tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-158295345652647093.post1799697085010924385..comments2017-06-24T23:28:29.553-05:00Comments on THE RISING REPUBLIC: Texas GOP Applauds 71 House Republican Caucus Members' Statement of Principles on Voter IDUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-158295345652647093.post-21925415338757816072009-05-09T12:27:00.000-05:002009-05-09T12:27:00.000-05:00I wrote this essay in 2006
From: Andreas Fulche...I wrote this essay in 2006<br /><br /><br /><br />From: Andreas Fulcher<br />President/CEO<br />ONYCHA INDUSTRIES CORPORATION<br />www.onychaindustries.com <br />Honorary Chairman<br />2003 Texas Businessman of the Year, NRCC<br /><br />A memo to my friends at the City of Dallas and to our great Nation from a <br />black contractor<br /><br />GREAT NEWS! Martin Luther Kings dream that we be judged by the content of <br />our character and not the color of our skin has become reality! Social <br />injustice is no more, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson.<br /><br />In 10 years of being self employed, I feel compelled to thank America for <br />allowing me to experience the American dream. I founded my company at the <br />age of 28, 1997, with a Ford Probe and a mortgage on my first house. I <br />have no college degree and only had one year of construction experience in <br />1996, working for $6.00 an hour.<br /><br />Read this:<br />In 1997, my company engaged in what was intended to be a large sidewalk <br />replacement contract with the City of Dallas. I was chosen by an African <br />American General Contractor, TEI Construction and Engineering, to <br />participate in this contract due to my minority status. I was given a <br />signed contract and proceeded out to sign 6 concrete subcontractors to <br />begin work on this wonderful contract. In a span of 3 months I billed TEI <br />for $268,000.00. I was paid $48,000.00. Then the payments stopped coming! <br />I pleaded with the owner, twice my age, telling him I had maxed out my <br />credit cards, paying my subcontractors for their completed work. I <br />informed him I did not want to file claims as he will loose his bond <br />privileges. Ego and pride prevailed and I was forced to file claims. What <br />a blow! (the bonding company and I would settle for $52,000.00 4 years <br />later)<br /><br />TO THE RESCUE!<br />By 1998, looking at the big picture, I grudgingly paid the minimums on my <br />maxed out $5,000.00 limit credit cards, only to see my balances increase <br />each month. I decided to go to a bonding company, just me and my 1996 Ford <br />Probe, and apply for my own surety bond line. I had received a request for <br />bid from Plano Independent School District on an estimated $80,000.00 <br />parking lot for Plano High School. With maxed out credit cards, a Ford <br />Probe as my company collateral, but evidence of what I had accomplished <br />with the City of Dallas through Dallas references, I was granted my first <br />surety bond line ($200,000.00 bond line) by the content of my character. <br />Praise Jesus!<br /><br />I bid on and won the Plano parking lot. I carried out my first project to <br />perfection. I then went to Sherman, Tx. to buy my first true work truck, a <br />1996 Dodge dually. I was seduced into buying two 1996 Dodge Rams and a <br />1996 Ford Taurus, all white in color. The salesman sighted my credit was <br />that good! I left the dealership in a panic, thinking I may have gotten <br />over my head. By the grace of God, all three vehicles were paid off early!<br /><br />By 1999, my bond line had jumped to $500,000.00, by the content of my <br />character. Toward the end of 1999, I won $600,000.00 in sidewalk contracts <br />with the City of Dallas. I went to Metro Ford in Dallas to buy my first <br />dump truck, brand new. I walked in with my check book expecting to pay <br />something down. Instead of asking me for a check, the dealer gave me the <br />keys and escorted me to my new truck. The dealer smiled and said, ”She’s <br />all yours, you’ll get your first bill in 6 weeks.” NOTHING DOWN! Based on <br />the content of my character.<br /><br />The Dallas contracts were completed on time and to perfection. By this <br />time, my credit card debt was no more. I also bought a Bobcat front end <br />loader in 1999. I added some more work trucks and had a formidable amount <br />of business collateral.<br /><br />By 2002, my company had grossed $2,700,000.00. I completed nearly <br />$900,000.00 with the City of Dallas with no discrepancies. Early that year <br />I received a phone call from a black janitorial contractor, Century <br />Services, out of Ft.Worth. He wanted to collaborate with me on bidding on <br />a City of Dallas sidewalk project on Skillman Road in Dallas because he <br />acknowledged I was an expert with the City of Dallas. I would engage in a <br />contract with an African American for the second time in my career. I <br />picked up the bid specs. from the City and filled out all the bid <br />documents including the unit items. He signed it and provided the surety <br />bond. We won the bid and set out to procure the project. By this time I <br />was five months in payments away from being paid off in full. It was <br />around this time I became deadly ill with a neural virus. My crew <br />completed the job with no discrepancies.<br /><br />I was admitted into the hospital on Feb. 25, 2003, fearing for my life. I <br />had lost 80 lbs. I was released 8 days later. I called Lewis Johnson of <br />Century Services in reference to payment. I reminded him I needed at <br />least $5,000.00 to pay off my bobcat. He refused, not explaining why he <br />wouldn’t pay. I knew then the demon of envy, covetedness, pride and greed <br />had infiltrated his spirit. He perjured himself on a government document, <br />Form 8, of which I was the only contractor listed. He signed the document <br />claiming he had paid me $52,000.00. He never paid me a dime on this <br />$70,000.00 contract! It doesn’t end there, this man who cursed at me when <br />I told him God would not condone his actions is a minister!<br /><br />The virus took me out for five months. Because I had no money to meet my <br />bills, I was forced to file bankruptcy. I lost all my equipment at my <br />storage facility and my dump truck which was a year away from being paid <br />off in full was repossessed as was my bobcat which was 5 months away from <br />being paid off, my first repossessions of my LIFE! An additional black <br />contractor blocked checks of $12,000.00 made out to me believing I would <br />pass away. I was too ill to file timely claims, so I gave it to God. I <br />asked the Lord to forgive him and bless him. In 2004, he filed for <br />bankruptcy as a sole proprietor which put him completely out of business. <br />Praise God for the corporate system which doesn’t effect my business. <br />However, the loss of all my equipment and the inability to qualify for <br />surety bonds, due to my bankruptcy, eliminates me from giving jobs to <br />minorities and black subcontractors.<br />Who’s keeping our people down? And who is going to get me out of this <br />mess? The same people who have chosen to walk the walk of the precepts <br />set forth by the spirit God over 400 years ago, the same spirit which <br />freed us in 1864, and gave us affirmative action and voting rights 100 <br />years later. Unfortunately, What LBJ meant for good and compensation for <br />past discrimination has left us with no excuses.<br /><br />The reason my spirit is so high is because in ten years of business at age <br />38 and more than $3,000,000.00 in gross sales, I’ve seen the change in <br />our culture regarding race.<br /><br />White America has become apathetic to our complaints. They have done <br />everything they could to make amends for past transgressions even though <br />most weren’t around during the civil rights movement. We need to stop <br />being so cynical toward white America and understand we are the greatest <br />nation in the world because they have decided to walk the walk of their <br />faith in the last 40 years. We don’t want to believe it because it holds <br />us accountable.<br /><br />I feel I owe white America a debt of gratitude for blessing me without any <br />transgressions in 10 years. This is because true Christians don’t covet. <br />They walk the walk. They don’t need our killings and our disrespect. But <br />they forgive us for our transgressions in hope of a changing environment. <br />A Christian attitude.<br /><br />We talk the talk of Jesus Christ but we don’t walk the walk. We need to <br />get on our knees and thank God to be living in this environment. We are <br />not living for the right reasons. I work hard to make my wife proud of me <br />and so she can enjoy the American dream, (she’s from Germany)<br /><br />We’ve grossed over $3,000,000.00 to date<br />I am thankful to America for helping pay off my house in North Garland in <br />5 years.<br />I am thankful to America for being voted 2003 Texas Businessman of the <br />Year by the NRCC in Washington D.C. by the content of my character<br />Invited to George Bushes 2004 Annual Dinner and attending by the content <br />of my character<br />Awarded the 2006 Merit Award by the content of my character.<br />I am thankful to America for being blessed to travel anywhere in the world <br />on a credit card because I was approved by my credibility and not my skin <br />color.<br />I traveled to Europe ever year since 1996. I’ve traveled to Cambodia twice <br />on mission trips, changing course on the way back home to run the beaches <br />of Cancun for a week at the exclusive five star Hotel. Oh no! Don’t tell <br />Al Sharpton. He proclaimed on national TV “We’re not free, no, we’re not <br />free!” This is our spiritual leader inciting anger and strife among the <br />masses.<br /><br />Let me close with this, these are my losses suffered in my 10 year <br />existence:<br />African American contractors including equipment $440,000.00<br />And stripped of my freedom<br /><br />White contractors/Government officials $ 900.00<br /><br /><br />Am I angry at my people? No, God wants us to forgive. I took the son of <br />the owner of TEI out to eat German food last year.<br />I couldn’t get hold of Lewis Johnson of Century Services, but I told him <br />on his answering machine I forgive him.<br /><br /><br /><br />Thank you America and God bless Martin Luther King!andreas fulcherhttp://www.onychaindustries.comnoreply@blogger.com