This is a common sense initiative and should pass the City Council without any delay. “America” is an English speaking Country. If we don’t have a federal law mandating the use of English it’s only because immigration into this Country was never meant for people who would be hostile to our European culture.It should have remained that way.

This is a common sense initiative and should pass the City Council without any delay. “America” is an English speaking Country. If we don’t have a federal law mandating the use of English it’s only because immigration into this this Country was never meant for people who would be hostile to our European culture.It should have remained that way.

Look at all the above comments from “English-speaking” persons. How many of them have no spelling errors? How many of them have no grammatical errors? How many of them are barely intelligible? (I didn’t say “intelligent”, but that’s another story.) Everyone should learn to improve their grammar and spelling. That’s one sign of an intelligent person, and one who deserves to be heard.

America was built by immigrants. Let Freedom of Speech prevail.

Yes this bill is logical.

Freedom of speech … just another excuse to take it away. Government intervening where they do not need to. Let the private citizen and market decide!

You have to teach the sign makers to learn proper English as well. The way they mix up works and spell things is so amazing and very funny at times. Like the Limosing company on 60th Street and 8th Ave which was once named a transpotation company.

ENGLISH has been the spoken and written language since day one of this country. It should remain the number one language. If anyone desires to own a business or work in this country they should be able to read, write and speak English. Period.

They should hire Bi-lingual first responders or have multi-language translators available. Problem solved.

You do not have to eliminate your language but english should defintely be somewhere on those signs. What, do you think “your” people are the only ones that travel and “your” part of town? c’mon people get real.

PLEASE! all these people crying about “America has no official language” needs to cut the bull. America is a PREDOMINATELY ENGLISH speaking country. Lets be real for one second. Excuse me, but this country should NOT have to cater to each individual nationality when the majority of the people here speak english. Lets see you go over to China, Japan, Russia, Mexico etc. and tell them to learn english. HA! they will look at you and say “no you learn our language” So all of you foreigners that are making these comments about what is and what isnt the native language of the country, can please stop talking. The damn signs need to be in in ENGLISH. period.

English First, you are mistaken. English is NOT the official language of the US. It just happens to be the one the lawmakers speak. We don’t have an official language, and its not likely we are going to get one any time soon. Immigrants SHOULD learn English, for their own good, but there isn’t any mandate. And, correct me if I’m wrong, but citizenship (not immigration) does require some rudimentay knowlege of English.

I think the store names should be in international Morse Code.

This comment should say it all as it is not politically motivated. I was in Flushing looking for a good ethnic restaurant. I saw one that obviously catered to Koreans ONLY as I could not read “hangul.” Having NO English on the window, I had no idea what they served (dogmeat?). Get real. We speak English here. I always encounter the clerks in store who can’t speak English and I can’t communicate with them to ask them about the product, therefore losing my business. And I’m talking about a supermarket where I live.

What about businesses that come up with unusual names, that have never before appeared in ANY language? Will they be forced to display an English description? Or is the assumption made that if it isn’t any other language, then it must be English? I can just see the City lawyers spending our tax money arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court. Oh, and will words such as taco, pizza, pasta, chow mein, and the like be considered English? It kinda figures that Dan Halloran would be behind this proposed law. Whatever happened to that investigation of the Sanitation snow removal slowdown, done at his behest?

We did until the English came. Each Native Nation had it’s own language.

Keep in mind folks . . . you can keep any foreign language you want on your sign. This law does not force you to remove your language. They are just requiring an English equivalent name to be on the sign as well. It can be a smaller font and size. Just make them Bi-Lingual. It’s similar to your instruction manuals, for electronics that come in 10 different languages. It may even be better for businesses as MORE people may use them if they can read the signs instead of guessing what the business is.

Thanks guys ! And michael H is right! Yall ever think bout the fact unless you are a native american you are a immigrant! Guess I have an open mind where most don’t!

It’s about time. It’s not only the chinese. It’s the Russians, Hispanic, Arabs, Jews and all the others. If its a law that they have to have it in a foreign language, then its should be a law that they have to have it in English. I don’t care what language you speak, they should also be able to speak and understand the language of this counrty. The reason they don’t want to learn English is beacuse they get everything in their language. If they don’t want to learn the language of this country then they are the racist not me. MY grandparents came to this counrty and they learned English.They are not stupid,they just don’t want to learn. But the liberals and the politicans will want to fight this. Nobody is saying not to speak their native language, but you have to learn to speak,read and write the language of the counrty you came to live in.

Sometimes I wish we can go back a few decades where city council members/ policy makers had more significant problems to tackle. It seems like in the past year or so people are just trying to eradicate all aspects of what makes New York- New York. Lets get rid of vendors in Chinatown. Let’s get rid of Central Park musicians…lets require all sign’s to partially be in English. Its New York. We are a melting pot- it separates us from boring America.

Hey , do first responders are given the address of the location for the request for help or the name of store? Giving the store name is no help for first responders. And if they are given the store name first responders will find themselves in the wrong city!

Maybe council member, Peter Koo and Dan Halloran, should take a courses in the history of New York City and its people.

It’s common sense. The law we have on that should have been enforced years ago.

That used to be the law, but it LAPSED due to the city’s aggressive non-enforcement. It has to be put back on the books so it can be enforced.

BTW, Koo owns five pharmacies in Flushing, so he would be subject to his own law!

Its looks like a racial thing – only their kind would know what the store is – both lanuages is just fine – all americans should know what the stores are about and able to purchase – being jewish – chinese – korean etc

Un american what about people who don’t read english! They have addresses for first responders they shouldn’t have to depend on store names to find where they need to go!