Let Them Eat Cake ... outdoors
Here's another stupid idea enacted by fiat, without any debate or public commentary.
When "Covid" hit New York the people in charge thought it would be a great idea to close the restaurants and bars (and the gyms, but that's another post). There were a few bar & restaurant owners who refused to shut down, and they were relentlessly attacked by the police. Danny Presti, the co-owner of Mac’s Public House on Staten Island, was providing indoor service in defiance of coronavirus restrictions was arrested after a sting in which plainclothes officers went inside and ordered food and beverages.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo had declared that area of Staten Island as an "orange zone" because of spiking COVID-19 rates.. Earlier in the year he had given himself the right to "emergency powers" which let him dictate covid policy without approval from the voters, or from the City Council, or the State Assembly & Senate. He unilateraly declared himself dictator, and then proceeded to Dictate. He made up all sorts of rules about Covid ... what kinds of businesses could remain open, whether people could have weddings or funerals, whether they could visit their dying loved ones in hospitals...
<sarcastic> Of course, Andrew Cuomo had extensive medical experience, having gone to many prestigeous medical schools, so his demands were valid! NOT! <end sarcasm>
But after the uproar about the closures, the government relented partially and allowed "outdoor dining", which was really nothing more than hastily erected shacks, some of which were totally enclosed which is really no different from the actual restaurants they replaced. It did nothing to curtail the spread of "covid", but they thought it looked good. Until they became a magnet for rats and garbage.
They also use up valuable parking spaces, and block the view for pedestrians and cars.
If a restaurant went belly up, the outdoor shack wasn't removed, it just became an abandoned eyesore.
It's time to get rid of the outdoor dining shacks, and return the streets and sidewalks to their original purpose.
Unfortunately, the current City Council is unwilling to do that; therefore we must vote them out of office. Common Sense must be the basis for all City laws going forward.