Mr. Sung-Soo Kim, chairman of the NY Korean-American Small Business Service Center (KASBC), met with Small Business Service members and NYC's Fair Rent Promotion Alliance to hold a press conference at Yollin Gongan, a local restaurant and reception hall, to promote the quick passage of Int No. 847-A. The bill is intended to help create better conditions for commercial lease negotiations and renewals.

Miguel Peribañez, the former president of USA-Latino Chamber of Commerce; Long Deng, the president of the U.S. Chinese Chamber of Commerce; Lois Marbach, president of the Queens Reform Democratic Club; Yoon-Yong Park, chairman of the Koreans' Rights & Benefits Promotion Association; Seung-Jin Jung, the Korean-American candidate for District 20 in Flushing; and Myong-Sok Lee, of the NY Small Business Leaders Association, were among those who attended the press conference with the intention to raise the common cry in NYC that the bill should be passed quickly.

At the conference, City Councilman Robert Jackson (District 7) proposed that if NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn does not respond to the petition, and fails to back the bill, he would try to accelerate passage of the legislation through the Rules Committee in an emergency vote. The Rules Committee consists of nine members, eight of whom have agreed to support Int 847-A, indicating that passage of the bill would not be a problem.

Councilman Jackson emphasized, "I am in touch with the City Council Speaker, and am persuading her strongly to vote for the bill as soon as possible. But if she continues to delay, I will find another way – an "emergency vote" – to get this important bill passed quickly." He added, "If you, small business leaders, mobilize a call-to-the-speaker campaign, the bill will become law."

Currently, there are 33 Council members supporting the bill, which represents over two-thirds of the Council. To secure passage, only one more vote is needed, thereby sidestepping any block or a Quinn rejection. Analysts believe that Quinn is delaying because she does not want to counter Mayor Bloomberg, who opposes the bill and is attempting to block its passage. The bill must be passed by the end of this year; otherwise, supporters of Jackson's bill will have to start the process again. Such a delay might result in the loss of current supporters.

According to business analysts, many small business owners in New York City, including Koreans in Manhattan and other boroughs, are paying exorbitant rents that threaten their future in these difficult economic times. The bill is needed to help create an atmosphere of fair negotiations on leasing agreements within the City.