I think the first step is to focus group a logo for our cause. It will cost about 45000 dollars. Ha! J.K. I emailed the yumtacos dude and told him I would like to help.
I'd say contact the YumTacos dude to see what needs to be done. Also lobbying (letters, phone calls, asking for appointments) of Cohn's office.
The main point really is, do they have proof of these supposed problems beyond conjecture:
"there can be large groups milling outside late at night, but he is not aware of any trends of crime or any calls directly related to the mobile food vendors."
So as I understand it this review by the city won't take place until 2013. Is that right. Basically, they said that the ordinance has been passed but won't take effect for five years and can be reviewed before that.
I'm wondering if action were to happen how it should manifest itself if this is the case. Would it be possible to saw to the city WTF(?) why not just wake up now and throw this shit out before 2013?
I have a friend who works with the Royal Chicano AIr Force who I spoke with when this all first burbled up about a year ago. He said he'd be down to mobilize a group to make fliers and posters which would be rad. We definitely should do something. It's the most ridiculous ordinance in all the land.
Saving the taco trucks would definitely fall under the activism RCAF is known for!
Also, given the # of times I heard "world class city" mentioned this morning at the KJ/Gavin Newsom event, you'd think somebody would clue the city council in on how world class cities support their mobile food vendors.
Just for kicks, I put together an overlay of YumTacos taco truck map, with KCRA crime tracker map. The forks in the middle are two taco trucks in South Sac. The crime map had zero search criteria other than the adjacent address of the two trucks:
There's this little used state Elections Code section 9214 which provides that if signatures of 10% of the registered voters in a city are collected, those collecting the signatures may submit the signatures to the City Council and call for a special election. A special election is hugely expensive, and in these economic times a city would be unwise to expend precious resources on same --which is precisely why the code section allows for the alternative, namely the City Council's immediate adoption of the initiative. Long story short, if one wanted to back the City Council into a corner one would draft an initiative overturning the anti-taco truck initiative and would begin to collect the 21 thousand signatures needed--it is safe to assume that one needn't collect anywhere near the necessary number of signatures, rather, just an adequate amount to make the City Council realize the necessary amount could be collected and that a costly special election would be imminent.
I think hungry people (or people who are forced to eat fast food to assuage their hunger) or more likely to commit crimes.
By the way, I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but I personally can't recall any taco truck or mobile food cart blaring music. There usually isn't much of a party vibe, just people ordering and then eating. Have you guys seen a party truck? I mean, besides Winko L'Jizz.
The whole concept of attracting crime seems pretty unfounded because every time I got to Tacos de Oro, I'm always in line behind people from the Sheriff's Department and their DUI trash pick up work crews. So yeah, criminals may eat at taco trucks but I've only seen them there when they're accompanied by cops.
I just got back from Portland this week where I was following the Mayyors and G. Green around. I saw even more food carts up there than ever before. Last year, it was big news when "foodcartopia" descended on the corner of SE Hawthorne @ 12th Ave because it was the first such grouping of carts to establish east of the river. Now, it seems like wherever there's an empty lot, there are food carts. And the variety is getting outrageous. Everyone's talking up this Venezuelan cart up in North Portland, where there's a ton of carts now. If I didn't know better, I'd say it's verging on overkill now, but when we went to regular restaurants, we still had to sign in and wait.
Why do you think it is racial? All the Mexican restaurants in town are a testament to how much people love the food, why would it matter where they get it from? If people didn't like buying food from Mexicans wouldn't the restaurants suffer?
I personally would like a Vietnamese sandwich cart parked right in front of my house. daily. -olivia
I am not sure what to do.
ReplyDeleteA letter perhaps?
some flyers?
Let me know if you got any ideas.
Natalie.
I think the first step is to focus group a logo for our cause. It will cost about 45000 dollars. Ha! J.K. I emailed the yumtacos dude and told him I would like to help.
ReplyDeleteI'd say contact the YumTacos dude to see what needs to be done. Also lobbying (letters, phone calls, asking for appointments) of Cohn's office.
ReplyDeleteThe main point really is, do they have proof of these supposed problems beyond conjecture:
"there can be large groups milling outside late at night, but he is not aware of any trends of crime or any calls directly related to the mobile food vendors."
So as I understand it this review by the city won't take place until 2013. Is that right. Basically, they said that the ordinance has been passed but won't take effect for five years and can be reviewed before that.
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering if action were to happen how it should manifest itself if this is the case. Would it be possible to saw to the city WTF(?) why not just wake up now and throw this shit out before 2013?
I have a friend who works with the Royal Chicano AIr Force who I spoke with when this all first burbled up about a year ago. He said he'd be down to mobilize a group to make fliers and posters which would be rad. We definitely should do something. It's the most ridiculous ordinance in all the land.
Saving the taco trucks would definitely fall under the activism RCAF is known for!
ReplyDeleteAlso, given the # of times I heard "world class city" mentioned this morning at the KJ/Gavin Newsom event, you'd think somebody would clue the city council in on how world class cities support their mobile food vendors.
Okay, after we mobilize everyone to lift the ban on taco trucks in Sacramento, we mobilize to ban the phrase "World-Class City" in Sacramento:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Ban-The-Phrase-World-Class-City-in-Sacramento/145351235481916
Just for kicks, I put together an overlay of YumTacos taco truck map, with KCRA crime tracker map. The forks in the middle are two taco trucks in South Sac. The crime map had zero search criteria other than the adjacent address of the two trucks:
ReplyDeletetaco truck / crime map overlay
Do taco trucks actually prevent crime?
-HN
There's this little used state Elections Code section 9214 which provides that if signatures of 10% of the registered voters in a city are collected, those collecting the signatures may submit the signatures to the City Council and call for a special election. A special election is hugely expensive, and in these economic times a city would be unwise to expend precious resources on same --which is precisely why the code section allows for the alternative, namely the City Council's immediate adoption of the initiative. Long story short, if one wanted to back the City Council into a corner one would draft an initiative overturning the anti-taco truck initiative and would begin to collect the 21 thousand signatures needed--it is safe to assume that one needn't collect anywhere near the necessary number of signatures, rather, just an adequate amount to make the City Council realize the necessary amount could be collected and that a costly special election would be imminent.
ReplyDeleteI think hungry people (or people who are forced to eat fast food to assuage their hunger) or more likely to commit crimes.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but I personally can't recall any taco truck or mobile food cart blaring music. There usually isn't much of a party vibe, just people ordering and then eating. Have you guys seen a party truck? I mean, besides Winko L'Jizz.
I was thinking about that too. The only thing that comes to mind is the initial la cucaracha horn when a truck arrives...
ReplyDeleteThe whole concept of attracting crime seems pretty unfounded because every time I got to Tacos de Oro, I'm always in line behind people from the Sheriff's Department and their DUI trash pick up work crews. So yeah, criminals may eat at taco trucks but I've only seen them there when they're accompanied by cops.
ReplyDeleteI just got back from Portland this week where I was following the Mayyors and G. Green around. I saw even more food carts up there than ever before. Last year, it was big news when "foodcartopia" descended on the corner of SE Hawthorne @ 12th Ave because it was the first such grouping of carts to establish east of the river. Now, it seems like wherever there's an empty lot, there are food carts. And the variety is getting outrageous. Everyone's talking up this Venezuelan cart up in North Portland, where there's a ton of carts now. If I didn't know better, I'd say it's verging on overkill now, but when we went to regular restaurants, we still had to sign in and wait.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you think it is racial? All the Mexican restaurants in town are a testament to how much people love the food, why would it matter where they get it from? If people didn't like buying food from Mexicans wouldn't the restaurants suffer?
ReplyDeleteI personally would like a Vietnamese sandwich cart parked right in front of my house. daily.
-olivia