Seth Taylor, the executive director of the 82nd Street Business Improvement District (BID), is spearheading the initiative to expand the BID along Roosevelt Avenue and the surrounding immigrant commercial strips. The BID initiative has generated a heated controversy and triggered a pushback by small business owners, local residents, and grassroots activists.
On Wednesday, June 26th, I interviewed Mr. Taylor on the upcoming vote regarding the BID initiative. Before asking any questions, I made it clear that the interview was for piece I was preparing as a columnist with QueensLatino. My intention was to avoid any confusion or ambiguity regarding the nature of the interview.
The interview was nothing less than a disaster. When ask about the format and language of the BID ballot, he responded in a belligerent, disrespectful, and unprofessional manner. The question infuriated him and he began to shout. He reached across the table, grabbed by the interview notes out of my hands, and accused me of playing “f…king games.” I calmly insisted that he return my notes; which he eventually did, but only after selectively crossing out a section of my notions that he disliked.
Mr. Taylor’s behavior and language is unacceptable. Substantive and difficult questions should be answered in a thoughtful and deliberative manner. As the person charged with marketing the expansion of the BID – into working-class immigrant neighborhoods – he is responsible for addressing questions or concerns in a manner that fosters inclusion and participation, not exclusion and marginalization. And on both counts, Mr. Taylor comes up short.
On a personal level, I feel that Mr. Taylor’s behavior was disrespectful. It was disrespectable to me as: an immigrant; a Latino male; a concerned and engaged resident of Jackson Heights; a member of the Spanish language press; and as an academic that has written and lectured extensively on immigrant issues. But more importantly, to be treated in a disrespectful and degrading manner speaks volumes about Mr. Taylor’s approach in responding to concerned immigrant stakeholders that live and work in the community. It also casts doubt on Mr. Taylor’s ability to make a coherent case in support of the Roosevelt Avenue BID. Shutting down a reasonable discussion on an important public policy issue is counterproductive.
I might be open to dismissing Mr. Taylor’s comportment on the grounds that he was just having a bad day. We all have bad days. But, unfortunately, this was not an isolated incident. QueensLatino has reported that well-known residents and immigrant activists have been subjected to his aggressive and demeaning tactics. In effect, what we are dealing with is a form of patterned behavior.
Mr. Taylor’s abusive pattern in dealing with the point-counter-point of public discourse is disheartening and should be immediately addressed. It must be addressed because it sends a chilling message to immigrants that live and work in Corona, Elmhurst, and Jackson Heights.
Democracy is a messy and unruly process. It is often marked by disagreements and tensions. That is a given. Nonetheless, if local democracy is to have any hope of working it must be based on mutual respect and open discussion. Failure to do so, diminishes and tarnishes the civic ideal of immigrant engagement in building community and contributing to the common good. As New Yorkers, born here or abroad, can we ask for anything less? I hope not!
Arturo Ignacio Sánchez, Ph.D. is chairperson of the Newest New Yorkers Committee of Community Board 3, Queens. He has taught contemporary immigration, entrepreneurship, and urban planning at Barnard College, City University of New York, Columbia University, Cornell University, New York University, and Pratt Institute.
In this video, a small business owner on Roosevelt Avenue describes how the 82nd Street Partnership tried to pressure him into voting yes to the BID expansion. When the business owner refused to support the expansion, the 82nd Street Partnership didn’t allow him an option to vote no: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=704317286306756&set=vb.648960185175800&type=2&theater
I was surprised to read Arturo Ignacio Sanchez’s recent column personally attacking me. I’ve known Dr. Sanchez for many years since I was an urban planning student of his—and we’ve often met to discuss issues. I was happy to accept his friendly invitation to meet and discuss the business improvement district.
We met, talked, spoke with local business owners for close to two hours and left the meeting cordially. At no point during those hours of meeting did he tell me he felt disrespected—and the tone and tenor that he describes in his column does not match my recollection of our conversation.
I’ve enjoyed our many discussions over the years—sometimes we agree on the issues and sometimes we disagree—but I’ve always thought I could trust him as acting in good faith. It’s obviously very personally disappointing to have that trust taken advantage of because we disagree on the business improvement district.
Dr. Sanchez seems to misunderstand the process for a community to form a business improvement district. The idea to expand the local business improvement district came from merchants, property owners, and local elected officials as a way to help improve the persistent problems of crime, litter, graffiti, poor lighting, and pedestrian danger on Roosevelt Avenue and Junction Boulevard.
The board of the 82nd Street Partnership hired me in part to help manage the process of educating the community about what a business improvement district is and does. Our steering committee, which includes 33 local small businesses, property owners, and community stakeholders, support a more coordinated and collaborative response to long-standing challenges to the commercial corridor.
Businesses, property owners, and community stakeholders all have an opportunity to voice their support, or not, for the proposal to expand the business improvement district. Many local business and property owners have already returned their statements of support.
We’ve seen how local business owners that are part of Business Improvement Districts in immigrant neighborhoods such as Washington Heights, Main Street in Flushing, and Fordham Road in the Bronx have seen how cleaner, safer streets help immigrant and mom-and-pop shops thrive there.
I appreciate Dr. Sanchez as a passionate advocate. I look forward to meeting and talking with him again in the future as we implement the expansion and work together to benefit the community. I only hope that we may respect each other as people and planners, and avoid the personal attacks.
Sincerely,
Seth Taylor
Executive Director, 82nd Street Partnership
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Me sorprendió leer la reciente columna de Arturo Ignacio Sánchez atacándome personalmente. He conocido al Dr. Sánchez por varios años desde que fui su estudiante de planificación urbana y nos hemos reunido a menudo para hablar sobre diferentes temas. Yo no tuve problema en aceptar su amable invitación para reunirnos y hablar sobre el distrito de desarrollo comercial (business improvement district).
Nos reunimos, hablamos, y visitamos a dueños de negocios locales por alrededor de dos horas, terminando la reunión cordialmente. En ningún momento durante esas horas en las cuales estuvimos reunidos él me dijo que se sentía irrespetado, y el tono y tenor cual él describe en su columna no coincide con mi recuerdo de nuestra conversación.
He disfrutado de nuestras varias conversaciones durante estos años, a veces estábamos de acuerdo en ciertos temas y otras veces no, pero siempre pensé que podía confiar que él actuaba en buena fe. Evidentemente es muy decepcionante que tal confianza sea aprovechada porque no estamos de acuerdo sobre el distrito de desarrollo comercial.
Parece que el Dr. Sánchez malinterpreta el proceso para que una comunidad forme un distrito de desarrollo comercial. La idea de ampliar el actual distrito de desarrollo comercial nació de los comerciantes, propietarios y funcionarios electos locales como una manera de ayudar a mejorar los problemas persistentes de delincuencia, basura, grafiti, excrementos de palomas, mala iluminación y peligro para peatones en la Avenida Roosevelt y Junction boulevard.
La junta directiva del 82nd Street Partnership me contrató, en parte, para ayudar a gestionar el proceso de educar a la comunidad sobre lo que un distrito de desarrollo comercial es y que hace. Nuestro comité directivo, cual incluye 33 pequeños negocios locales, propietarios y personas de la comunidad, apoya una respuesta más coordinada y colaborativa a los desafíos que han afectado al corredor comercial por mucho tiempo.
Todos los negocios, propietarios y personas interesadas de la comunidad, tienen la oportunidad de expresar su apoyo, o no, a la propuesta de ampliar el distrito de desarrollo comercial. Muchos dueños(as) de negocios y propietarios ya han presentado sus declaraciones de apoyo.
He visto cómo dueños(as) de negocios locales que forman parte de Distritos de Desarrollo Comercial (Business Improvement Districts) en barrios inmigrantes tales como Washington Heights, Main Street en Flushing, y Fordham Road en el Bronx han visto cómo calles más limpias y seguras ayudan a los pequeños negocios de inmigrantes a prosperar.
Aprecio al Dr. Sánchez como un defensor apasionado. Espero poder encontrarme y hablar con él de nuevo en el futuro a medida que implementamos la expansión, y poder trabajar juntos en beneficio de la comunidad. Sólo espero que podamos respetarnos uno a otro como personas y planificadores profesionales, y evitar los ataques personales.
After verbally and almost physically attacking Dr. Sanchez, Seth Taylor has the audacity to turn around and say that he’s the one being attacked?!
I guess Mr. Taylor requires an explicit acknowledgement from the person he offended that they felt disrespected. Otherwise he just wouldn’t know that grabbing interview notes out of someone’s hands while using belligerent language could be taken as an insult or otherwise be considered unprofessional.
I also find it telling that Mr. Talyor does not deny that he grabbed and edited Dr. Sanchez’s notes- an act that is clearly disrespectful, hostile and undemocratic. Mr. Taylor needs to acknowledge the community’s deep, principled, historically-grounded opposition to a Business Improvement District, and stop trying to corporatize Roosevelt Avenue.
I’ve had a few meetings with Mr. Seth Taylor myself, some in person and some on the phone. At the beginning we had a normal and respectful conversation, however once I made clear my opposition to the BID and I asked for answers with sources to my questions, Mr. Taylor got very angry and his tone of voice changed, not to mention his choice of words as well, which at one point it sounded more like threatening, then a conversation!
Mr. Taylor, this is not personal. This is a business proposal that you are bringing to our community and if we are not for it, is because we do not see the benefits of this investment for us. There is no reason to attack us personally & bullying our merchants that are here to provide for their family, into signing something that they do not want.
As far as I know, non of our merchants nor property owners have attacked you personally.
We have ONLY stated your reaction and behavior toward our opposition.
Please understand this, accept and respect our choice, our choice of NO TO BID.
Thank you for your cooperation,
Frank
Remove Seth Taylor from our community. He is filth and has been collecting a free paycheck for exploiting our community.
Remove Seth Taylor