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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Disabled Veteran Street Vendor
1:29:06
·
3 min
A service-connected US Army veteran and street vendor for 30 years, testifies about the challenges faced by veteran street vendors in NYC. He highlights issues with illegal vendors, the need for liaison between veteran vendors and city agencies, and problems with licensing and enforcement.
- There are 1,600 veteran vendors in NYC, including 300 disabled veterans, but only 200 are currently working due to competition from illegal vendors.
- A liaison position between veteran vendors and city agencies was created, but the designated person (Jason) has left for Washington, and a replacement is urgently needed.
- Reports unfair treatment of legal veteran vendors, particularly in Times Square, where they receive summonses while illegal vendors operate freely.
- He also mentions issues with the Department of Consumer Affairs issuing licenses meant for disabled veterans to non-veterans.
Disabled Veteran Street Vendor
1:29:06
My name is Rabbi Birkebir.
1:29:07
I'm a service connected US Army deserved vet.
1:29:10
I'm a street vendor myself for the last thirty years, and there is exactly 1,600 veterans' vendors, which is 300 are disabled veterans.
1:29:22
And you know what?
1:29:24
We we did some research.
1:29:25
There is only right now 200 working because of the illegal vendors, which is Citi Fund six billion dollars, who gets $6,000,000,000.
1:29:36
So they chasing us from the the streets.
1:29:39
So like we said, for the last two years, I've been coming in and out for this council hearing, whatever.
1:29:48
And something happened last time.
1:29:51
They did they did create something, which is the we ask for it.
1:29:58
It's the city agency because they always the city agency always ignore veterans.
1:30:04
So we did ask to have, like, liaison between us as the Zebra as veterans vendor and this so called Syria agency.
1:30:15
And, of course, we ask to go through the to make it more official, to go to through the DBS.
1:30:20
So they just created this this liaison agency, whatever they call it.
1:30:27
So, you know, the the the design here, the Jason, to to be the the liaison, but Jason now is in Washington.
1:30:37
And I spoke to the commissioner last week.
1:30:39
Right?
1:30:40
He said that he's going to put someone else, of course.
1:30:42
That's so this is the what we're gonna do.
1:30:47
It's in the website and everything.
1:30:49
So I I hope this agency will start, you know, doing their jobs to get paid for.
1:30:56
So we're expecting the commissioner, you know, to design someone who's gonna be liaison, but as soon as possible.
1:31:05
We can wait, you know, because we are really hurting.
1:31:09
We're getting more summonses.
1:31:12
By the way, in Times Square area, I'm talking about food vendor.
1:31:14
Does every veteran's food vendor?
1:31:16
Everybody I'm talking about food vendors, George.
1:31:19
Everybody's illegal there.
1:31:21
The only two person who get who are legals, which means me and Armando, and we are the only ones who get summonses.
1:31:29
And Department of Consumer Affair, what happened, they issued we have we had approved.
1:31:36
They issued a yellow license, which means to have a yellow or blue license, you have to be a service connected disabled veterans.
1:31:44
Department of Consumer Affairs, they used it to someone who has nothing to do with our armed forces.
1:31:50
So this is a fake.
1:31:51
We did everything, but they never listened to us.
1:31:53
The Department of Oath, we're trying to get because if you are not a veteran, they're gonna dismiss the if you are a veteran, they will never dismiss the and we want to court me and Armando.
1:32:04
We will know what's going on.
1:32:05
So this is what's going on, but, hopefully, something will happen.
1:32:09
The the these are just you will start listening to the to the authority and, of course, with the with the DBS.
1:32:16
That's I have a lot of things to do, but to say it more, but that's good for