Parks Department Twists Moustache and Cackles at Red Hook Vendors

If the Parks Department works hard enough, it may steal the prize from Coney Island's Joe Sitt for Most Hated Civic Villain of the Summer of 2007.

Apparently, all the great press on the Red Hook Park food vendors, with their cheap and tasty south-of-the-border eats, has backfired. It alerted the Parks Department to their existence, and now, sez Warner Johnston, chief spokesman and uber-putz for the Parks Department, said "it was trying to apply the same rules and permits for all vendors in all parks. He said department officials hoped the vendors’ group would submit a bid."

And so the vendors stand to lose there place on the ballfields, depriving many honest people of work and many more people of honest grub.

Cesar Fuentes, executive director of the group, said, "I have faith they’ll do what’s in the best interest of the community and what’s right for the people who use the park." Well, if they wanted to do that, why didn't they just leave the vendors alone? To me, it seems the Parks Dept. wants to do what's in the best interest of its pocketbook. Red Hook is booming, or so the real estate zombies tell us, and I'm sure the City sees dollar signs.

We have to fight this, people. Do whatever it takes. Private enterprise greedheads like Sitt will never listen to the vox populi. But the City can, will and must bow to public pressure. Let's organize. Here are some useful links. Click here to complain to fuckhead Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe. And here's a link where you can learn the entire history of the vendors. Just do it. It will take 30 seconds.

How do you know when a city government doesn't love or understand the city it governs? This is how.