Arnold Diaz's Blog

For months, we had been trying to speak with Mark and Deb Zacharin, owners of itsonlyrocknroll.com. They would not answer our calls, and when we went to their home they wouldn’t open the door.

So when sources told us the Zacharins intended to file for personal bankruptcy, we found out their scheduled court date and made sure we were there. We are including our entire conversation with them, as they exited court and walked to their car.

As for their bankruptcy filing, what do you think of that? If they prevail in the Chapter 13 Bankruptcy petition, they could possibly walk away owing nothing to the clients whose merchandise was sold by the Zacharins at auction. One attorney representing some of the creditors estimates the amount owed could be more than $1.5 million.

The success of Barack Obama in the Democratic primaries would indicate we’ve made significant progress toward the ultimate goal of a colorblind society. Clearly, though, there is a very long way to go.

One place that’s obvious is on the streets of New York City, when trying to hail a yellow taxi. Many black people I’ve spoken with say they still have difficulty getting a taxi just to stop for them. And some drivers, before allowing them in, ask where they’re going and then refuse to take them if the destination is anywhere above 96th Street in Manhattan, or anywhere else in the other boroughs. The Taxi and Limousine Commission says it conducts undercover operations and the results show that over 95 percent of drivers do not discriminate and do not refuse fares.

In one of the cases we highlighted, the driver was found guilty of harassment for telling the black passenger “you blacks never have any money, that’s why you pay by credit card.” That driver had 34 previous complaints on his record. By law he could have been fined up to $1,000. Instead he was fined $350 and given 3 points on his license.

If a taxi driver accumulates 6 points within 15 months, his license can be suspended for 30 days. 10 points in 15 months and the taxi license can be revoked. The TLC says the penalties are set by the City Council and are an effective deterrent. By comparison, the New York City Commission on Human Rights says its average fine is over $3,000 for racial discrimination in public accommodations, such as restaurants, offices, theaters, etc.

How common is discrimination by NYC cabbies? Is the TLC doing enough about it? Were the verdicts in the two cases fair? Have you been discriminated against by a cab driver? I’d like to hear what you have to say.

To learn about your rights as a taxi rider including how to file a complaint, read THIS ARTICLE.

In a city with so many residents of Hispanic heritage, it's no surprise that I'm often asked, "de que pais?", what country am I from? I'm from the United States, born in Brooklyn, raised in Miami. My grandfather came to this country from Cuba in the 1920's in search of a better life.
Interestingly, in those days immigrants tried to assimilate into the melting pot culture here as quickly as possible. My grandfather even changed his first name from Mauricio to Morris in a futile attempt to hide his ethnicity. Ethnic pride was not a popular concept then.
I am proud of the Cuban part of my heritage, and visited Cuba during the early Castro days. One of my childen spent a summer in Cuba studying music and dance. Immigrants from Cuba have made great contributions to the American culture. I personally witnessed the transformation of downtown Miami from a dying city to a bustling international metropolis, thanks in large part to Cuban immigrants.
Nevertheless, I do not consider myself a Cuban-American. I am an American from a melting pot family, part of which is Cuban. Traveling around New York covering stories for over 30 years. I am always amazed at the influx of people from so many countries. Many of them are Hispanic. But what unites us is not the Spanish language or culture, but the fact that we all, like my grandfather, have chosen America as the place to make our home.

People sometimes ask me how I got interested in doing my "Shame, Shame, Shame" reporting. While there are many reasons I have a passion for consumer investigative reporting, it is my mother who I credit for lighting the fire that still burns inside me. And it is one particular incident that provided the spark.
My father, Leonard, was a mechanic for Eastern Airlines. He took pride in his work and was good at it. But his income was not adequate to send me and my sister to college, not even to the state universities we eventually attended. So my mother, Florette Diaz, went to work as secretary to the Police Chief in our local town.
Now making her own money, she applied for a credit card at J.C. Penny. These were the days before the mail was filled with credit card offers. My mom was thrilled when her new credit card arrived, until she took a close look and saw the name on the card was Mrs. Leonard Diaz. She had applied for the card in her name.
She called J.C. Penny and was told, "sorry, there's nothing we can do."
My mother was not an early feminist. Her greatest pleasures came from her roles as mother and wife. But the inability to get a credit card in her own name was an injustice that got under her skin. She wrote to the CEO of J.C. Penny and never get a response. But her letter to the editor of the local paper did get printed. That truly pleased her.
It was an early lesson for me on the frustrations of consumers in dealing with faceless companies who put a low priority on customer relations. People want to be heard. Sometimes the media is the only way for that to happen. That's where I come in. I enjoy spotlighting the everyday injustices that often make peoples lives miserable. And I especially relish my role in exposing the people responsible for the problems. Accountability is what it's all about.