NYC’s bill to end hidden tax & restore the role of the Department of Health

A penalty cannot simultaneously effect compliance and raise revenue. It’s time to call some fines what they are, tax.

On August 17th 2020, the NYC Department of Health (DOH) announced a pause in regular inspections. With restaurant service mainly operating outside the dining room, the DOH focused on COVID-19 compliance, while SLA and DOT regulated the streets. But regular inspections will return and the DOH will continue to rely on revenue from fines, as it has for decades, if there are no structural changes. A new bill introduced at the end of February, Intro. 2233, seeks to eliminate punitive fines from all city agencies; require warnings and a cure period for violations that do not pose an immediate threat; reduce the cost of remaining fines; and restore focus on education and training.

When we say restore the role of the NYC Department of Health, we mean as educators focused on preventing widespread illness. The restaurant letter grade system introduced after the recession, in July 2010, merely replaced a system of bribes exposed in the late ’80s. Letter grades, and the increase in fines that came along with them, were built into the city’s budget. It legalized cashflow that the city desperately needed, about as much as our vendors needed to keep it. And so the game began.

The following is an active collection of Q&As with vendors in support of Intro. 2233, starting April 2021, where we talk about the last year and what having this bill pass would mean for them.

If you’d like to join our campaign, write to hello@gradependingpress.com and follow #Intro2233. Grab a tee or this postcard for De Blasio in our non-profit shop.