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For Immediate Release: Thursday, February
16, 2006
Contact: Jordan Isenstadt (c)
516.991.3842 (w) 212.490.9535 (f) 212.490.2151
STATE
SENATOR LIZ KRUEGER URGES NEW
LIQUOR
AUTHORITY CHAIR TO PAY MORE ATTENTION TO NEW YORK CITY LICENSING PRACTICES
New York, NY
- State Senator Liz Krueger
(D-Manhattan ) today said she was hopeful the
newly confirmed Chairman of the State Liquor Authority (SLA) Daniel B. Boyle
would “improve the agency and be sensitive to the needs of New York City’s neighborhoods, especially
those that have become saturated with bars and nightspots.”
Senator Krueger
said the SLA “has a history of ignoring
public input when they consider liquor license applications. I believe Mr.
Boyle intends to address that problem.”
More than 39 percent of the State’s liquor licenses are
issued within the five boroughs. In many Manhattan neighborhoods, an over-proliferation
of bars and nightclubs can cause noise problems, crime and other disruptions
to the community.
Senator Krueger
had urged Governor Pataki to appoint an SLA commissioner who resided in New York City. In a December
letter to the Governor, she said “when it comes to nightlife, New York City is unlike
any other part of the State. The City’s population density, and its status as
the nation’s entertainment capital, makes residents and late-night
establishments unusually close neighbors.”
The letter, co-signed by 35 other State Legislators and
several Community Boards told the Governor that the residents of New York City deserve a
SLA Chair who “understands the unique and complex relationship between the
City’s residential communities and its vibrant nightlife industry.”
Although Boyle does not reside in New
York City, Senator Krueger
said, “based on his answers to my questions when he came before the Judiciary
committee, I believe he will attempt to make the SLA
more responsive and appreciative of our neighborhoods and the problems we
face.”
The Senate confirmed Boyle unanimously on Wednesday.
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