PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Raul Rivera, Native New Yorker and Homeless Resident
14:15:07
·
152 sec
Raul Rivera, a native New Yorker and currently homeless resident, testifies against the City of Yes proposal. He argues that council members supporting the proposal are discriminating against New Yorkers and violating the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Rivera also raises concerns about potential conflicts of interest involving Council Member Salamanca and Mayor Eric Adams.
- Criticizes the involvement of nonprofits in supporting the proposal
- Expresses frustration with elected officials from minority backgrounds for failing their constituents
- Shares personal experience of being homeless in the city he was born in
Raul Rivera
14:15:07
Good evening.
14:15:07
My name is Raul Rivera.
14:15:09
I'm a native New Yorker.
14:15:10
I wanna talk about the 1964 Civil Rights Act, discrimination, public spaces, and housing.
14:15:19
If any council member is for the city of yes, they are discriminating against the New Yorker.
14:15:26
That's how I feel.
14:15:27
I also wanna address council member Salamanca.
14:15:32
He's the chair.
Kevin C. Riley
14:15:33
He's Wow.
14:15:34
Wow.
14:15:34
Wow.
14:15:35
Yes.
14:15:35
His midnight.
14:15:36
Please keep it to
Raul Rivera
14:15:38
I reclaim my time.
14:15:39
I'm gonna I'm going to.
Kevin C. Riley
14:15:41
It's Right.
George Tormo
14:15:41
Thank you.
14:15:42
You refer you're referring all the
Raul Rivera
14:15:43
testimony that people submit to his committee.
Kevin C. Riley
14:15:47
Yes.
Raul Rivera
14:15:48
I I wanna I wanna speak on the fact
Kevin C. Riley
14:15:50
Go ahead.
Raul Rivera
14:15:50
That he's the he's the chair to the committee on land use.
14:15:55
And Eric Adams is is indicted right now.
14:15:59
And this is his this is his proposal.
14:16:02
Right?
14:16:02
The city of yes.
14:16:04
And I think these gaslighting people And I don't know why we're having so much testimony when he's under indictment.
14:16:11
And this is his this is his program.
14:16:13
This is his proposal.
14:16:14
This this should not pass.
14:16:15
It should not pass at all.
14:16:17
And and the fact that, also, I wanna bring out the fact that Salamanca's wife received the job.
14:16:23
Right?
14:16:23
She received the job, and it's it's questionable there because Salamanca is the chair to the committee on land use, and we reported him to the a conflict of interest board.
14:16:31
He knows him.
14:16:32
I I was here, and I testified against that.
14:16:34
So it's very suspect The way Adams is going, the way Salamanca is his wife is getting a job, and he's a chair to the committee on land use.
14:16:43
We just wanna put that out there.
14:16:44
If you're a city council member and you for the city of yes, You're not for the New Yorker, you're discriminating against us, discriminating against us, and you're violating the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
14:16:56
You might not think that's true, but that is exactly what's happening.
14:16:59
I was here this morning and what we had outside there was nothing but nonprofits.
14:17:05
HTC, Richard Morocco, all these nonprofits were there, and they're not HIPAA lobbyists, as we say no to the city of yesterday, tomorrow forever.
14:17:15
And I'll I'll have you know too.
14:17:16
I am currently homeless.
14:17:17
I am a homeless New Yorker trying to survive in the city I was born in, and it's disgusting.
14:17:23
In this city council, we have blacks, we have Puerto Ricans, we have Dominicans, and it's our own people failing us.
14:17:32
Our own people.
14:17:33
It's not the white man.
14:17:34
It's not white supremacy, and it's not Donald Trump.
14:17:37
It's our own people.
