This Year’s Pedicab

It’s the time of year again when we harp on street fairs:

The city collects 20% of proceeds — about $1.6 million a year — but that’s far less than the $4 million spent on policing the events.

“It just may be something we can’t afford,” Bloomberg said earlier this year.

Nonprofit groups that sponsor the events collect a very small cut of the proceeds, documents show.

. . .

But Mardi Gras makes no apologies for its cookie-cutter fairs. It even offers package deals to vendors who work multiple fairs on a “buy 20, get seven free” basis.