It's Really Sacramento's Sidewalk

You really have to love the commonsense approach that our state legislators take on local issues.  Here is the latest example, now signed into law by Gov., soon to be ex-Gov. Brown

TAKE IT TO THE STREETS: Senate Bill 946 (Ricardo Lara, D-Bell Gardens)

As the Trump administration ramps up its immigration enforcement efforts, California is attempting to bring street vendors, many of whom are undocumented immigrants, out of the shadows. The state will now prohibit local governments from banning sidewalk sales of food and other merchandise, and require them to set up a licensing system if they want to regulate the practice. Violations of local rules can only be punished with citations or fines, not criminal charges, so as not to alert immigration authorities.

And who pays for the "licensing system" to be designed, built, advertised and maintained?  We do.  Nice work.  Definitely got your priorities right, legislators.

Comments

[It Don't Come Easy]

It will take one or several serious food poisoning events for the state to require the same licensing and permitting process for ALL street vendors. Just to be on the safe side, if you don't see Purell nearby, don't eat it!

[MYeung]

Burlingame has been supporting non-brick-n-mortar vendors for as long as I can remember. Food trucks, Farmers Markets, etc. To hell with those shops who pay millions to the coffers every year which goes to support schools, roads parks, police protection...

https://www.ice.gov/webform/hsi-tip-form

[Charles Magnuson]

Does Burlingame already have a business licensing system??? Of course we do! There are business in our town. Add another tab or checkbox to the existing business licensing system and you're done. Problem solved. No cost, no sweat. Hell, I have close to zero coding knowledge and I could build you a decent licensing system from the ground up using off-the-shelf products within 3 days. I guarantee it.

We're some of the richest people living in one of the richest cities in the richest nation on Earth. We can easily afford a negligible expense to help protect the most vulnerable people in our population using a system that already exists. It make me disappointed to hear people whine about situations like these.