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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Armando Crescenzi, Veteran Advocate and Post Commander of American Legion
1:21:54
·
5 min
Armando Crescenzi, a veteran advocate, testified about the challenges faced by veteran street vendors in New York City and the lack of support from the Department of Veterans Services (DVS). He criticized the city's treatment of veteran vendors and called for DVS to take action in supporting their rights and addressing their concerns.
- Crescenzi founded a nonprofit organization called Put Veterans First to help NYC veterans become self-sufficient through street vending and food cart operations.
- He highlighted issues such as erroneous summonses, lack of recognition of veterans' vending rights, and competition from non-veteran vendors.
- Crescenzi challenged DVS to make a commitment to veteran vendors and expressed frustration with the lack of response and support from the department over the years.
Armando Crescenzi
1:21:54
Thank you.
1:21:55
My name is Armando Crushenze.
1:21:58
Thank you for this opportunity to speak on the implementation of the speaker's recommendation for the Department of Veteran Services.
1:22:07
The challenge is in the title: Can the Department of Veterans Services implement the recommendations in the speaker's report card?
1:22:14
My name is Armando Crescenzi.
1:22:16
I'm a post commander of my American Legion post.
1:22:19
I'm a life member of the DAV and the Military Offices of America Association.
1:22:24
I'm a New York State certified alcohol and drug counselor and I received my JD in 1994 from Pace University School of Law.
1:22:32
In 2010, I founded a nonprofit organization called Put Veterans First whose mission is to help New York City Veterans become self sufficient by building their own small businesses as vendors and food cart operators.
1:22:47
The injustices and abuse that the veterans face at the hands of the city is disgraceful, and the shit and city should be embarrassed of its record with the veterans who street vend.
1:22:59
If it's to make a few extra bucks or to start a a food service empire, thousands of veterans sign up every year with the Department of Consumer Affairs and Worker Protection.
1:23:09
This is one place where 100% of veterans self identify at the Department of Consumer Affairs and Worker Protection.
1:23:18
If you are if they're not self identifying, it's because there's nothing there for them.
1:23:23
They're motivated to self identify at places like this.
1:23:26
When it's time for licensing, they step up.
1:23:30
They come in highly motivated and inspired to start a business.
1:23:33
And year after year, thousands of veterans are driven out of the marketplace by the very same city that boasts on how friendly they are to its veterans.
1:23:44
Many would think that the problems that they face from the agencies and the NYPD could be easily solved with a well placed phone call from the Department of Veterans Services.
1:23:57
Unfortunately, Department of Veterans Services has completely abandoned us.
1:24:02
You've heard the expression, No veteran left behind.
1:24:05
Soldier left behind.
1:24:06
We are we've been left behind.
1:24:08
We are outside the perimeter and we are under fire.
1:24:13
Some of the challenges we face: the city agencies and the NYPD refusing to recognize the rights of veterans to street vend, issuing summonses, which are completely erroneous.
1:24:24
They they can't hold jurisdiction to to even get into court.
1:24:28
They're bogus summonses.
1:24:29
The judges at oath and and in criminal court likewise are ignorant of the privileges that we hold, and and very often the decisions are are decided against us.
1:24:42
The Department of Transportation is privatizing every bit of sidewalk space for rent to the highest bidder.
1:24:48
Sidewalk furniture, benches, dining sheds are all physically encroaching on our means of making a living.
1:24:55
The health department is silent on all this will take me another minute health department is silent on all veteran vending matters following their unlawful passage of the Street Vendor Modernization Act.
1:25:06
They are gonna add another 4,000 more food carts to an already crowded street to the already crowded streets.
1:25:13
The Department of Consumer Worker Protection has turned over all vending responsibilities to a private entity called the Street Vendor Project.
1:25:24
Now, first of all, that goes against anything in the city charter.
1:25:28
You can't have a private entity installed in his and making decisions, and there's direct conflict of interest.
1:25:35
They are their their goals are diametrically opposed to those of street vendors who are veterans.
1:25:41
They want open street vending.
1:25:42
They wanna lift all restrictions.
1:25:44
They would like to remove all restrictions and basically take away all licensing requirements.
1:25:50
Mhmm.
1:25:50
They think street vending is a human right and that this city owes it to them.
1:25:55
So that may be fine, but what about the what about the veterans who've been doing this for twenty years and now their privileges are just pulled out from under them?
1:26:04
Besides oh, alright.
1:26:05
I think I made that point.
1:26:07
Veterans alright.
1:26:10
So veterans have we have been literally begging for help from DVS.
1:26:14
We are the perfect target population which DVS can easily engage and easily get tangible results.
1:26:23
We don't need any funding.
1:26:25
We're asking for help.
1:26:26
We're asking for a voice.
1:26:27
These are rights that are already codified in law, and they've already been litigated in the courts in our favor.
1:26:35
In fact, I challenge the DVS today to make a commitment to veterans who vend.
1:26:41
So as I asked earlier, can the DVS implement recommendations in the report card?
1:26:47
You know, every month we come here, and Joe made a point, it's years now.
1:26:51
This is not their fur this is not DVS' first year.
1:26:54
So I've we've been coming we've been coming in for certainly since the inception.
1:26:59
I was so happy when they made a department for veteran services.
1:27:02
A street vendors who vent, I think we're instrumental in bringing it to a department level, city agency.
1:27:09
From from MOVA, I think we're instrumental in in bringing it to department level.
1:27:14
And and we've been ignored.
1:27:16
Alright?
1:27:16
So we we have act we absolutely have no voice.
1:27:19
So every month, we come in with our pleas.
1:27:21
We come to these hearings, and we really shouldn't have to come to these hearings to be heard, but we're not getting any response at DVS.
1:27:29
So the phone numbers that keep being repeated again and again and again, why bother?
1:27:34
I have been in touch with DVS over the years to no avail.