HOLLAND, Michigan (PNN) - July 18, 2012 - Nathan Duszynski is only 13, but he’s already learned more about public policy this week than many adults ever will.
On Tuesday, as the young entrepreneur was downtown setting up a hot dog cart he helped buy with $1,200 saved from mowing lawns and shoveling snow, he got an unpleasant surprise courtesy of Holland City Hall.
Duszynski was told by pig thug city officials that his cart was in violation of a Holland zoning law that protects existing food businesses downtown against competition from mobile food vendors, and he would have to cease operation immediately.
“They specifically told us two days before that we could set up there, and gave us a license specifically for Reliable Sports,” Duszynski said.
Fascist city officials say the zoning laws are in place for a good reason and claim they tried to reach out to the Johnson family before they set up this week, after a pig thug official realized there might be problems with the zoning at their location.
“They say (food wagons) are an unfair advantage,” said Phil Meyer, director of community and neighborhood services, because they do not have the same taxes and fixed overhead costs as brick-and-mortar establishments. There are a couple other places downtown that sell hot dogs. Apparently, that message either never got conveyed or was ignored,” said Meyer.
In Holland, hot dog carts are permitted with special approval at events in the park, and in neighborhoods and industrial zones, “although you don’t get the foot traffic there,” admitted Meyer.
The idea to buy a hot dog cart came a couple years ago and Duszynski, who is entering the eighth grade at Harbor Lights Middle School, was encouraged in the endeavor as long as he could keep up his grades. His inspiration came from talking to his stepfather, who had a large paper route as a boy.
“The poor (boy) worked so hard. He spent the last 6 to 8 months polishing the cart, getting the sign ready - he was so excited,” said Duszynski mother, Lynette Johnson. When the city stepped in on Tuesday, “he was just crushed,” she said. “Here he is trying to help out his parents and he gets told ‘no’” by a bunch of fascist pig officials.
The Johnsons said they are considering taking their grievance to the Legislature in Lansing.
"We're going to fight this. We’ve had enough," said Johnson.
