San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
COUNCIL ILLUSTRATIVE OF COVID-19 VACCINE DEBATE
After meticulously and accurately recounting the significant benefits of coronavirus vaccination, and all of the reasons why people still might choose not to get the shot, El Cajon City Councilman Steve Goble came to a sobering conclusion. The time for convincing grows short. Falling infection and hospitalization rates, better treatment options for those who do get sick and a general distrust of the government, the councilman said, rob urgency from the vaccination debate.
“Vaccine hesitancy, I think, will soon change to vaccine resolve, meaning, ‘you know what, I’ve made up my mind, I’m not going to get one, I don’t need more information’,” Goble said.
Before reaching that conclusion, the councilman made what felt like a final attempt to break through to those who may still be interested in perusing the facts.
Speaking at the end of a council meeting Tuesday, the councilman pushed through a series of charts he prepared himself that
It’s not easy work, but it’s honest, she said.
Last week, Dimas walked through Logan Heights, getting stopped by people on the street who bought chips and ice cream. She wore a cap and long-sleeved shirt to protect herself from the sun. She pushed her cart nearly two miles before arriving at Kimbrough Elementary School to wait for the students to get out of class.
The pandemic crushed sales, she said. Schools and parks were empty and people mostly stayed inside their homes.
Still, she made her usual rounds through the neighborhoods every day, settling for less than half of her typical weekly earnings. Dimas’ second husband has a herniated disc, which makes it difficult for him to walk and impossible to work. Her 18year-old daughter helps out with rent, but most of the financial responsibilities fall on Dimas.
In recent weeks, with schools reopening for in-person learning, business has been picking up. Outside Kimbrough Elementary the other day, Dimas was surrounded by children and their parents a few minutes after school was out.
There are about 480 active permits for pushcart vendors countywide, according to the county Department of Environmental Health, which licenses such ventures. The county does not track which cities attract the most vendors; once issued, permits are valid across the entire county.
Advocates say sidewalk and pushcart vending micro-enterprises are options for many immigrants and refugee communities because there are barriers — mainly language and immigration status — that prevent them from entering the traditional workforce.
Nonprofit community groups such as the City Heights Community Development Corporation and the Logan Heights Community Development Corporation have been advocating for more resources to help street vendors.
Natasha Salgado, community engagement coordinator with the Logan Heights CDC, said there was no relief uniquely available for pushcart vendors who had been impacted by COVID-19.
Salgado attributes the lack of resources to what people and the city consider a “legitimate business.”
The city was considering a proposed ordinance in 2019 that would prevent street vendors from setting up in tourist-heavy areas of Balboa Park, the beach-area boardwalks and streets in the Gaslamp Quarter. It also included restrictions around Petco Park and the convention center on event days.
That proposal was later abandoned after the COVID-19 pandemic shifted priorities, officials have said.
Supporters of the streetvending ordinance say it is needed to crackdown on chaotic and dangerous conditions created by vendors in some areas of the city. Community leaders and business groups have continued asking the city to revive the regulations.
Those groups continue to raise concerns about trash, hygiene and food safety.
“Many of those who are opposed to street vending or pushcart vendors are very much stuck in an antiquated idea of what a small business is because our micro-enterprises are just as much of a contributor to our economy as any of those other businesses,” said Alexis Villanueva, senior program manager of economic development with City Heights CDC.
Villanueva said organizations advocating on behalf of street vendors have not seen what a new proposal could offer, but they hope that city officials will invite the community to weigh in on any future ordinance.
“My office has discussed this issue with residents, businesses, street vendors and beach visitors,” said Council President Jennifer Campbell in a statement Thursday. “We are working to find a solution that balances the needs of all.”
It’s unclear when a proposal for new regulations will be presented, but Campbell’s office hopes to do so as soon as possible.
Dimas said she worries about how future rules could impact her business. She hopes people will be understanding that most people selling food on the street are just looking for a way to earn a living.
“It’s not easy to say, ‘I’m going to go out and sell ice cream,’” she said. “They should be considerate that we all have needs and families.”