--- [ ARCHIVE ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=16) # The Facts on Street Vending: Reality not Racism ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Aug-2015/069l.png)GUEST COMMENTARY-When civil conversation ends up with "you are racist", there must be something deep down that someone is afraid of. The debate about legalizing street vending continues to miss the point. The City is attempting to abrogate its authority to control street vending. Let's discuss food vendors: To state that giving them a city permit makes them legal is a lie, period. The majority of the carts are misplaced Smart and Final carts, loaded with charcoal, topped with a five dollar sheet pan, selling bacon wrapped hot dogs -- completely illegal under County Health Permit requirements. So, even if the City issues permits to these vendors, they still will not be complying with County health requirements. That will put all the weight of enforcement on the County, which is already extremely under-staffed and unable to meet even its current inspection obligations to existing brick and mortar locations. In addition, the county-approved carts cost thousands of dollars, and must be stored in a county- approved "Barn,” costing vendors more money each month that they will not be able to afford. And how about liability insurance? Workers comp? Sales tax? City business fees? Now, what about locations? Who gets to go where? Who will enforce it? Ever call LAPD for a non-emergency response? You have a better chance of getting a yellow cab before a police response. And now you want them to enforce a hot dog vendor? In the past, the Office of Finance could not even collect Parking Lot Fees. How will the City keep track of street vendors? LAPD is one of two city enforcement agencies that can write Administrative Citations (ACE). Why are they not writing them now? Is this what we are to expect in the future? And what about all of those current street vendors who cannot afford the proper equipment? They will not get a permit. And they will continue to violate the current and future laws due to the economic impact on them. {module \[1177\]} So, how about the gangs that purchase carts and "rent" them to the vendors, taking large amounts of money from them in return? Have we ceded the streets to the gangs? It’s the Elephant in the Council Chambers: gangs that control many of the street vendors will only become more powerful and more dangerous. If your ear is to the rails in LA, you hear more and more people complain that we have become a Third World city. Not really fair to the Third World cities around the world. It’s time for the City Council to stop giving up city authority, to stop attempting to be a social service agency to everyone in town, to begin a policy of only passing legislation that can and will be enforced. They need to focus on our local problems -- gangs, graffiti, homeless, jobs, etc. -- instead of spending so much time passing non-binding resolutions that concern policy in other states and countries. It’s time for the City Council to stop running for office (theirs or the next one) and start running our City. *(Jay Handal is chair of the West Los Angeles Neighborhood Council and Co-Chairs the Neighborhood Council Budget Advocates Committee.)* *-cw* CityWatch Vol 13 Issue 69 Pub: Aug 25, 2015 Written by Jay Handal on December 31 2015. [](https://www.addtoany.com/share) ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Aug-2015/069l.png)GUEST COMMENTARY-When civil conversation ends up with "you are racist", there must be something deep down that someone is afraid of. The debate about legalizing street vending continues to miss the point. The City is attempting to abrogate its authority to control street vending. Let's discuss food vendors: To state that giving them a city permit makes them legal is a lie, period. The majority of the carts are misplaced Smart and Final carts, loaded with charcoal, topped with a five dollar sheet pan, selling bacon wrapped hot dogs -- completely illegal under County Health Permit requirements. So, even if the City issues permits to these vendors, they still will not be complying with County health requirements. That will put all the weight of enforcement on the County, which is already extremely under-staffed and unable to meet even its current inspection obligations to existing brick and mortar locations. In addition, the county-approved carts cost thousands of dollars, and must be stored in a county- approved "Barn,” costing vendors more money each month that they will not be able to afford. And how about liability insurance? Workers comp? Sales tax? City business fees? Now, what about locations? Who gets to go where? Who will enforce it? Ever call LAPD for a non-emergency response? You have a better chance of getting a yellow cab before a police response. And now you want them to enforce a hot dog vendor? In the past, the Office of Finance could not even collect Parking Lot Fees. How will the City keep track of street vendors? LAPD is one of two city enforcement agencies that can write Administrative Citations (ACE). Why are they not writing them now? Is this what we are to expect in the future? And what about all of those current street vendors who cannot afford the proper equipment? They will not get a permit. And they will continue to violate the current and future laws due to the economic impact on them. {module \[1177\]} So, how about the gangs that purchase carts and "rent" them to the vendors, taking large amounts of money from them in return? Have we ceded the streets to the gangs? It’s the Elephant in the Council Chambers: gangs that control many of the street vendors will only become more powerful and more dangerous. If your ear is to the rails in LA, you hear more and more people complain that we have become a Third World city. Not really fair to the Third World cities around the world. It’s time for the City Council to stop giving up city authority, to stop attempting to be a social service agency to everyone in town, to begin a policy of only passing legislation that can and will be enforced. They need to focus on our local problems -- gangs, graffiti, homeless, jobs, etc. -- instead of spending so much time passing non-binding resolutions that concern policy in other states and countries. It’s time for the City Council to stop running for office (theirs or the next one) and start running our City. *(Jay Handal is chair of the West Los Angeles Neighborhood Council and Co-Chairs the Neighborhood Council Budget Advocates Committee.)* *-cw* CityWatch Vol 13 Issue 69 Pub: Aug 25, 2015 [![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/ME%20DENTAL%20SPA/me%20dental%202026%20final.jpg)](http://medentalspa.com/) ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/banners/signup-for-cw.png) ## Get The News In Your Email Inbox Mondays & Thursdays Website [ ![LA DWP #2 (Pay Your Bill Help)](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/LADWP/dwp%20level%20pay%205-7-25.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/82 "LA DWP #2 (Pay Your Bill Help)") [ ![Home - HHR Rent is too High - SB-2](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/HHR/AHF-rent-too-high.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/104 "Home - HHR Rent is too High - SB-2") --- ## Featured CityWatch Stories [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/bb/062a-bb8ffb47.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33163:4-4-billion-later-inside-the-broken-machinery-of-los-angeles-homelessness-system&catid=312) ### [ $4.4 Billion Later: Inside the Broken Machinery of Los Angeles’ Homelessness System](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33163:4-4-billion-later-inside-the-broken-machinery-of-los-angeles-homelessness-system&catid=312) THE BOTTOM LINE - When Karen Bass became mayor of Los Angeles in December 2022, she declared a state of emergency on ho… [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/fd/064h-fdb0b507.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29355:remembering-ken-draper-citywatch-and-transparency-are-his-legacy&catid=12) ### [Remembering Ken Draper: CityWatch and Transparency Are his Legacy](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29355:remembering-ken-draper-citywatch-and-transparency-are-his-legacy&catid=12) LA WATCHDOG - Ken Draper, the editor and publisher of CityWatch for more than 20 years, passed away on August 8, 2022… [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/0f/061a-0f1ada2f.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33148:brace-yourself-for-a-worse-housing-crisis&catid=398) ### [Brace Yourself For A Worse Housing Crisis](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33148:brace-yourself-for-a-worse-housing-crisis&catid=398) PLANNING WATCH - The California State Legislature will soon vote on the following draft legislation. Please carefully… [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/04/063g-04ad33d5.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33173:netanyahus-challengers-are-selling-the-same-poison&catid=332) ### [Netanyahu’s Challengers Are Selling The Same Poison](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33173:netanyahus-challengers-are-selling-the-same-poison&catid=332) SPEAKING OUT - One would think that after October 7 and the Gaza war that followed, the leaders from the main oppositio… [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/19/062f-19a66144.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33162:prolonged-ignorance-of-a-ticking-bomb-does-not-neutralize-it&catid=9) ### [Prolonged Ignorance Of A Ticking Bomb Does Not Neutralize It](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33162:prolonged-ignorance-of-a-ticking-bomb-does-not-neutralize-it&catid=9) OP/ED - The recent landslide of chemical leaks, fires and extremely dangerous events have proven, without any doubt, th… --- ## [ ARCHIVE ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=16) [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Apr-2018/034e.png) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15339:early-intervention-and-jobs-are-key-to-stemming-chronic-homelessness-in-los-angeles&catid=16)### [Early Intervention and Jobs are Key to Stemming Chronic Homelessness in Los Angeles](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15339:early-intervention-and-jobs-are-key-to-stemming-chronic-homelessness-in-los-angeles&catid=16) ### [Tucker Carlson and Gay Rightwinger Blame California Wildfires On Hiring LGBTQ People](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=18755:tucker-carlson-and-gay-rightwinger-blame-california-wildfires-on-hiring-lgbtq-people&catid=16) ### [Anti-LGBTQ Veep Just Can’t Stop Talking about Mayor Pete](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=17690:anti-lgbtq-veep-just-can-t-stop-talking-about-mayor-pete&catid=16) [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Apr-2018/033j.png) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15316:news-pulse-corrupt-system-reason-for-not-voting-in-2018-majority-wants-more-than-two-parties&catid=16)### [NEWS PULSE: ‘Corrupt System’ Reason for Not Voting in 2018 … Majority Wants More Than Two Parties](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15316:news-pulse-corrupt-system-reason-for-not-voting-in-2018-majority-wants-more-than-two-parties&catid=16) [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Jan-2016/1404d.png) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10245:dead-dog-set-on-fire-sparks-fears-for-strays-in-los-angeles&catid=16)### [Dead Dog Set on Fire … Sparks Fears for Strays in Los Angeles](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10245:dead-dog-set-on-fire-sparks-fears-for-strays-in-los-angeles&catid=16)