Black contractors getting little if any more contracts since new law By Keith Burbank article OAKLAND, Calif. - Two and a half months following a new ordinance aimed at improving equity in city contracting, little has changed, a city councilmember admitted Thursday. City councilmember Loren Taylor said anecdotal evidence suggests improvement, but there are no numbers to back it up. Contractors say they are going to meeting after meeting with city officials and nothing has changed, leaving them frustrated. The frustration comes after the City Council passed the Local Business Empowerment Through Contracting ordinance in February, and after the city's seemingly reluctant decision to release a study showing racial disparities in contracting in Oakland.