My name is Cory Hanks, I am a New Bedford Resident, and I would like to have your support asking the City Council as well as Mayor Mitchell to update the current Hawkers & Peddlers Ordinance as well as adding an Ordinance that would allow Food Trucks and Street Vendors to operate their businesses in The City of New Bedford, Massachusetts. It is proven that competition drives the economy, but for decades, New Bedford has taken the stance to impose protectionist ordinances that are backed, and which protect brick & mortar businesses from competition. Along with a confusing legal environment, and zoning language, has discouraged would-be entrepreneurs from starting businesses in The City of New Bedford. I myself have invested tens of thousands of dollars in a Food Trailer as well as all of the permits and licenses required by the state of Massachusetts, as well as The City of New Bedford, to find out that New Bedford would rather send Small businesses like mine, along with the revenue (City Meals Tax) my business generates to other surrounding towns. In an economy like we are currently in, how can this practice continue? Food Trucks, Street Vendors, and Brick and Mortar Food Establishments can coexist, by locating Food Trucks and Street Vendors in strategic locations that will foster the ability for entrepreneurs like Myself, to build a business and prosper, with the same opportunities that traditional businesses are afforded. In Cities that have overturned these Protectionist Ordinances, they have noticed a noticeable increase in economic growth, and in cities like Boston Massachusetts, Food Trucks & Street Vendors are becoming food destinations. I believe that with a little forward thinking, The City of New Bedford could generate income by charging for these premium locations, in the form of Property Tax like Boston does. They have found a way to make it all work for everyone, and the city of Boston as well as other cities across the country are experiencing growth, as these small businesses are formed, operated, and allowed to succeed. If you are interested in seeing firsthand what the Food Truck/ Street Vending Movement is doing across the country, please go to this link and read a report done by the institute for justice on this issue. This is the link: http://www.ij.org/about/3939 Please sign this petition if you support bringing The Food Truck Movement to New Bedford, as well as your support for The City of New Bedford treating small businesses like these fairly, and not have their right to earn a living free from unreasonable government interference prevented any longer. These laws do not protect the public, they protect brick and mortar businesses from competition.