Sunday, May 9, 2010

Asian pols push for English signs

From the Times Ledger:

State Assemblywoman Grace Meng (D-Flushing) said last week she and City Councilman Peter Koo (R-Flushing) were encouraging business owners in the community to put up newer-looking signs on their storefronts that include English translations.

But Meng said the initiative was merely a proposal and that she did not intend to seek violations against business owners who opted out of the program nor attempt to pass any laws to require English language signs.

“A lot of stores have signs in English already, but we want to make them look neater and more uniform,” she said Friday during a news conference at her Flushing office on 38th Avenue.

Meng said the proposal equally emphasized replacing shoddy signs with newer ones as it did promoting the use of the English language at Chinese- and Korean-based stores. The project would not have a quick turnaround, but could take months or years, she said.

She is putting together an advisory board of local business owners for the project.

But some Flushing business leaders at the news conference asked why the issue was once again coming up and discouraged using state money for the new signs amid the economic downturn.

The assemblywoman said funding for the project had already been allocated. The program would likely begin with a pilot project involving a few stores and eventually could be expanded to the entire neighborhood.

It would be a volunteer project, Meng said.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

good start, now can they also stop the korean from steaming and cutting octopus alive on the plate. it is just fucking cruel and nasty. Very barbaric.

http://gothamist.com/2010/05/04/live_octopus.php

Anonymous said...

The idea behind this good, however money already been allocated for this previously? I don't agree that public funds be used to provide signs for businesses in the conversion, rather the business pay for and conform to the law or code for signs.

Anonymous said...

Lookie here....it's the Gracie & Peter Show!

Say hello Gracie!

Where were you and your daddy Assemblyman Meng years ago on this issue?

Why not ENFORCE a state law that's been on the books since 1906 THAT REQUIRES English signage for safety reasons?

Too late...you've already lost my business.

I don't need to shop in an unsanitary foul smelling Asian colony for shoddily made goods.

Manhattan, Long Island, New Jersey, etc. now get my dollars instead.

Say good night now Gracie!

Snake Plissskin said...

I don't need to shop in an unsanitary foul smelling Asian colony for shoddily made goods.

Manhattan, Long Island, New Jersey, etc. now get my dollars instead.
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Who cares? Certainly not the 'important' people.

As long as money streams in, and votes are cast for the 'bhoys', they couldn't care less if its the runoff from a shithouse stinking up the neighborhood and driving everyone else away.

As a matter of fact, that is exactly what the Clubhouse hopes.

Anonymous said...

As a matter of fact, that is exactly what the Clubhouse hopes.

The tweeded are so blind. Democracy can only exist with a free press. Get it?

Anonymous said...

Why not ENFORCE a state law that's been on the books since 1906 THAT REQUIRES English signage for safety reasons?

Exactly!!!

Anonymous said...

This state law, who is supposed to enforce it? who should we hold accountable?

Anonymous said...

"Why not ENFORCE a state law that's been on the books since 1906 THAT REQUIRES English signage for safety reasons?"

This law was passed because the earliest european immigrants believed the new italian and eastern european immigrants weren't assimilating into our society. How ironic!

Safety arguments are bogus. Emergency services vehicles respond to addresses, not to store names. Requiring english on store signs has already been struck down by some federal courts.

Will this also apply to every "il trattoria" or "petite cafes" also?

Anonymous said...

Filthy hellhole.........i know it sounds racist,but you never see a stray cat around there.Stereotypes exist for a reason.........

Anonymous said...

The tweeded are so blind. Democracy can only exist with a free press. Get it?
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My friend the Clubhouse does not exist because of 'democracy' or 'serving the people.'

If everyone can get over the Easter bunny and Tooth Fairy why in the hell do they have a problem with this concept:

The Clubhouse exists to make money for themselves.

Patrick Sweeney said...

So is English-language signage required by law, or not? The article can't make up its mind.

Follow the money. Why call it "state money"? It is taxpayers money, and a lot more of it comes from Queens County than from Hamilton County. This is all about pols paying off their political friends. Reverse bribes.

Regarding Latin/non-Latin alphabet signage, at least readers of English can make a connection over time between "trattoria", "comidas", and "delicatessen" and what is sold therein if the sign has a common alphabet to English.

round eyes said...

No putee up Egrish signage...I no shoppee your store or votee for you either.

Anonymous said...

Things must be bad for Asian businesses these days if Asians are requesting signs in English.

They obviously can't make it on the patronage of their own people alone.

Too bad...that's all you've got left.

Enjoy the recession....you racist anti-Blacks & anti-occidentals.