O.C. PLATFORM : Room for Vendors

L.A. Times Archives

Sept. 23, 1992 12 AM PT

GORDON SMITH of Anaheim, who occasionally bought produce and cigarettes from street vendors in Anaheim, commented on a recent Anaheim City Council vote that banned street vendors. He told The Times:

Obviously, the people who are screaming bloody murder about Anaheim’s street vendors have never been to New York or other areas outside Anaheim where people sell their wares on the street.

I, for one, would much rather deal with these street vendors than my local supermarket. Maybe it’s because I come from the East Coast and I’m partial to these people.

In any event, I really can’t get upset about anybody trying to make a living. The way it sounds, you would think these guys are selling drugs.

I’m not denying that there needs to be some tighter regulation on the hours and cleanup procedures for the vendors; but to ban them!

Why can’t we find a way to let the street vendors in Anaheim earn a living and provide the service that they do?

It’s funny how we as Americans always talk big about free enterprise and capitalism but love to clamp down on it when it doesn’t suit our taste.