PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Christopher Leon Johnson on Street Vending and Veterans' Issues
2:44:01
·
3 min
Christopher Leon Johnson testifies in support of Intro 686 and Intro 687, focusing on issues related to street vending and veterans. He criticizes the Street Vendor Project and highlights corruption in the street vending industry, emphasizing the need to protect veteran vendors.
- Johnson warns against involving the Street Vendor Project in the conversation, accusing them of not truly advocating for vendors and protecting criminals.
- He mentions corruption in the street vending industry, including politicians allegedly taking money to protect certain vendors.
- Johnson expresses concern that veterans who are street vendors face harassment while others operating illegally are protected.
Christopher Leon Johnson
2:44:01
Hey.
2:44:02
What's up, man?
2:44:02
My name is Christopher Leon Johnson on the record.
2:44:04
I'm here to testify in support of intro 686 and intro 687.
2:44:08
I support my veterans.
2:44:10
But the issue is that, we I know this bill can go through, but the issue is that we need to make sure that a certain nonprofit, that been called out in 2023 for the f y 24 budget hearing, which is called a street vendor project, which is under the, under the, urban center that gets a lot of government funding does not be involved with this conversation.
2:44:32
And the reason they should be involved is because of the fact that the street vendor project, they don't advocate for veterans.
2:44:39
They don't they don't advocate for street vendors.
2:44:41
They act like they advocate the street vendor, but they don't.
2:44:43
All they do is they put street vendors in more danger than people think that they that they then they don't don't surely do.
2:44:51
They put the street vendors in danger because what they do is they protect, criminals.
2:44:56
They protect the the same people that the veterans was complaining about, like, the people that have, like, 3, 4 carts that, park out 24 hour without, wash themselves.
2:45:04
Don't take a shower, have dirty have dirty water.
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They suck dirty water and stuff like that.
2:45:10
That's the reason why.
2:45:11
We need to make sure that treatment department does not get involved with this conversation.
2:45:14
There's a lot of corruption that happens in the treatment industry.
2:45:17
There's a few people that could that could talk to you about that, like Ronald Rivera.
2:45:20
He should ask him about that because he'd been out there fighting for this industry, fight for the veterans.
2:45:25
He's busy today.
2:45:26
You should ask him, Bob, about the street vendors.
2:45:28
We'll take both of them.
2:45:30
But there's a lot of corruption that goes on.
2:45:32
And then the big issue is that they got corrupt nonprofits that's treatment project that protects these people at the same time.
2:45:41
You have, like, elected officials like Jennifer Ross Kumar that, who's a state of some member that is known for taking money from certain people that protects those same vendors that'd be in Times Square having about 34 carts, being protected by the police.
2:45:57
Don't get, stopped by the police while the veterans that don't like the stone has has integrity and don't pay don't do paper play or pay people off to stay in business, they get to, they get to, do what they do.
2:46:12
They get they get harassed.
2:46:14
So there's a lot of corruption that goes on in this industry.
2:46:16
The veterans go through a lot of a lot of dirty dirty dirty shenanigans, and I feel bad for them.
2:46:21
I know that the city council is really, really weak to fix this issue with the veterans because majority of the county majority of the city council excluding the common sense caucus, and also police and showing up Rayu, they don't care about the veterans at all.
2:46:37
They only care about using these nonproppers like the street of the project and appease a corrupt like the officials like, of Sandy Nurse and Shahana Hanif and the progressive caucus.
2:46:47
So people gotta start calling out the the the the crap that's happening in the city, with the veterans.
2:46:55
I I I thank you, Bob, for having this hearing.
2:46:58
I I I know that you and the leaders of Congress, the caucus are small company.
Robert Holden
2:47:02
Your time has expired.
2:47:03
Counsel.
Christopher Leon Johnson
2:47:04
And, you know, I hope you I hope that, these bills go through.
2:47:07
But we support our veterans instead of supported these criminals that that, that they the the the nonprofit is that in the Progressive Caucus are listening to.
2:47:15
So, thank you so much.
2:47:17
I'm about to log back.
2:47:18
I'll go to an event.
2:47:19
So take care, guys.
Robert Holden
2:47:20
Thank you.
