East L.A. Taco War on the Horizon?
After passing anti-taco truck legislation last night, the Board of Supervisors must now contend with mobile Taqueros who say they’ll resist the new ordinance. The Los Angeles Times has the following quotes in today’s edition:
They can try to move us, but we’re not going to go,” said Aleida De La Cruz, whose taco truck has been a family business for 20 years. “What are they going to do, take us all to jail?”
“I don’t think it’s a crime to sell tacos for a cheaper price than the established business,” truck owner Eugenio Sanchez told supervisors. “And the people are happy to see us because they say, ‘Finally, we have someone selling tacos.’ ”
There must be a reasonable balance between restaurants and taco trucks. We, the taco consumers are caught in the crossfire of this pointless war, and we call on the parties at hand to save the taco trucks! Sure, it’s no good when a mobile Taquero shows up right outside a taco shop, but there must be a better way to regulate things than this draconian measure, causing popular trucks to move every hour, wasting gasoline, hurting the environment and contributing to traffic problems. We call on the county leaders to think about the war they’ve started and to immediately seek a better solution.
(7 tacos)
in_east_la wrote:
it wasn’t the city council it was the county board of supervisors.
this is why unincorporated east la should be a city, so that it can make its own laws instead
Posted on 16-Apr-08 at 10:12 am | Permalink
Erich Redson wrote:
Thanks in_east_la, I updated the story with the right info.
Posted on 16-Apr-08 at 3:11 pm | Permalink
Aaron wrote:
Led by District 1 County Supervisor Gloria Molina, the L.A. Board of Supervisors has pased new restrictions that will effectively eliminate taco trucks from our streets. Under Supervisor Molina’s new rules, taco trucks will have to change location every hour, or face a misdemeanor charge carrying a $1000 fine and/or jail. Yes, jail.
Taco Trucks are a special facet of Los Angeles, and something we don’t want to lose.
Let’s send Gloria Molina and the L.A. Board of Supervisors a message that we cherish our local vendors and don’t want to see them move away.
Go to SaveOurTacoTrucks.org to sign the petition!
Posted on 16-Apr-08 at 11:18 pm | Permalink
huerta wrote:
Over the years things have changed in our city. Downtown is becoming more trendy with all those lofts being built, politicians have come and gone and our schools, from what I can tell are making improvements. Yet, “loncheras” are one of the few things that haven’t changed over the years and that’s a good thing. As a child I cherished the nights in which my father would take the family out to a well know “lonchera” or taco stand for dinner after work. It seemed that at least once a month, usually on a Saturday night, we would go and eat from a “lonchera” because we wanted to treat ourselves to something special after working hard all week. It has become a family tradition and part of our life style to eat at “loncheras.” On any given weekend, any respectable “lonchera” will have people waiting more than half an hour to eat their tacos, tortas, burritos and quesadillas. When you go to a “lonchera,” you go because you want to treat yourself to good wholesome food. Just as other people eat out and have their traditions of going to In and Out or McDonalds, others have “loncheras.” Families have passed on the tradition of going to the “lonchera” to their kids. One generation after another all going to the same “lonchera,” talking to neighbors and the “lonchera” owners. A tradition I share with friends and will pass on to my children one day.If the “lonchera” is that good, it will eventually become a community spot for people to relax and hang out. There’s something to be said about going to eat at a “lonchera” after a hard days work or after partying all night long. Besides “loncheras” only go to where they’re welcomed and needed, which just happen to be in areas where latinos and Mexicans are the majority. If people oppose “loncheras” so badly, don’t support them. Tell others not to support them and eventually they’ll pick and go because they’re not going to waste their time in an area that is slow and doesn’t want them there. I have personally been in the “lonchera” business and it’s a hard life. You work everyday hoping to make enough to pay your daily ticket, storage fee for your truck and supplies while still having regulars bills to pay. To me there’s nothing like eating tacos de carne asada and pastor under a full moon with my dogs after walking around our local cemetery. Four for me and two for them. That’s the way it’s been and that’s the way it’ll always be. No matter how high the fee maybe, “loncheras” are part of my city, my culture and life and most importantly, a part of what makes Los Angeles the great city that it is.
~Peace and Tacos~
Posted on 17-Apr-08 at 1:21 pm | Permalink
Karen wrote:
This is a terrible law. Government is using its power to favor one type of business over another, and that’s not supposed to be the role of government. Gloria has lost touch with the people in our district, and she doesn’t know anything about running a business. I will NOT vote for her ever again!
Posted on 22-Apr-08 at 5:48 pm | Permalink