It is as if you are poor and growing up in New York, you can’t catch a break with the Mayor of New York. The Democratic presidential hopeful, Mayor Bill de Blasio has been in the news for his lack of support for the funding of repairs in the city’s vast public housing system or his reneging on building affordable housing for our seniors that have aged out of the housing system. Now he is back for what many consider an assault in urban life. He is attacking a pillar in the community, your friendly ice cream truck man.
On Wednesday, the mayor announced that cops would start snatching up ice cream trucks with traffic violations immediately. In one day, they seized about 46 ice cream trucks who they believe schemed for years to not pay 22,495 summonses, totally upwards to $4.5 million in fees that would go to the city.
Calling it “Operation Meltdown,” the charge is that between 2009 and 2017, these ice cream truck owners created this complicated scheme that created shell companies to avoid paying tickets for a barrage of violations such as running red lights, parking near fire hydrants and blocking crosswalks.
“No New Yorker is above the law – especially those who try to ignore public safety laws and create dangerous situations for pedestrians, bikers and drivers,” de Blasio said. “This seizure marks the end of the road for these scofflaw ice cream vendors.”
We wonder what Master P, The Ice Cream Man, would say.
