Ban Food Trucks?

[heironymouspasparagus]

He may be "listening" here....

Good for him!!

[Breadburner]

Food trucks are hip for now but this fad will pass.....

[Townsend]

Food trucks are hip for now but this fad will pass.....

So sayeth the prophesies.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Food trucks are hip for now but this fad will pass.....

That's why they have only been around in one form or other for just a few hundred years....

[Conan71]

Way to go, Blake!

[sgrizzle]

He announced it on Facebook and got called a self-serving sleaze ball.

Gotta love the inter webs

[Conan71]

He announced it on Facebook and got called a self-serving sleaze ball.

Gotta love the inter webs

F'real?

[heironymouspasparagus]

He announced it on Facebook and got called a self-serving sleaze ball.

Gotta love the inter webs

It's facebook - THE self-serving sleaze ball....

[Snowman]

That's why they have only been around in one form or other for just a few hundred years....

... and before the truck, food carts go back to Greek and Roman ages

[davideinstein]

Politics as usual. The distance isn't the issue. The lack of revenue coming in to the government per sale compared to the brick and mortar is.

I don't really care about this issue anymore. It's all self-serving from every perspective. I ate at two food trucks this weekend and two brick and mortars. Both were busy.

I disagree with how food trucks operate within the system, but that's not their fault. Deal with it and move on, let the best model win.

[Gaspar]

Everyone wants to protect their territory from competition. Understandable. Government is always an eager weapon at your disposal.  In many cases it's easier than offering a better product, better price, better atmosphere. Erecting a government obstacle is easier than competing, but promises plenty of unintended negative consequences.

[AquaMan]

This issue and these arguments are very similar to when the internet became a retail presence a decade ago. B/M and states were aghast at the loss of revenue. They had to adjust or die.

[Gaspar]

This issue and these arguments are very similar to when the internet became a retail presence a decade ago. B/M and states were aghast at the loss of revenue. They had to adjust or die.

. . .and the push continues to regulate, limit, throttle, and tax internet traffic, and commerce.

A free market is hard, because business is forced to continually innovate and produce better products and services, and do battle with new competition entering their market space.  The alternative is always to seek ways to force your competition out, and government is always a willing partner.

If you want to force food trucks out, or relegate them out of business, here is a roadmap:
1. You need to fabricate a reason for the government to latch onto, beyond your own competitive concerns.
    a. Loss of tax revenue
    b. Environmental pollution
    c. Public safety
    d. Equality (my favorite). Just show that food trucks are racist because they won't venture into some neighborhoods, or sell on some streets.

2. Once you have government involved, you need to propose impossible regulation.
    a. Tax stamps and daily/weekly/monthly auditing.
    b. Insurmountable standards for running generators, grey water disposal, and grease/smoke/odor output.
    c. Parking restrictions for specialized vehicles (food trucks).  Flashing light, uniformed crossing guard, increased fire suppression, 3-way egress, etc. regulations.
    d. Territory requirements, and time logging at each location.  Specific food truck parking lots (far away from business traffic).

3. Of course, to pass any of this you need public heartbreak (create a hobgoblin).  
    a. Find a news story of someone hit while crossing the street to a food truck.  
    b. Find news about uncleanly conditions on food trucks.
    c. Find information on safety related to propane use/transport/leakage.
    d. Show the increased environmental impact and huge carbon footprint (good one).  Anyone who would eat at a food truck would be environmentally irresponsible.
    e. Present evidence on how food trucks degrade commerce by killing brick & mortar food offerings.
    f. Shoot some pictures of trash as a result of mobile vendors.
    g. Show "underprivileged" streets where the food trucks won't venture. Interview folks who are angry because the taco truck won't come down their street.  They are, after all, entitled to equal tacos.
*EDIT* Someone just sent me a good one:
     h. Food trucks may employ pedifiles and could be operating within distance of schools.



Now get to it!  

[Conan71]

Politics as usual. The distance isn't the issue. The lack of revenue coming in to the government per sale compared to the brick and mortar is.

I don't really care about this issue anymore. It's all self-serving from every perspective. I ate at two food trucks this weekend and two brick and mortars. Both were busy.

I disagree with how food trucks operate within the system, but that's not their fault. Deal with it and move on, let the best model win.

Lack of revenue per sale?

It's always been my assumption that food trucks are required to collect and remit sales tax, no different than any brick and mortar retailer or any other mobile retail service.  Am I wrong on this assumption?  Since I don't recall being up-charged for the tax, I assume they are remitting 8.517% of total sales.

[Gaspar]

Lack of revenue per sale?

It's always been my assumption that food trucks are required to collect and remit sales tax, no different than any brick and mortar retailer or any other mobile retail service.  Am I wrong on this assumption?  Since I don't recall being up-charged for the tax, I assume they are remitting 8.517% of total sales.

Shhh!  Keep hope alive.

The taco wagons that hit the construction sites out south have some of the best tacos you will ever have.  Many are open to negotiation on price and few have cash registers. It should be easy for someone to make a case.