Our Yankee Friends

In New York City the Bloomberg administration proposed new public park rules for Union Square, High Line, Columbus Circle and Central Park. The new rules would reduce the number of art vendors by 75%. The Federal Court has issued a temporary injunction against the city from enacting these ordinances.The previous final Federal courts have always upheld the First Amendment rights of artists. The Bloomberg administration for City of New York cites safety though the majority of the locations are loaded "legal vendors" taking up most of the space. Last year alone concessions generated more than $43 million in revenue for the city, according to recent testimony from the Parks Department.

Here in St. Augustine we have the nation's oldest park established by Spanish Royal decree 133 years before a bowling green was set up in what is now Central Park. The City of St. Augustine does not permit artists to show and sell their wares in most of the historic district particularly the ironically named Plaza of the Constitution. Cited is the bogus argument of "health and safety".