Sunday, March 04, 2012

Now California Wants To Harass Roach Coaches

OK, it is not politically or "foodie" correct to call "food trucks" by their traditional name, roach coaches, but in California, once again, trolls for big government want to regulate where food trucks can set up their ware.
Yep, only in Cali can this come about. Although give it time folks. It will come to a town, county or state near you.
The "brainchild" of state Assemblyman William Monning (of course Democrat-Carmel) says he likes him some of the "gourmet" fare that the "food trucks" serve. But it is those darn roach coaches that are the problem according to the good assemblyman.
Here is some wisdom from Assemblyman Monning:

"The reality is the trucks that are coming to the schools are pushing low-cost, sugar-sweetened beverages and high-sodium snacks. The kids aren't paying $17 for a risotto from a gourmet food truck."

Really?! The kids are not paying $17 for a risotto from a gourmet food truck?
I would like to know where one does pay $17 for risotto from a food truck, roach coach, whatever!
First of all, the elitist snob, Monning, represents tony and posh Carmel-by-the-Sea, hometown of Clint Eastwood, the former mayor. And as the article points out, surprise, there are no licensed food trucks or roach coaches in Assemblyman Monning's hometown.
I am shocked! Shocked I tell you! That there is no such animal in Carmel-by-the-Sea.
And when one looks at this website about some of the restaurants in Carmel-by-the-Sea, I do not see a fast-food one on this list. Nor anything inexpensive either.
The problem is simple.
Traditional roach coaches serve the workingman and woman in many cases. Many of those workers would not have anywhere to eat nearby their place of employment. Because many work in factories and or areas that sit down restaurants do not operate.
No, they do not serve gourmet food. That is an invention of the liberal or Stuff White People Like "foodie" crowd. They took the roach coach and turned into snobby fare for foodies. And while I do not deny my inner foodie every now and then, I have enjoyed many, many a meal from a roach coach and I am still alive, and do not blame my slight overweight to roach coaches.
But Assemblyman Monning does. And this is not a new attempt at regulating the traditional roach coach over the nouveau food truck.
So what does this legislation do exactly?
It would make all food trucks, roach coaches have to set up shop a minimum of 1,500 feet away from elementary, middle and high schools.
To show the absurdity of this legislation, a "medical" marijuana dispensary only has to be 600 feet from the aforementioned schools.
So, it is easier to get that joint than to get food from the roach coach, food truck, whatever.
But this has united the SWPL foodies with the roach coach purveyors.
As Matt Geller, chief executive of the Southern California Mobile Food Vendors Association, pointed out, gee those kids will still be able to go to McDonalds if they really want to. From Mr. Geller:

"This bill won't do anything to cut children's access to unhealthy food. They won't eat at the food trucks, but they are going to eat at the McDonald's nearby. They are going to eat at the convenience store, the gas station."

Bingo!
Oh, his bad! He may give Assemblyman Monning some more dim ideas.
But Mr. Geller is spot on. Kids will eat what they want and where they can.
And there is a group called California United Family Loncheros Association. They are essentially the group for the roach coach, or taco truck crowd. And their CEO, Erin Green said pretty much the same thing:

Trying to improve student health is "noble," said Erin Glenn, the group's chief executive, but the legislation (AB 1678) is too broad. It doesn't address, for example, the proximity of stores where students can "buy a bag of Hot Cheetos and a bottle of Coke," she said

Once again, bingo!
The best way to change people's eating habits is through education, pure and simple. If people have the information about good eating, I really think that they can make good choices. The problem with the busy-body left is that they think you are stupid and easily taken in by such things as roach coaches and anything else in their "minds".
If schools do their job and, oh boy, e d u c a t e said students and yes, parents, I think that they so-called obesity problem will lessen.
And it will lessen without the busy-body left telling us once again how to conduct legal business with no clue.

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