Dear Friend,
One of the people I happened to deliver a Christmas meal to, volunteering with God’s Love We Deliver today, was Flo Fox (see photo), an extraordinary New Yorker full of life, who excoriated me for the fact that fewer than one in every 50 NYC taxicabs could be of any use to her. Another not-so-subtle reminder to do what’s right. Take a look at the news reports below.
Sincerely,
John Liu
ASSOCIATED PRESS: “NYC Comptroller: New Taxis Should Be Accessible” – 12/14/2012
EXCERPT – New York City Comptroller John Liu has rejected the city’s contract for a new taxi fleet because the so-called “taxi of tomorrow” is not wheelchair-accessible.
“In our view, this contract ignores the civil rights of New Yorkers who use wheelchairs by failing to make wheelchair-accessible vehicles,” said Liu, a likely candidate in next year’s race to succeed Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
“For wheelchair users, our taxi fleet is a separate but unequal system, and it is offensive to the inclusive spirit of New York City,” he said.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS EDITORIAL: “Hail, no” – 12/17/2012
EXCERPT – Leaving aside the not-so-small matter that he exceeded his authority, Controller John Liu leveled spot-on criticism of Mayor Bloomberg’s Taxi of Tomorrow plan when he rejected its contract last week.
Since the NV200 is not wheelchair-accessible, Liu cited a likely violation of the ADA as grounds for rejecting the contract. He was wrong because the City Charter empowers the controller to reject a pact only if he sees corruption, of which there is none to be found here.
FOX NEWS: “NYC comptroller says taxis should be wheelchair accessible” – 12/17/2012
EXCERPT – “We don’t want a system that’s special, we don’t want a system that’s separate,” said Edith Prentiss, chairwoman of the Taxis for All Campaign. “We want a system in which we can go out and put our hand in the air like every other person.”
Liu said yellow cabs “are a worldwide symbol” of New York City, but just 231 of them are accessible to those in wheelchairs.
BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK: “Bloomberg Says NYC Will Go Ahead With Nissan Taxis” – 12/16/2012
EXCERPT – About 230 of New York’s 13,000 yellow cabs are currently wheelchair accessible, meaning users have less than a one in 50 chance of finding an appropriate taxi, Liu said.
“In the aftermath of superstorm Sandy, mandating a taxi that is not wheelchair accessible raises a grave risk that people who use wheelchairs will not be able to evacuate,” the comptroller said
NEW YORK POST: “A Mike-Liu ‘hail’ storm” – 12/15/2012
EXCERPT – Mayor Bloomberg and Comptroller John Liu engaged in a war of words yesterday over the Taxi of Tomorrow.
During a press conference with advocates for the disabled, Liu responded, “Quite frankly, I’m tired of his bullying.” He vowed to use “every available option, every available tool at our disposal,” to block delivery of the new taxis.
CRAIN’S NEW YORK: “Liu puts the brakes on ‘Taxi of Tomorrow’ contract” – 12/14/2012
EXCERPT – “I cannot, as an elected official, sign off on a contract that I believe violates federal civil rights law,” Mr. Liu told The Insider. “Not to mention the fact there are multiple lawsuits against the contract, which could bring more claims against the city.”
Mr. Liu said the administration’s claims were just “empty threats.”
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS: “New York City Controller John Liu rejects Bloomberg’s $1 billion ‘Taxi of Tomorrow’ contract, saying Nissan minivans violate federal laws” – 12/14/2012
EXCERPT – “City Hall’s refusal to provide wheelchair-accessible cabs to people with disabilities is inexplicable, and we believe it violates the ADA,” Liu said. “We should not go ahead with a so-called Taxi of Tomorrow that perpetuates a shamefully separate and unequal cab fleet for another decade.”
NY1: “Comptroller Liu Wants To Block Contract For New Taxis” – 12/14/2012
EXCERPT – “By mandating a taxi of tomorrow that is not wheelchair accessible, the city has disregarded the civil rights of the disabled community and put the city at unnecessary financial risk,” Liu said.
NEW YORK TIMES: “Comptroller Is Expected to Try to Upset Deal for New Taxis” – 12/13/2012
EXCERPT – Mr. Liu’s decision not to register the contract is sure to be widely praised by advocates for disabled people who have been deeply critical of the deal because the chosen model, the Nissan NV200, is not wheelchair accessible.
Mr. Liu has threatened to block the deal since it was announced in May 2011 unless the Bloomberg administration did more to provide wheelchair-accessible taxis for disabled riders. Less than 2 percent of 13,000 taxis currently on the road are handicapped accessible.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS: “City Controller set to reject TLC deal for ‘Taxi of Tomorrow’; says Nissan model isn’t handicapped accessible” – 12/13/2012
EXCERPT – CITY CONTROLLER John Liu is poised to quash the Bloomberg administration’s contract with Nissan to build the “Taxi of Tomorrow,” sources said.
Advocates for the disabled and some elected officials, including Liu, have faulted the Taxi and Limousine Commission for picking a model — Nissan’s NV200 minivan — that isn’t handicapped accessible.
