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Bloomberg: Likes Hot Sausages, Doesn't Like Street Fairs
By
Sabrina Jaszi
Published Feb 27, 2010
Modified Feb 27, 2010
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By
Sabrina Jaszi
Published Feb 27, 2010
Modified Feb 27, 2010
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The San Gennaro Festival, the Romania Day Festival and the 6th Avenue Summerfest could all fall under Bloomberg’s latest category of cuts. To save the considerable cost of manning city street fairs with NYPD officers (last year there were 321 fairs costing $4 million in overtime) the mayor wants to reduce their numbers. Bloomberg is a long-time fair opponent—he’s said that they’re too numerous and they they’re all the same—but others argue the festivals are integral to city life. “Festivals give people an opportunity to take back the streets so they can walk, listen to music, see their neighbors and buy something if they want," argued fair producer Mort Berkowitz.
So far no official announcement has been made of the size and scope of the cut-backs, but on his radio show this week Bloomberg enumerated his complaints regarding street fairs. "Look, I love going down and having one of those hot sausages like anybody else," he said, "But you do disrupt traffic, you do lose commerce in other parts of the city, and the police department has to provide on overtime ... and it just may be something we can't afford." As of last year, new fairs can no longer apply for permits, but it’s unlikely Bloomberg will be able to end them altogether, since by law charities are allowed to hold the events, reports the Daily News.
The announcement follows another spoilsport initiative to shorten parade routes throughout the city and make sure they don’t last more than five hours.
Tagged
charity
FAIR
festival
hot dog
mayor bloomberg
nypd
overtime
parades
san gennaro
street fair
summer
Sabrina Jaszi
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