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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Deacon Calvin Baker, Street Vendor Advocate
1:54:26
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133 sec
Deacon Calvin Baker, a street vendor advocate, testified in support of Intro 431 and Intro 408, part of the street vendor reform package. He spoke about his experiences as a father, deacon, and street vendor, emphasizing the need for reform in street vending regulations.
- Baker highlighted the struggles of street vendors trying to make an honest living while navigating a challenging system.
- He emphasized the importance of expanding access to vendor licenses through Intro 431.
- Baker mentioned his involvement in various advocacy efforts for street vendors' rights, including marches and gathering petitions.
Deacon Calvin Baker
1:54:26
Good afternoon, members.
1:54:31
Thank you for the opportunity to speak today.
1:54:34
I come before you not as a street vendor, but as a father, a deacon, in my faith community, and a proud New Yorker.
1:54:42
There were a series of actions that have led to this day.
1:54:47
I've marched these streets with thousands of vendors and alliance demanding for vendors' rights and stood on the corners not just selling but to serve with propose, with pride, and with a call rooted in faith and family.
1:55:05
I've given testimony before this very body sharing the struggles of street vendors, and I've gathered hundreds of petitions and postcards from my neighbors and customers who stand with me, who believe that this reform is long overdue.
1:55:21
As a father, I know that it means to work long hours to ensure my children have a roof over their heads, food on their tables, and the opportunities to dream.
1:55:32
As a deacon, I have, dedicated my life to serving others, advocating for the poor, and standing in the gap for those who live in fear.
1:55:41
Therefore, their voices are often unheard.
1:55:45
And as a street vendor, I experienced firsthand the struggles that come from trying to make an honest living while navigating the system that too often leaves us vulnerable, paralyzed, or ignored.
1:56:00
Today, I am here to support two critical pieces of legislation, intro four thirty one and intro four zero eight, part of the street vendor reform package.
1:56:11
Intro four thirty one is about a firmness and about giving me and my family and my fellow vendors a chance, a real chance to operate legally by expanding access to the vendor's license.
1:56:29
Right now, thousands of hardworking men and women, many of them immigrants and had family to wrap and our focus to work.