required to sign Waivers which give the Contest Directors the Right to Use their Intellectual Property without Credit to the person who created it.
7) Judging is often based on Political or Subjective Opinions of the Judging Committee. "Controversial Topics" are not allowed.
8) Those who Administer Grants or Competitions often have no background in the Area of Interest.
9) Sometimes, a Grant or Competition Award is denied to Minorities, Disabled, Seniors, or those of another Belief System.
10) There is no way to address these issues, because EEOC does not cover Grants and Competitions.