City Council Speaker Christine Quinn is still sizzling over the anti-gay marriage stance of fast-food chain Chick-fil-A’s president — but she insisted yesterday she won’t use her political muscle to boot the company from its only city perch at NYU.
“I support businesses that are open and inclusive, that reflect the viewpoint of New York City, the most diverse city in the world. That said, businesses that follow our laws have a right to open here,” said Quinn yesterday.
“I don’t want businesses that hold discriminatory views and feelings, but I don’t have any legal recourse or reason to block this company,” she continued. “I’m raising my voice, which can be loud at times, but I’m never going to misuse this office in any way at all.”
Quinn’s stance yesterday was a departure from her tough talk last week when she wrote a letter to NYU, which houses the city’s only Chick-fil-A outlet in a dormitory food court, calling on university President John Sexton to get rid of the establishment, which is closed for the summer.
“Let me be clear — I do not want establishments in my city that hold such discriminatory views,” she said in the letter.
NYU issued a statement saying it received Quinn’s letter “and will be responding to her shortly.” Several days ago university spokesman John Beckman called Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy’s comments about gay marriage “out of step with NYU’s views on this matter.”
The Quinn-led City Council just a week ago approved a massive expansion plan for NYU — and the council’s Land Use Committee holds the power to approve or reject major projects.
One of Quinn’s council colleagues blasted her for using her position as speaker to pressure NYU to get rid of the eatery.
“She has every right to organize a protest or a boycott, but she has no right to use the power of government as a tool to ensure that people who do business in New York City hold certain political views. What’s next — will people have to support or oppose abortion to do business in New York City?” asked Councilman Peter Vallone (D-Queens).
“No one’s political views should ever be used as a litmus test to do business in any city,” he added. “She’s writing on speaker letterhead, as speaker, and the people who are receiving her letter are not stupid or naïve. They know exactly how much power she has.”
Quinn is out of step with Mayor Bloomberg, who defended Chick-fil-A’s right to do business despite its exec’s views.
“You can’t have a test for what the owner’s personal views are before you decide to give a permit to do something in the city,” Bloomberg said last week, breaking ranks with the mayors of Chicago, Boston and San Francisco, who have vowed to block the restaurant.