PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Eric Eisenberg on the Citizens Air Complaint Program and Related Legislation
2:39:45
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135 sec
Eric Eisenberg provided testimony in support of the Citizens Air Complaint Program and its positive impact on reducing air pollution and addressing climate change. He outlined the history of anti-idling legislation in NYC and expressed strong opposition to Intro 941, while supporting Intros 5 and 291.
- Eisenberg emphasized the program's effectiveness in encouraging citizen participation and reducing illegal idling by corporations.
- He argued that Intro 941 would undo decades of legislative progress and potentially violate First Amendment rights.
- Eisenberg praised Intros 5 and 291 for addressing language discrimination and increasing penalties for repeat offenders.
Eric Eisenberg
2:39:45
Eric Eisenberg, the citizen air complaint program involved smart, if perhaps slow choices by the city council, putting us on a path towards cleaner, healthier air, and reduced climate change.
2:39:56
In the seventies city council banned idling and allowed members of the public to report it.
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Yet there was little enforcement, and so this wise law had little effect on cleaning our air.
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In 2009, local law 4 co sponsored by Tish James, John Liu, Gail Brewer, and James Genaro.
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Allowed idling enforcement by more city agencies and expanded citizen enforcement to trucks as defined by the VTL, which was also smart.
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Chair General said, with young children especially susceptible to air pollution, it's important that we take measures to address the problem.
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This legislation is a breath of fresh air for our school children.
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Indeed, we must take measures to address the problem and let children breathe clean air.
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Yet, the public still didn't know about their ability and duty to clean the city's air.
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Finally, in 2018, Helen Rosenthal's local law 58 lit the fuse that finally brought real enforcement, real clean air for our children.
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The minimum idling penalty went upwards.
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It guaranteed members of the public a fair 25% share of idling summonses based on their evidence and required the DEP to publish information online.
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EMPowered with knowledge and the promise of a fair reward, citizens took up the call.
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Some corporations have already gotten the message and virtually stopped their legal idling.
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To borrow a phrase, we are not going back.
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Intro 941 wouldn't would stifle public speech contrary to the first amendment, just ask the New York Civil Liberties Union about this bill, and also undo all of the legislative progress in the last 50 years towards clean idling emissions free air.
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On the other hand, intros 5291 do great things.
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They reverse the Adams administration's discriminatory practice of refusing to accept complaints in foreign languages.
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I ensure 291 would mean compliance with idling laws by even the deep pocketed mega corporations that have been treating the recidivist idling as a mere cost of doing business.
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I urged the city council to pass interest 5291 and reject the deeply unconstitutional and backwards looking intros not on.
