FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM APRIL 15, 2021 • THE QUEENS COURIER 19
Andrew Yang draws backlash
after calling for more enforcement
against unlicensed street vendors
BY MARK HALLUM
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
New Yorkers gathered
in support of the“Churro
Lady,” otherwise known as
Elsa, on Sunday aft er mayoral
candidate Andrew Yang
called for greater enforcement
action against unlicensed
street vendors.
Th eNovember 2019 incident
in which Brooklyn cops
seized Elsa’s churro cartin
the Broadway Junction subway
station broke hearts
andprovoked a decisioninCity
Council in January
2021to off er more permits
and less enforcement of
some of the city’s poorest
entrepreneurs.
“You know what I hear
over and over again — that
NYC is not enforcing rules
against unlicensed street
vendors. I’m for increasing
licenses but we should do
more for the retailers who
are paying rent and trying to
survive,” Yang tweeted.
While a Yang spokesman
did not elaborate as to what
the candidate’s statement
calling for enforcement
entailed, he did explain that
he was in support of legislation
expanding opportunities
for legit sellers and
that he was endorsed by
Councilwoman Margaret
Chin who sponsored the
legislation formally passed
in January to hand out more
permits.
“Andrew emphatically
supports the latest legislation
passed in January
by Council member Chin
and advocated for by the
Street Vendor Project that
will help bring people into
the legal market,” said Jake
Sporn, a campaign spokesman
for Yang’s campaign.
“In the spirit of the recent
reforms, as mayor, Andrew
will make sure that vendors
and local businesses work
together to revitalize New
York City’s small business
economy.”
While Chin expressed
during the Jan. 28 City
Council meeting that the bill
was “not perfect,” it was celebrated
as an end to punitive
measures against unlicensed
vendors which has
oft en ended in their property
being confi scated by
NYPD or health offi cials
never to be seen again.
Another added benefi t to
the bill is that it will end
black market dealings in
vendors permits in which
holders are known to charge
exorbitant amounts from
those they are transferring
their license over to.
Detractors to the bill
included Councilman Mark
Gjonaj, who argued that
increasing the number of
street vendor permits would
lead to confl ict over sidewalk
space between brick
and mortars and kiosks
as commerce makes its
way outdoors due to the
pandemic.
Who do they like?
NY Teachers for Choice
endorses Adriana
Avile in District 19
NY Teachers for Choice
endorsed Adriana Aviles to be the
fi rst Latinx female to represent
Queens District 19 in City Council.
“Adriana is principled, fearless,
truthful and independent,” NY
Teachers for Choice wrote in a
statement. “She is a Democrat
who has not abandoned the party’s
roots of defending civil liberties,
and she does not cater to any
special interests other than the
pressing concerns of her constituents
and all New Yorkers.”
NY Teachers for Choice are an
emergency union caucus made up
of teachers and parents opposed
to forced medical mandates for
any American to keep their job,
especially educators.
Meng endorses Linda
Lee in District 23
Democrat Linda Lee, candidate
for City Council in the 23rd
District, announced the endorsement
of U.S. Rep. Grace Meng.
“Congresswoman Meng has
been at the forefront of so many
critical fi ghts for our communities,
from standing strong against
anti-Semitism and AAPI hate
to working to get women a seat
at the table to fi ghting to protect
social security and expand
Medicare. Th ere’s no stronger
advocate for women, seniors and
Photo via Getty Images
families and I’m humbled to have
her support,” Lee said.
Th is was Lee’s biggest endorsement
from a Queens elected offi -
cial since launching her campaign,
her campaign said.
“I’m endorsing Linda Lee for
City Council because no one is
better prepared to deliver for our
neighborhoods. As the director
of a large nonprofi t, Linda has
provided meals for homebound
seniors, mental healthcare, and
successfully fought to open the
only vaccine site in northeastern
Queens – all while juggling remote
learning and childcare for her two
boys. No one will work harder or
deliver more for our families than
Linda Lee,” Meng said.
Andrew Yang during his Jan. 14 campaign launch for mayor.
NYC comptroller candidate David Weprin
calls for two-year delay of congestion pricing
BY MARK HALLUM
mhallum@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
David Weprin, candidate for city
comptroller, is continuing his longstanding
opposition to the state’s
congestion pricing plan which
would create a dedicated revenue
stream for the MTA alongside other
members of the state Assembly.
Weprin issued a statement on
Th ursday calling for the Cuomo
administration to delay the plan
for two years aft er the pandemic
comes to an offi cial end as a means
of relieving a fi nancial burden on a
small percentage of motorists traveling
into Manhattan.
“One year ago, New Yorkers
became patient zero in a global
pandemic that spurred job losses
and business closures,” Weprin
said. “Now, we are being asked
to incur an even greater fi nancial
burden while the virus is
still not completely under control.
Until we completely recover
from COVID-19 and its aft ermath,
I do not believe this is the
time to tax small business owners
and outer borough residents driving
into Manhattan. I am calling
on the governor and the mayor to
delay congestion pricing for two
years and urge all New Yorkers to
stand behind me in fi ghting for
what makes the most sense.”
Th is call comes aft er the federal
government under President Donald
Trump held congestion pricing back
by not providing the MTA with criteria
needed in an environmental
review anddays aft er Transportation
Secretary Pete Buttigieg off ered the
information needed for the plan to
move forward.
“Expecting working men and
women from boroughs outside of
Manhattan to pay for the city’s
fi nancial troubles is not only irresponsible,
it’s plain wrong,” said
Assemblyman William Colton.
“Th e idea that congestion pricing
should begin now — during a stillraging
pandemic — is a poorly
timed, poorly executed eff ort to fi x
a problem without thinking about
all the eff ects it will have on New
York City’s families and I urge the
governor to rethink the timing.”
Assembly members Erik Dilan
and Jennifer Rajkumar joined in
the chorus as well.
Weprin’s opposition to congestion
pricing was a point of friction
between his allies and members of
Transport Workers Union Local 100,
who swarmed a press conference at
Tramway Plaza in March 2019.
A study released over the summer
by Cornell University claimed
that a $20 toll could reduce traffi c
in Manhattan by up to 40 percent.
Additionally, it found that only
5.7 percent of drivers in northeast
Queensassembly district neighboring
that which is currently represented
by Weprin would be signifi
cantly impacted by the toll.
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