Less than $2,000.

That is how much it costs New York City Councilmember Ydanis Rodriguez to buy a Chevrolet Impala and insure the vehicle.

With that minimal investment, he put himself through City College in the late eighties as a livery cabdriver, attending classes during the day and working at night.

New York State Assemblyman Guillermo Linares told a similar story, having been a livery cab driver from 1970 to 1975 as he went through college.

Rodriguez and Linares, whose districts represent northern Manhattan, offered the information at an afternoon press conference this past Sunday, May 22nd, where they were joined by several City and State elected officials who gathered to express concern and voice opposition to new proposals by the City to reshape the livery cab industry.

But the issue proved of concern far beyond El Alto, as New York City Councilmembers Melissa Mark-Viverito, of East Harlem, and Julissa Ferreiras, of Queens, also joined their elected colleagues to protest the City's plans.

While an official plan has yet to be presented to the City Council, some of the details under discussion have aroused concern and anxiety throughout the industry, and in Albany.

These include a so-called "five-borough plan" that would couple six permits to be able to hail passengers in the outer boroughs to approximately 1,500 yellow medallions. These medallions typically sell at auction for $700,000 to $1 million dollars, sums deemed astronomical and inaccessible by those of lower-income means.

Senator Adriano Espaillat stated, "These are working-class men and women. For decades, they have worked hard. They have been shot at, have been robbed, have been killed. And they have provided a good service in our communities, particularly to people of color."

He was particularly critical of the plan's timing.

"At a time when we can't afford a millionaire's tax," he said, referring to the non-passage of taxation measures on the State's wealthiest residents, "we should not be looking to make up the deficit on the backs of our working families."

State Assemblyman Linares expressed concern that the original intent of the City's first proposal, as stated in the Mayor's State of the City address, was being lost.

"What happened to the Mayor's original plan?" he asked, pointing to Mayor Bloomberg's stated support to permit the legalization of street hails by livery cab drivers in the outer boroughs. Assemblyman Linares also denounced any plans that would not take into account the investments made by livery base owners over the years.

"What happens, after 6,000 new drivers are legalized (for street hails), to the livery bases? They will be displaced, will be disconnected from drivers."

He noted that any plan to expand medallions in the City would first require approval by the state legislature. Any proposals, said the Assemblyman, that would adversely affect the livery cab industry, "will not be well-received."

Cira Angeles, owner of LA Riverside Car Service, spoke on behalf of a broad coalition of livery cab bases and drivers.

"We are all excluded here," she said. "This plan has been designed around the yellow cab industry, not us. We have not been taken into account."

Councilwoman Julissa Ferreiras was equally critical of the City's failure to address the negligence of yellow cabs to service the outer boroughs.

"The district (in Queens) I represent includes LaGuardia Airport, CitiField and the U.S. Open," she said. "That's where I see yellow cabs, when they drive to our communities. They just do not stop to pick up 'our' passengers. It just is not part of 'their' business plan."

The elected officials gathered at the Seaman Taxi Dispatch offices on West 215th Street, and were joined by a decidedly strong presence of over 50 livery cab drivers and base owners from across the area.

Livery cabdrivers Rosendo Aponte, Luis Alberto Diaz and Cesar Mella, all from the Kiss Car Service base in the Bronx, applauded heartily and listened intently to the elected officials speak on their behalf.

They had also joined a contingent of drivers who had traveled to Albany earlier in the week to speak directly to State legislators about their concerns.

"Esto nos afecta muy, pero muy, directamente [This affects us really very directly]," explained Aponte, who has spent 20 years driving with Kiss, of his and his colleagues' recent political activism. "This plan will absolutely disrupt our system, and will allow for large fleets to come into our neighborhood – just to put most of us out of business," he said.

Diaz was resolute about continuing to raise his voice.

"Somos miles, miles de familias [We are thousands, thousands of families]," said Diaz. "We are talking about whole industries suffering: car washes, mechanics, brokers, barbershops. And we have been here, through all the worst. Nosotros merecemos más. [We deserve better.]"