“I don't want it and you can't too!”

“If we don't want to do it, you can't do it either.”   It's reminiscent of those childhood days when one child doesn't want something, but doesn't want anyone else to have it either.   Ignorant cities discriminate against street food vendors.

“Brick and mortar businesses pay more taxes.”

True, but they also make more money, they also don't work in the bad weather and they also receive city benefits that vendors don't receive.

“We already have enough food establishments.”

Would you tell Golden Corral they can't come to your town because you already have other steak houses?

I read another story recently where the city is using protectionism coupled with cronyism to defend their codes against a 13 year old hot dog vendor.  The officials blatantly erode the rights of others in an effort to monopolize their friends businesses.

I don’t want it and you can’t too!

What stops a restaurant from opening a food cart or concession stand?   NOTHING stands between them but air and opportunity.  They simply don’t want one, they don’t want to have to work outside, defend themselves from the weather and miss revenue because of a summertime shower.  And because of that – by god, you can’t have one either!

My hillbilly take on all this is simple:

1. Successful businessmen/women run for public office – and win.
2. To protect themselves and their companies they create codes and laws restricting potential competition.
3. Those attending the meetings and those in office voting are all too ignorantly selfish to consider the smaller businessman.  And why would they; their hunting buddies, their fellow cigar clubbers and their wives bridge partners are all those same successful businesses.

It's the keep ya down philosophy.  We don't want anyone else in our club.

Now years later, a man after losing his job, his insurance and his retirement plan, decides to make a way for himself; he purchases a hot dog cart or food truck and finds that all his efforts are in vain; hopeless against the powers that be.

They cry “fowl”.  No, we can’t have food trucks and vendors around here, it looks bad, it creates a public hazard, they are too shinny and the wheels are too round and I ate chicken last Thursday.  Any excuse will do to cover up for the real reasons;

1. Competition, oh no!
2. How dare someone try to make it own their own.
3. How is this going to affect my purchase of those new jet skis?

They can try to argue the facts, but the truth is that streets that have vendors are safer, all across America.  The Institute for Justice offers a PDF that anyone can freely download and share with their ‘powers that be’.  It shows the benefits of vendors to cities everywhere.  The Institute has overturned many harmful and un-Constitutional laws set in place by these zealous pigs.

There's this 13 year old boy from Holland, Michigan who in an effort to provide for his two disabled parents.  I tweeted this story a couple weeks ago and since have seen many articles about this boy and his cart.  The more I thought about it, the more it pissed me off and hence my little rant here.

It’s a violation of your Right to Work, it violates the U.S. Constitutions Bill of Rights.  Like slavery and woman’s rights, it has to be fought on every front.  We look back now on our ancestors in complete awe of the ignorance, how dare they restrict the rights of others, how dare they say women are less, how dare they enslave another human being.  One day, our descendants will look back and say; “What! They didn’t want street food vendors! – How dare they.”

How can a city create discriminatory laws that prevent lawful and peaceful operations?  It amazes me.  Even after many are educated, they will still stand by their ignorant code and defend it vehemently as if their arguments are valid.  Facts mean nothing to these people.

My perfect solution: (it sounds perfect in my head)

• City officials receive a letter describing how their code, rule, law, bi-law or ordinance violates the Constitution along with a copy of cases where precedence as been set.
• City has 30 days to modify the offending code.
• City is fined $50,000 daily for each day the code is not changed after the 30 day period.
• The City must offer reparations to all those effected by the illegal code.

Why I believe a city must be punished:  Most cities have an attorney, e.g. City Attorney – said attorney should have reviewed any complaint made.   Any attorney worth his weight in salt and with an IQ higher than a plant should be able to pull up case law and determine the validity of a complaint.  Attorneys make oath to uphold and protect the U.S. Constitution, therefore they should be punished when found to have ignorantly ignored the potential violations.

Some cities have silently adopted the; ‘we are a city of the people for the big business man who donated to my election fund last year.’  We are not that, we are a country by the people for the people and ‘people’ includes the hot dog vendor and the food truck operator.  Period!

That’s my 2 cents worth.  If you want to help, please click a link or two below and join, donate or just give a word of encouragement.

The Institute for Justice

Be sure to check out this page at IJ.  It's important to know about and request a sticker for your cart or food truck.

Click here to view, print and download the presentation that the Institute for Justice has prepared.

To get a “Legalize Street Food” sticker, email; lkurcab@ij.org