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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Guadalupe Sosa, Street Vendor
4:57:17
·
129 sec
Guadalupe Sosa, a second-generation street vendor, testified in support of passing legislation to increase vending licenses and permits. She emphasized the need for regulation and organization of street vendors to address public concerns and improve vendor safety.
- Advocated for passing Intro 408 to allow street vendors to benefit from city department resources
- Stressed the importance of passing Intro 431 to increase the number of vending licenses and permits
- Highlighted safety concerns, citing a recent incident where a street vendor was shot in Times Square
Guadalupe Sosa
4:57:17
my name is Guadalupe Sosa.
4:57:19
I been a vending since the day I was born right next to my mother.
4:57:25
I am a second generation street vendor who have been actively advocating for us street vendors, And I feel like it's tiring that we have to come here all the time, waste a day of our work, lose our income to sit here, and always get the response that nothing is being done.
4:57:48
So now that we have this specific hearing specifically for the licenses and permits that we've been waiting for that there's been a cap for so many years, It's very meaningful that like, one of the persons that was here said that we make history today.
4:58:09
That, these, bills are passed into laws.
4:58:14
It's also small it's also New York City's Small Business Month and yet again nothing is included for us street vendors.
4:58:23
There's very nearly no resources for us street vendors.
4:58:26
Intro four zero eight needs to pass in order to benefit from the department resources that the city budgets.
4:58:36
It's important that we get regulated if that's what New York City residents call to complain on three one one.
4:58:43
Then it's crucial that bill intro four thirty one passes into law so we could be regulated and we could be organized as street vendors.
4:58:53
Also, now that social media became a thing, the viral videos that, people often record when we're being harassed by law enforcements makes us vulnerable and, targets of the public.
4:59:10
Just last week one of the street vendors in Times Square got shot just because he refused to get robbed.
4:59:18
So this is where it's crucial that we need to be regulated and organized so stuff like this doesn't happen And thank you.