贵州安顺城管被怀疑打死一个残疾小贩而激起众愤，引发公众暴乱，再一次表明城管这个队伍在人民心中的地位已经全无。如果你网上谷歌城管，出现的无数结果都是讲城管历年的暴行，一个个令人震惊血淋淋的例子。
   全国城管队伍的数量没有准确的数字，不过说在一千万至两千万之间是有报道根据的。
   感谢城管，才使这些年拆迁那么顺利，那许多百姓的合法权益丧失。感谢城管，才使我们的街道那么干净，没有摊贩，没有人气。感谢城管，使得大众认识到对弱势群体暴力执法所表现出的强大威力。
   这多讽刺。
   其实在纽约，警察及其它政府部门和摊贩之间的矛盾也不小，有部分摊贩也抱怨警察骚扰。没有执照的摊贩会被罚款、充公物品甚至拘捕。但没有听说那个摊贩被打，而且被打残和打死，而且被一大群城管打，而且打一个残疾人。纽约警察全副武装，而且都佩枪，但好像仍没有国内那些穿制服的城管耀武扬威能打。
   要说国际大都市，纽约世界第一，毫无争议。上海和北京最多也排名20位左右。纽约主要街道旁都可以设摊，如第五大道旁，到处是奢侈品牌店，照样是卖热狗、烤肉串和咸面包圈的摊贩。再如时代广场，再如大都会博物馆。摊贩是纽约的一大文化生活风景线，很多纽约人的早餐都是摊贩那里买的热狗、面包、咖啡、卷饼等等。中饭时我们楼下43街的埃及摊贩那里都是白领排队在买自己的中饭，据说一些名人，如 Calvin Klein等都在摊贩那里买吃的。
   纽约的摊贩也要执照，而且也很难申请，有限额。但一旦有执照，你就可以在任何允许设摊的地方摆摊。在纽约大部分街道都是允许设摊的，除非那些特别狭窄的街道。
   据说1920年代纽约的摊贩都是犹太人和意大利人，而现在很多是塞内加尔、墨西哥、阿富汗、中国、埃及、孟加拉等国来的移民。和中国摊贩一样，他们也是美国社会底层。
   然而在今天上海的外滩、南京路和淮海路，或者徐家汇等等地方是全然找不到小贩的。在纽约他们是城市文化和风景线，在上海他们被指是破坏城市市容的罪魁祸首。在纽约他们是为百姓生活提供方便，在上海他们被指扰乱社会秩序。怪不得国内会有地方政府领导信誓旦旦要把自己建成无摊贩城市，我几年前就说这样的城市不是人类居住的也是没有人性的城市。
   在纽约，小贩有自己的工会和组织，联合与政府谈判。虽然可以说纽约的摊贩仍是弱势群体，但大家联合起来的力量也使得政府不敢和不能一意孤行。去年4月采访纽约艺术家摊贩的抗议，他们也有一个叫 A.R.T.I.S.T的组织，援引宪法第一修正案保护艺术表达自由权。
   在上海和国内其它城市城管和政府部门强势说了算，小贩在各级人大中间是否有代表我还没有听说过，一切制定关于摊贩管理规定都不用征求摊贩他们这些利益攸关者的意见。另外，中国的摊贩目前也完全像是一盘散沙，没有组织为自己伸张权利。
   其实摊贩在全世界都是弱势群体，工作条件艰苦，大部分收入也不高，他们都面临政府执法部门严厉的罚款和没收等处罚，使得生活更无保障。想不到这些不幸的人要自食其力竟然那么难，还要被政府部门骚扰，难道非要逼着这些人犯罪不得。
   和国内不同，在纽约，对摊贩的执法基本是按章办事，而国内一般是把章程扔在一边，任意执法。谁让老子不顺眼我就和他过不去。拿着纳税人的钱发的工资，却对百姓使用暴力。
   与国内相比，纽约的摊贩和政府的矛盾相对较小，这不仅因为执法者相对素质较高，无证摊贩当然相对也少。更主要的是纽约开放很多摊贩的空间，而不像国内那样这些年来把自古以来就有的摊贩生存空间都剥夺得差不多了。可以摆摊的地方越来越少。别人有疏通释放的渠道，而我们只会堵，堵了20-30年把摊贩的生存空间都取消了，难怪大家心中会积聚那么多火气来对抗。在上海那许多令人怀念的早点摊（大饼油条），现在几乎消失了，这本身也是对一种城市文化的破坏，是犯罪（可惜没有政府执法部门管这种犯罪），好像纽约的热狗摊突然一天完全失踪了，纽约人肯定受不了。我们太虚伪，虚伪得为了所谓表面的市容而逼着上海人改变早餐的习惯。
   纽约的周末更是摊贩文化的世界，平时没有的街道集市、艺术集市和跳蚤市场等等也纷纷登场，其中往往还有音乐摊点或舞台助兴。而纽约周末的临时摊贩一般都不要执照。这些集市有的占十几条街，像时代广场和联合广场边得百老汇大街和我们办公室外的第六大道是周末街市的热点，而且有警察帮助维持治安，设置路障，不许车辆通过。
   虽然城管在国内城市出现只是10多年的事情，这个名字已成为暴力执法和欺负弱势群体的代名词。我上次把纽约联合广场的农贸市场照片放在博客上，想不到大家的评价竟然是两种：“纽约竟然还有露天集市菜场”“城管在哪里？”这种反应太具讽刺意义了。
   其实纽约政府和议会也有人想要更多限制摊贩的活动空间和数量，但有那么多制约因素和抗议在那里，这些人要达成目的也是谈何容易。
   一、两千多年来中国都有摊贩，但却都没有今天这样庞大凶狠的城管机构和队伍，难道我们的社会真的要用一两千万人去管理摊贩这个弱势群体吗？去对付被拆迁的百姓吗？这不是欺负百姓是什么？
   看来，国内官员公费出国也不妨，只要把国外那些更为人性化的城市管理学会，那这些纳税人的钱也算没有白花。不过在我看来，取消目前这种臭名昭著的城管队伍才为上策。
    要管理好城市决不能靠今天我们社会上的城管。

Easing the tension between chengguan and vendors

The Greenmarket in New York's Union Square is a haunt for locals looking to buy fresh produce from small family farms. I posted some photos of the street bazaar on my blog and the comments left by Chinese viewers came much as a surprise.

Many were amazed to find that outdoor markets still exist in the heart of New York City, and even more amazed that they are allowed to.

"Where are the chengguan?" some quipped.

Chengguan, or urban management officers, refers to the massive army of civilian law enforcement personnel that have mushroomed in Chinese cities over the past decade. Their responsibility includes enforcing local laws and regulations relating to public facilities, environmental pollution, sanitation, street vendors and building demolition.

However, chengguan have become increasingly controversial in recent years due to the many high-profiled cases involving their excessive use of force while carrying out duties, especially against street vendors. Some incidents have even triggered public unrest.

Just a week ago, chengguan were implicated in the death of a disabled vendor in Anshun of Southwest China's Guizhou province. Even while an investigation was still under way, two top officials from the local chengguan department were removed from their positions.

In New York City, police do make arrests and fine local vendors who operate without a license or on roads that are off limits. Some vendors in the city and their advocacy groups also complain about the harsh penalties for offenders. Still, I have not heard any stories of vendors being attacked or beaten to death by a group of law enforcement officers.

The relationship between vendors and the New York Police Department (NYPD) is much less contentious than that between vendors and chengguan in Chinese cities. There are good reasons for this.

Compared with the NYPD, most chengguan are inadequately trained for law enforcement. Their behavior, as most Chinese citizens see on a daily basis, is often heavy handed and inappropriate.

But another, more important, reason is that chengguan have been given an ill-intended mission.

Many of the cases that have made the headlines in the past few years have centered on vendors pedaling without permits or in restricted areas. The essence of the issue is that the city administrators believe that getting rid of street vendors is the best way to keep their cities clean and tidy. As a result, vendors that have been a familiar part of city life throughout history have suddenly been declared unwanted and illegal.

When cities adopt such a hostile attitude toward vendors, it is not surprising that the relationship between vendors and chengguan has turned tense and combative.

As our cities become less tolerant of vendors, this underprivileged group finds it increasingly hard to make a living.

In New York, vendors can have food and merchandise stands in Times Square and along Fifth Avenue near upscale shops. In Shanghai, you won't see any of them in People's Square or along Nanjing Road or Huaihai Road.

Most New Yorkers consider street vendors part of the city's vibrant life and culture. Many patronize food vendors during breakfast and lunch. Pushcarts selling hotdogs, pretzels and kebabs are a signature scene of the Big Apple. Every weekend, New Yorkers enjoy street fairs and flea markets featuring hundreds of vendors. The police set up road-blocks to ensure the fairs run smoothly.

On Sept 24, sidewalk chefs will compete for the city's 7th Vendy Awards in New York’s Governor’s Island.

In Shanghai, vendor culture that was so much a part of the city's heritage has almost been wiped out. It is hard to find a place selling dabing (baked pancakes) and youtiao (fried dough), the traditional local breakfast, in the local neighborhoods these days. As the city takes on a modern look, many Shanghainese are forced to bid farewell to their traditional breakfasts and street vendors.

Unlike New York where vendor advocacy groups are vocal in making their voices heard, vendors in Chinese cities usually don't have their own organizations where they can bargain collectively.

The making of our laws and regulations regarding street vendors hardly encourages vendors or their advocacy groups to voice their opinions.

Chengguan need more training to improve their law enforcement skills, but making our cities more vendors friendly would be an even better solution.

(By Chen Weihua)