PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Christopher Leon Johnson, Member of the Public
2:48:29
ยท
160 sec
Christopher Leon Johnson testifies in opposition to Intro 449, arguing that it's a scheme to extort commercial property owners. He also advocates for protections for street vendors, particularly in light of concerns about deportation under the Trump administration.
- Johnson criticizes the proposed commercial landlord watch list, comparing it to the residential landlord watch list.
- He emphasizes the need for nonprofits to educate street vendors about their rights and the difference between non-violent and violent crimes.
- Johnson suggests penalizing brick-and-mortar businesses that report street vendors, citing past experiences with businesses calling ICE on migrant workers.
Christopher Leon Johnson
2:48:29
Oh, yeah.
2:48:29
Hello.
2:48:30
My name is Christopher Leon Johnson.
2:48:31
I'm here to support, the bid in opposition to intro 449.
2:48:36
And the reason I'm gonna oppose that bill is because this is another but a, ruse by the city council with the help of, Lincoln Ressler and Justin Brandon, AKA Fester, to extort commercial property owners and to donate to their campaigns.
2:48:50
And if they don't, they're gonna put them on a list.
2:48:52
Like, how are they doing with the commercial with the the the private landlord, the the residential landlord watch list?
2:48:59
The thing and and one more thing I wanna say another thing I wanna say is that, when it comes to event when it comes to, like, street vendors and stuff like that, they need protections, right now because of Donald Trump in in the presidency.
2:49:13
And we all know that, there's a lot of the big business the small business owners that own commercial prop that owns the property or that lease out the property.
2:49:22
They're complaining about the vent the the the legal vendors.
2:49:25
And I have a big feeling that, if the city council does not do anything about this, really call this stuff out with these, but they we all know that some of these, owners donate to these, these publishers campaigns, like showing up radio, that, it's gonna be a lot of chaos in these, in these areas where they bend at, because they these guys feel that, they're gonna be deported because they, vending on this, vending on a sidewalk.
2:49:53
And the truth is, as a matter of fact, is that that's not the case.
2:49:56
These org these nonprofits need to start, educating their members when it comes to, educating their members about, about bending on the street or bending inside a subway or or delivering an ebike, delivering food by ebike and say, hey.
2:50:10
Look.
2:50:11
You're not gonna be deported by Trump because you're vending on Roosevelt Avenue without a license or you're riding an ebike on a sidewalk.
2:50:19
These nonprophecies start call you start SKA members telling that, look, there's a difference from a nonviolent crime and a violent crime.
2:50:25
And while at the same time that the city council need to start putting, bills together with the help of the state assembly, state senate, with helping the speaker state state, state assembly and its, senate majority leader, Joseph Cousins, the governor to start penalizing any small business any, owner that has a brick and mortar business that reports on any vendor that's on the street.
2:50:46
Because I like I said, I used to work in a spot where, they used to play the games where it's like they see so called illegal immigrants, but I call them migrants, working next to them, they'll call ICE and try to get them arrested.
UNKNOWN
2:50:59
Thank you.
Oswald Feliz
2:50:59
Your time has expired.
Christopher Leon Johnson
2:51:00
Start maybe stop.
2:51:02
The city council these guys and gals for the next 4 years because thank you.