PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Maria Danzilo, Executive Director of One City Rising
6:20:11
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112 sec
Maria Danzilo, Executive Director of One City Rising, testified in support of Intro 606, focusing on the financial interests behind e-bike delivery services and the need for regulation. She highlighted how companies like DoorDash have profited from the lack of e-bike regulation and emphasized the importance of holding operators accountable for reckless behavior.
- Criticized the lack of regulation when e-bikes were legalized in 2020, which led to negative consequences
- Pointed out how big tech companies benefited from the lack of regulation, with their stock prices jumping
- Urged the city council to pass Intro 606 (Priscilla's Law) without further delay to address the issues caused by unregulated e-bikes
Maria Danzilo
6:20:11
Thank you.
6:20:11
Thank you, chair Brooks Powers for the opportunity to speak and thank you and council member Holden for sponsoring this bill.
6:20:17
My name is Maria Danzilo.
6:20:19
I'm executive director of 1 City Rising, a nonpartisan government watchdog and taxpayer advocacy group.
6:20:26
With great empathy for all the victims of e vehicle violence, I do want to focus on another aspect of this effort to regulate these vehicles.
6:20:33
How did DoorDash become a $48,000,000,000 company in just 10 years?
6:20:38
And how did its founder build a $4,000,000,000 net worth?
6:20:42
By focusing quote, relentlessly on unit economics and operational efficiency and a quote, maniacal focus on improving delivery times, close quote, to drive profitability.
6:20:55
These are not my words.
6:20:56
These are the words of Tony Chu, founder of DoorDash as amplified by Sequoia Capital, a massive multibillion dollar West Coast based venture capital firm whose principles have also reaped 1,000,000,000 from the massive growth of delivery apps and the lack of e bike regulation.
6:21:14
This language was on their website.
6:21:16
When e bikes were regulated in 2022, normal in 2020, excuse me, normal regulatory safeguards should have been included but they were not.
6:21:25
Big Tech hail the legalization without regulation as a major victory and their stock jumped enormously.
6:21:32
This is because regulation gets in the way of profits by holding operators accountable for reckless and dangerous behavior.
6:21:40
As a result of this lack of regulation, we have had all the negative consequences of an unregulated approach that you have heard today.
6:21:47
Dense and affluent Manhattan should not be a gold mine for profiteers who want to own our streets for their profit.
6:21:54
It is now time for this body to correct this reckless oversight by passing Priscilla's Law intro 606 without any further delay.
6:22:02
Thank you.
