Tomorrow, Asheville City Council will hear a second reading of the proposed food truck ordinance. The issue is in many ways parallel to the Defense of Marriage Act. Nobody thinks food truckers should be deprived of a chance to earn a living, just as no person (normal by 1950s standards, anyway) wants to stick their nose into other peoples’ bedrooms. The problem is, government has imposed hurdles. In the latter case, nobody is clamoring to spend $60 on a marriage license so they can hire an attorney to get divorced. They just want financial advantages like income tax cuts and insurance benefits. In the former case, bricks-and-mortar restaurateurs have to pay huge property taxes and abide by stringent building and fire codes. Food truckers can get away with a couple hundred in setup fees and no ADA renovations.
by Leslee Kulba
Wild West blogger