Dear friends,
For years, small business owners across New York have felt the increasingly heavy hand of government – more inspections, more petty violations and more fines. Many suspected bias in these fines and sensed an increasing focus by City inspectors on revenue generation over public safety and consumer protection.
Last week, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio confirmed our worst fears – exposing a concerted effort by the Bloomberg Administration to increase revenue and help plug budget gaps through increasing fines and inspections that disproportionately target outer-borough communities.
> Click here for the complete report
The Public Advocate's analysis is the first-ever look at the neighborhood-level impact of the City's excessive fines on businesses. When city agencies refused to provide this information, Public Advocate de Blasio took them to court to force open their books. According to de Blasio's report, the farther you get from City Hall, the more likely your business is to get inspected and fined. That's no way to balance a budget, and it's no way to spur hiring in the communities that need it most.
This deluge of fines could not have come at a worse time. Small businesses, the job growth engine in New York City, were already in dire straits. According to the respected risk assessment firm Dun & Bradstreet, one-in-six New York businesses is unable to pay bills on time.
I encourage you to click here to read the report and share the stories in theDaily News, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, New York Post, and Epoch Times. This fight isn't simply about business owners – it's about ensuring that City Hall speaks for all of New Yorkers, not just the select few. Stay tuned for more ways to get involved – for regular updates on these efforts to help support small businesses, be sure to follow Public Advocate de Blasio on Facebook and Twitter.
Best,
Jeff S. Merritt
Senior Advisor
Public Advocate Bill de Blasio