PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Larry Lee, Member of the Public, on Intro 941 and Air Quality
3:04:03
·
3 min
Larry Lee, a lifelong New Yorker, testifies against Intro 941, focusing on the proposed 5-day deadline for submitting complaints in the Citizens Air Complaint Program. He argues that this deadline is unreasonably aggressive and suggests that the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) should focus on fixing its processes instead.
- Lee shares a personal story about his friend Manny Ho, who died of lung cancer despite a healthy lifestyle, attributing his death to air pollution in the East Village.
- He emphasizes the simplicity of turning off a vehicle's engine to prevent idling, using his mother's words: "Now was that that hard?"
- The testimony highlights the health impacts of air pollution and the importance of the citizen complaint program in addressing idling vehicles.
Larry Lee
3:04:03
Thank you, Mister Chairman.
3:04:05
My name is Larry Lee.
3:04:06
As a life Long New Yorker, I can honestly say that I love this city even with all its pimples, wrinkles, and imperfections.
3:04:17
I'm here to say I oppose intro 941.
3:04:20
I like to address one specific issue, which is excuse me.
3:04:25
Feeling more of a coffee.
James F. Gennaro
3:04:26
Yeah.
3:04:27
Sorry.
3:04:27
Do we have a glass of water for the for the witness?
3:04:30
Thank you.
3:04:31
Yeah.
Larry Lee
3:04:33
The issue of a 5 day deadline.
3:04:36
Submit within 5 days or else.
3:04:41
If you do a deep search, you will be very, very, very, very hard pressed to find any government agency in America, city, state, or at the federal level that has this policy, a policy this aggressive.
3:04:57
It does not exist.
3:05:00
If you zoom out and take a look at this proposal of 5 days, it speaks volumes.
3:05:07
DEP is basically saying no more complaints.
3:05:11
We cannot handle this volume.
3:05:14
So the 5 day rule is not the solution.
3:05:18
The solution is to fix the DEP processes.
3:05:22
You fix the process.
3:05:23
You fix the problem.
3:05:25
I would like to introduce share with you about my friend Manny Ho.
3:05:31
We are good friends.
3:05:32
We went to NYU together.
3:05:34
He was the salt of the earth.
3:05:36
A lot of relationships today are based on transactions.
3:05:40
What can you do for me?
3:05:41
What's in it for me?
3:05:43
Menu is different.
3:05:44
He really has servant heart.
3:05:46
His attitude is, what can I do for you?
3:05:49
Unfortunately, my friend Manny died before he reached the age of fifty.
3:05:54
In hindsight, I wish I could have told him Manny, stop smoking so much.
3:06:00
Say no to drugs, stop eating red meat, lose a little bit of weight, exercise.
3:06:05
Then I woke up one morning to the fact, if I may, just
James F. Gennaro
3:06:09
Just yeah.
3:06:10
This is compelling, so please finish.
Larry Lee
3:06:12
Okay.
3:06:12
Thank you, chair.
James F. Gennaro
3:06:13
I mean, not that everyone's testimony is compelling, but I'm just Okay.
3:06:17
Thank you very much.
Larry Lee
3:06:19
Then I woke up to the fact that none of the above pertain to my friend Manny.
3:06:23
You see, he didn't smoke, he didn't drink, He never touched drugs, and he was not overweight.
3:06:30
He was a picture of perfect health.
3:06:33
Many died because he had lung cancer.
3:06:36
His biggest mistake between him and his immigrant parents was they moved to the east village You see that he lived on Second Avenue And East 7th Street.
3:06:46
His bedroom windows and living room windows faced Second Avenue with thousands of buses, cars, and trucks passed by and spewed smoke into his apartment because he could not afford the TriNet bill for AC in the summertime.
3:07:08
This is why I am here today.
3:07:10
Last but not least, and many rest in peace.
3:07:14
We're trying our best.
3:07:15
Last but not least, as my my mom, when she was alive, used to teach me, Well, before I say that, sometimes we have to conclude.
3:07:26
The answer is right in front of us.
3:07:29
You take your hand, you put it on the key, you lift it to the upright position.
3:07:34
That took less than 2 seconds and 2 calories.
3:07:37
As my mom when she was alive, you should say.
3:07:40
Now was that that hard?
3:07:42
Thank you.
