Artists in Public Spaces Phone-In

You can help! Just pull out your cell phone and call. You don’t need to live in New York to let
these public officials know your opinion; visitors are big business.

Talking Points

Be polite but firm when making calls. Remember that many, though not all, of the people
we are calling are our potential supporters and allies.

1) Tell the person who answers the phone who you are and where you’re from. You don’t need
to live in New York to let these public officials know your opinion; visitors are big business.

2) Does the public official you are calling have a position on the new Park Rules restricting
artists’ free speech in public parks? What is the position? Has it been made public?

3) If they don’t know yet about the new rules, tell them: The rules significantly restrict the
number of artists who can sell in the parks and will put hundreds of artists out of work and/or
subject them to tickets, fines and/or arrest. NYC Local Law 33 (1982), the First Amendment
and several Federal Court rulings currently allow artists to work in the parks without seeking
permission. The new park rules illegally rewrite NYC laws passed by the City Council,
disregard the First Amendment and ignore Federal Court Rulings.

4) Tell them you strongly support the right of artists to work in the parks.

5) Tell them you are outraged that the city is putting people out of work in the middle of a
recession.

6) Tell them the new Park Rules aren’t needed. If there is a problem with congestion, the city
should simply enforce the current rules.

7) Ask them to directly call Mayor Bloomberg, City Council Speaker Quinn and Park
Commissioner Benepe and tell them to stop enforcement of the new rules.

Please Help Us Save Freedom of Expression in New York City Parks!

 Artists in Public Spaces Phone-In
You can help! Just pull out your cell phone and call. You don’t need to live in New York to let these public
officials know your opinion; visitors are big business.

People to Call:
Parks Commissioner,Adrian Benepe. 212 360-1305
email address: Adrian.Benepe@parks.nyc.gov

Alessandro G. Olivieri, 212 360-1313

General Counsel, Department of Parks &Recreation,
Email address: alessandro.olivieri@parks.nyc.gov

Mayor Mike Bloomberg, 17 E 79th St., New York, NY, 10021-0101

Bill de Blasio, Public Advocate for the City of New York, 212.669.7250

http://www.pubadvocate.nyc.gov/content/constituent-request-form

Christine C. Quinn, City Council Speaker, (212) 564-7757

http://council.nyc.gov/d3/html/members/home.shtml , then click “Contact Speaker Quinn”

City Council Members page:

http://council.nyc.gov/html/members/members.shtml

City Council Parks and Recreation Committee:

Elizabeth S. Crowley 718.366.3900 District 30 Queens Democrat
Daniel Dromm 718.803.6373 District 25 Queens Democrat
Julissa Ferreras 718.651.1917 District 21 Queens Democrat
Vincent J. Gentile 718.748.5222 District 43 Brooklyn Democrat:
Melissa Mark-Viverito 212.828.9800 CHAIRPERSON District 08 Manhattan Democrat
James Vacca 718.931.1721 District 13 Bronx Democrat
James G. Van Bramer 718.383.9076 District 26 Queens Democrat

Please Help Us Save Freedom of Expression in New York City Parks!