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mises
Joined: 05 Nov 2007
Location: retired
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 Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 3:02 pm Post subject: Toronto's civic wieners wage war on hot dog vendors |
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Every day several hundred hardy souls, many of them immigrants supporting families in the great Canadian tradition, congregate in the centre of Toronto to make a living flogging hot dogs.
They�re there because there is a demand for them. They pay a licence fee, they provide a service, there is plenty of competition to keep them honest. And the city of Toronto, in its infinite wisdom, is dedicated to making life as miserable as it can for them.
It would be hard to think of a group of individuals that more clearly represents the �hard-working Canadians� NDP leader Jack Layton invoked in just about every utterance he issued during the recent federal election. They work ridiculous hours: nights, mornings, weekends, holidays -- pretty much whenever there�s a crowd, or the prospect of one. If it snows, they work; if it rains, they work; if it�s freezing, they work; if it�s sweltering, they work. They perch on the sidewalk behind a little metal cart containing a hot grill, with stacks of buns in plastic bags and a cooler jammed with cold soda, flipping an array of wieners on the grill. It�s hardly a glamorous living, it doesn�t pay a fortune, and it�s hard, tedious work.
The fare they provide is not bad, given the circumstances. Banned from selling anything that doesn�t come in the form of a wiener, they do their best, offering Polish sausage, German sausage, Italian sausage, spicy sausage, veggie dogs ...whatever they can dream up. Some have been there for decades, putting kids through university, earning a living. They are tightly regulated, their carts are generally clean, they have their regular spots and they don�t bother a soul.
Except the folks who run the city, who, for reasons known only to their addled selves, can�t stand the idea of hot dog vendors pursuing their livelihood free of harassment. When a snazzy hotel in Yorkville, the snootiest part of the city, decided to renovate a few years ago, the city drove George Mitzithras, a Greek immigrant who raised his family selling hot dogs, away from his usual spot out front. He spent five years working his cart illegally, paying regular fines, sneered at by city councillors who suggested the area's tony shoppers might not �like ketchup on their shoes.� A dozen more vendors on nearby Bloor Street fear they�ll be treated with the same contempt as the city spruces up the area in hope of pleasing visiting celebrities.
Some time back, Councillor John Filion suggested tourists would appreciate a wider variety of street food, and championed a loosening of restrictions. It wasn�t a bad idea; though Filion was mainly interested in a healthier diet, there were obvious opportunities for Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, Greek, Latino or other ethnic foods, not to mention vegetarian alternatives. Given Toronto is jammed with immigrants, suggestions wouldn�t have been hard to come by.
So what happens? The predictable: The city took Filion�s proposal and squeezed the life out of it. First it considered buying its own fleet of carts for $700,000 and leasing them out at $450 a month. Then it realized it would be more fun to stick the expense on the vendors, and came up with a plan to sell new carts to vendors for between $22,000 and $28,000. If they couldn�t afford to pay cash, they could lease the carts for $7,056 to $8,796 per year, at a minimum interest rate of 12.5%. For that outlay, a limited number of vendors would be allowed to sell something besides hot dogs. What exactly they could sell isn�t clear: the city wanted to spend five years -- Five Years! -- on a pilot project before bravely venturing onward.
In the mean time, a handful of the 300 or so licenced vendors would be allowed -- for an extra $1,000 fee -- to sell seeds, nuts, whole fruit, pre-packaged salads and the like. Healthy food! Food that�s good for you! Food that bureaucrats and skinny councillors who wear their hair in pony tails and ride their bicycles to work feel people should eat, whether they like it or not.
Pity the poor hot dog vendors. Bunch of immigrants just trying to get by, and they�re stuck with a pack of anal-retentive social engineers intent on recrafting society to eat like squirrels and obey like sheep. It�s a wonder they don�t just abandon their entrepreneurial activities and get a soft job at high pay doing little work for the city. City council can appreciate sloth; it�s initiative that stumps them.
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http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2008/11/11/kelly-mcparland-toronto-s-civic-weiners-wage-war-on-hot-dog-vendors.aspx
What did Reagan say about the government helping?? |
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SeoulnPepe
Joined: 13 Sep 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 4:11 pm Post subject: |
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Yes,
Mass immigration and hotdogs are ruining the lifestyle of Canadians living in Yorkville.
It seems to me that Canada has become was too politically correct, and perhaps that's why no one ever listens to it anymore on the world stage.
I heard that Canada wants to export beef to Korea...does Korea realize that it was Canadian cows involved in most reported cases of mad cow disease? Even the one incident in the US was actually a Canadian cow.
Hmmm...I really don't understand that country anymore. It seems to be losing its relevance. I hope I'm wrong. |
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sharkey
Joined: 12 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 4:37 pm Post subject: |
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| Jack Layton = in power soon! NDP majority government in 2010 , you heard it here first |
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mises
Joined: 05 Nov 2007
Location: retired
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| Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 4:42 pm Post subject: |
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| That will be the day after Sydney Crosby gets a sex change operation and joins the WNBA. |
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yawarakaijin
Joined: 08 Aug 2006
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| Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 5:48 pm Post subject: |
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Perfect example of government interference. Makes my sick and makes me glad I don't give them my tax dollars anymore.
The only role the government should have is regulating the sanitary conditions of these carts. If they are dirty, revoke the licenses and penalize the vendors.
If they are clean and meet safety standards they should be allowed to operate anywhere there is a demand for them.
In my honest opinion the ONLY redeeming quality Toronto even has is it's ethnic make up and those wickedly delicious food carts after a long night at the club or a hard day at work.
Damn, that article made me both outraged and hungry at the same time. |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 5:58 pm Post subject: |
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| It's just insane. Like oh no Centros and Canoe are going to go under because someone opened an odeng cart in the alley next door. |
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Manner of Speaking
Joined: 09 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 3:23 am Post subject: |
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| It's more of a municipal-government-out-of-control thing. Halifax has the same problem. What would be perfect...the provincial supreme courts declare that the municipalities don't have the right to regulate street vendors at all. Like Korea. |
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thiophene
Joined: 15 Sep 2007
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| Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 6:43 am Post subject: |
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| I MISS TORONTO STREET MEAT! mmmmmmmmmmmm |
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Fishead soup
Joined: 24 Jun 2007
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 5:33 pm Post subject: |
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There's no way an Asian style work ethic could survive in Canada. Not becouse its citizens would not embrace that idea of a DIY ethic could break the dependance on Social Assistance. It's the same hypocrites who are gunning for welfare reform and cutbacks who are demanding more beaurocratic hurdles for those wanting the break the cycle of dependance.
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yawarakaijin
Joined: 08 Aug 2006
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| Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:10 pm Post subject: |
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| If I were a street vendor I might just be tempted to say " You know what, *beep* you!. I'm just gonna go on welfare you bastards!" |
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mises
Joined: 05 Nov 2007
Location: retired
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| Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:47 pm Post subject: |
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| Manner of Speaking wrote: |
| It's more of a municipal-government-out-of-control thing. Halifax has the same problem. What would be perfect...the provincial supreme courts declare that the municipalities don't have the right to regulate street vendors at all. Like Korea. |
I don't know what to think about this. On the one hand, we have the chaos of Korea. The area around major subway stations like Konkuk are difficult to navigate due to the vendors. And the smell.. But it adds a great deal of charm to the city. On the other hand we have Singapore, where such things are totally banned. No charm. There is a middle ground somewhere.
But the TO city council is crazy. They are now going to make a paper (Pravda, T.O.) and give it to every resident. It will take an official editorial slant. Anyways, I think it ok to organize the who/where of the vendors. If you don't set up a system of formal property than somebody will enforce informal property (like Korea). But telling then what to cook or trying to lease the carts to them (at 12.5% interest!!!!!) is insane. Just insane. |
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Manner of Speaking
Joined: 09 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 10:32 pm Post subject: |
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| mises wrote: |
| Manner of Speaking wrote: |
| It's more of a municipal-government-out-of-control thing. Halifax has the same problem. What would be perfect...the provincial supreme courts declare that the municipalities don't have the right to regulate street vendors at all. Like Korea. |
I don't know what to think about this. On the one hand, we have the chaos of Korea. The area around major subway stations like Konkuk are difficult to navigate due to the vendors. And the smell.. But it adds a great deal of charm to the city. On the other hand we have Singapore, where such things are totally banned. No charm. There is a middle ground somewhere.
But the TO city council is crazy. They are now going to make a paper (Pravda, T.O.) and give it to every resident. It will take an official editorial slant. Anyways, I think it ok to organize the who/where of the vendors. If you don't set up a system of formal property than somebody will enforce informal property (like Korea). But telling then what to cook or trying to lease the carts to them (at 12.5% interest!!!!!) is insane. Just insane. |
mises,
I agree with you...I guess my suggestion of NO regulation at all comes out of the feeling that city governments in Canada don't really have a handle on street vending/sales as a way of promoting community diversity, ambience, and employment. The tradition of muncipalities regulating street vendors comes out of 19th century public health initiatives, but it has gone too far. I do think the Korean style of street vendors would work in Canada, as I've seen something similar in Times Square in NYC.
Municipalities should be able to tell street vendors to keep their locations clean, and MAYBE they should regulate them for sanitation and hygiene reasons, rather than the provincial departments of health - but that's it. I think if municipalities had no right to regulate street vendors, there would be chaos for about 5 years or so...but after a while a good balance of food safety/sanitation guidelines and vendor freedom would develop. |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 3:51 am Post subject: |
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| Fishead soup wrote: |
There's no way an Asian style work ethic could survive in Canada. Not becouse its citizens would not embrace that idea of a DIY ethic could break the dependance on Social Assistance. It's the same hypocrites who are gunning for welfare reform and cutbacks who are demanding more beaurocratic hurdles for those wanting the break the cycle of dependance.
I |
I don't quite follow what you're saying. There's are many vibrant asian areas in the GTA that work on the Asian work ethic. I never see asian pan handlers, that's for sure.
Large cities tend to attract (not produce) people who eventually go on welfare. I would like to think they first come here because there are jobs. If you're looking for a job you don't go to Sudbury. Not everyone is successful in their job hunt. A life on the dole in Toronto is highly miserable. A life on the dole in Windsor can be much better.
I have a friend who was on welfare. He noted most people on welfare certainly weren't on it for the lucrative pay scales. They were on it for the drug plan. Working a McDonald's is fine but if you need heart meds, what is your option? |
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