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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR- 109-10
March 12, 2010

MAYOR BLOOMBERG NOMINATES DAVID S. YASSKY AS CHAIRMAN/COMMISSIONER OF THE NEW YORK CITY TAXI AND LIMOUSINE COMMISSION

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today announced on his weekly radio show on WOR - 710 AM that David S. Yassky has been nominated for the position of Chairman/Commissioner of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission. The nomination will be considered by the City Council and if approved, the Mayor will appoint Yassky to serve a seven-year term, expiring January 31, 2017. Yassky would replace Matthew W. Daus, who has served as Chairman/Commissioner for the last eight years and announced he would not seek reappointment last month. As a City Council Member, Yassky led efforts to green the City's yellow taxi fleet, introducing legislation to require fuel efficient taxis, and was instrumental in the creation of an incentive program to encourage taxi owners to purchase fuel efficient vehicles. Last year, he issued a detailed report on medallion owners and brokers that were circumventing lease price caps at the expense of taxi drivers, which is now a part of the commission's ongoing review of the current lease rate structure and its effect on owners, drivers and the public.

"David is the right guy for the job," said Mayor Bloomberg. "He led the way in the Council in introducing fuel-efficient taxis to the City, part of our PlaNYC agenda, and as former Chairman of the Small Business Committee, he's familiar with the issues and concerns of running a small business and many taxi drivers are in fact small business owners. He understands the complexity of the regulated taxi industry, exposing medallion owners that were violating regulations and shortchanging drivers. David has the experience, leadership skills and vision necessary to build on the innovations of the last eight years and make more improvements for passengers and drivers. I again want to thank Matt Daus for his service to the City and for his work in implementing a myriad of reforms that have forever changed the industry and riding experience for the better."

"Balancing the needs of those that earn a living in the industry, including 100,000 drivers, with needs of one million riders a day is no easy task," said Deputy Mayor for Operations Edward Skyler. "It requires strong leadership that is always willing to try new ideas and look for new ways to better serve the public - David Yassky will be that kind of leader at TLC. I encourage the City Council to carefully review his candidacy and give him the opportunity to expand on the incredible progress we have made."

"For-hire vehicles are a vital part of the City's fabric, emblematic of the City's 24-7 energy and its entrepreneurial spirit," said Yassky. "Under Mayor Bloomberg, the TLC has been a national leader in promoting sustainable, efficient urban transportation. If confirmed by the City Council, I look forward to building on the Administration's accomplishments and to advancing the Mayor's commitment to creative government solutions and first-rate customer service for the New Yorkers and visitors."

The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission licenses and regulates more than 50,000 vehicles, including 13,237 yellow cabs, 100,000 drivers, and 900 businesses involved in the country's largest for-hire ground transportation industry. The yellow taxicabs, black cars, liveries, limousines, and paratransit and commuter vans regulated by the commission transport approximately one million passengers each day.

The Taxi and Limousine Commission is composed of nine members. Four are nominated by the Mayor, including the Chairman, and each borough delegation of the City Council nominates a member.

Yassky served on the City Council from 2002-2009, representing the 33rd District, comprised of Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Park Slope, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO, and Vinegar Hill.

Prior to his service on the City Council, Yassky served as Chief Counsel to the House Subcommittee on Crime under then Congressman Charles E. Schumer, where he helped enact the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, the federal assault weapons ban, the Community Oriented Policing Service (COPS) program and more than a dozen other significant anti-crime statutes.  Subsequently, he worked as an attorney in the private sector working with financial institutions on complex regulatory and legal issues. Yassky also has served as a budget analyst for the New York City Office of Management and Budget. Yassky holds a Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Diana, and their two children.







MEDIA CONTACT:


Stu Loeser/Marc La Vorgna   (212) 788-2958

Allan Fromberg (TLC)   (212) 676-1013




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