Street Vendor Project

With City Hall becoming more reflective of the actual racial composition of our city, the long-term outlook for street vendors is good. At least "ethnic" papers and reporters get it. Check out this powerful editorial (in English and Spanish) in El Diario last week, and this equally supportive piece by Albor Ruiz in the Daily News, entitled "Why the Raw Deal for Food Vendors?" (although he meant to include all street vendors). By the way, today is election day in NYC. Get out and vote for candidates who support street vendors! 
 

This  audio slideshow about NYC immigrant vendors is one of the most touching things we've seen in a while. It should be required viewing for every New York politician. And only 38 Youtube hits? Let's change that. And, please, if you make anything so beautiful and relevant to our work, send SVP the link!

Is street food a global phenomenon? No doubt. Which is why SVP director Sean Basinski spent the weekend in Bangkok for the first-ever Vendy Awards Asia, which brought together the best in street food from Japan and Thailand. Octopus balls? Thai pop stars? Fish nibbling at your feet? The event had everything.

SVP carried out a successful sidewalk reclamation in Brooklyn yesterday, with food vendors Hamdy Akl and Mohammed Altaf Hussain declaring “we will not be moved!” What happened? For nearly a month, after a disagreement involving some other vendors nearby, the police undertook a reign of intimidation, harassment, cart confiscation, and unlawful arrests (bravely captured on videotape by Hamdy here and here).

Imagine if every vendor had a big, high-priced law firm to turn to? Things might be different. That is why SVP's pro bono program matches law firms (some of whom have extra time right now) with our members' legal cases. It can make a real difference. For example, our friends at O'Melveny & Myers recently represented Luis Murua, a midtown nut vendor, on an appeal at ECB court, where vendors fight their tickets. The accusation? Vending too close to a crosswalk. The fine? $1,000. The decision on appeal? Overturned -- Mr. Murua gets his money back. Thanks to Jerri Shick and everyone at O'Melveny for all their help. Oh, and please drop us a line if you want to join our pro bono program.

NYC politicians like to periodically attack street vendors as a way to appease their local complaining class. But is this a smart poltiical move? No, if the recent primaries are any indication. Alan Gerson (left) tried to limit vendors to two per block in Soho. He lost at the polls. David Yassky spoke out against vendors in downtown Brooklyn. He lost at the polls. Helen Sears called for a "vendor free zone" in Jackson Heights. She lost at the polls. The lesson? We're not sure. But maybe politicians should listen to their actual constituents, most of whom admire street vendors, instead of just the handful of chronic complainers who turn up at every community board meeting.

Board member Soledad Pabon and director Sean Basinski represented SVP at the StreetNet conference in Managua, Nicaragua this week -- the first ever meeting for street vendor organizations throughout the Americas. Hosted by the Nicaraguan CTCP (Confederation of Self-Employed Workers), the event was an inspiration and a huge succes. We presented on our work, learned what other groups are doing, networked, and laid the foundation for future collaboration. La lucha continua. Photos here.

The Brooklyn wife-husband team of Yolanda and Fernando Martinez were the big winners at the 2009 Vendy Awards last night -- that's Fernando signing autographs like Derek Jeter (left). Nearly a thousand people came out to Flushing Meadows Park to celebrate street food and the incredible New Yorkers who cook it up every day.  Thanks to everyone who made the event possible - it just keeps getting better. To see some press coverage, go to our Vendy Award Facebook page.  And check out the photos on the Red Hook Food Vendors new web site, www.redhookfoodvendors.com.

What happens when a city chooses spots for vendors, instead of the vendors choosing themselves? They pick spots where the vendors fail! At least that is what seems to be happening in Toronto, where our friend Marianne Moroney from the Toronto Street Food Vendors Association reports that 3 of the designated 8 vendors from the new "A La Carte" program are already out of business after only a few months. This article in the Toronto Sun is sure generating a lot of interest. Could a similar article be in store for the NYC Green Cart program? We hope not.