By Matt Agorist
Green Cove Springs, FL — After Irma devastated Florida, most restaurants and stores were shut down in certain areas. Green Cove Springs was one of those places. So, when Jack Roundtree, owner of the Triple J BBQ food truck, arrived in town, not only was he welcomed with open arms — he was desperately needed. As he sold BBQ to paying customers, Roundtree used the extra money to feed utility workers for free for all their hard work. However, once officials saw a man who’d dare sell food in their town without paying them first, police were called in to make quick work of this entrepreneurial good Samaritan.
Shut down and get out of town—is what Roundtree was told by local authorities for both providing charity and a much-needed product and service. Why was Roundtree told to get out of town, you ask? Well, he hadn’t paid the local government for the ‘privilege’ to sell food to those in need inside Green Cove Springs.
Roundtree is no outlaw. In fact, Green Cove Springs actually encouraged him to sell his BBQ during their monthly Saturday-in-the-Park event before the hurricane. But not this time.
Even if he would’ve gone to city hall to buy a permit to sell during the Irma aftermath, however, he couldn’t—they were closed.
According to Clay Today:
It was interesting to learn that Roundtree and his truck were encouraged to serve customers during Green Cove’s monthly Saturday-in-the-Park event without a permit, but during Irma’s aftermath, not so much.
Had Roundtree decided to press his case at City Hall, he would have been greeted with a sign that read: ‘Due to Hurricane Irma, City Hall offices and services will re-open on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2017.’
So, instead of allowing Roundtree to offer free food to utility workers and sell food to people during their time of need, and just get a permit after government employees decided to return to work—they just kicked him out of town.
Here’s how one Green Cove Spring witness, Bettie Tune, described the events at Rich’s on her Facebook page, as reported by Clay Today:
Just saw a BBQ food truck set up in town. GREAT!! Wanted to stop and get a good lunch for the guys helping us. When I pulled in, there was a Green Cove Springs police sitting there. OK, everyone has to eat, and the choices are very limited right now. Starting to talk to one of the guys from the food truck and found out that the “city manager” had sent her police to make them leave. This is such a great little town, but it seems like the people who run it do their best to keep it from progressing. THANKS Green Cove Springs City Manager. Shame on you!
The irony here is that he was kicked out of town for failing to get a permit by government workers because the other government workers who would’ve given him this permit, were not at work.
In a report from the Institute for Justice, Communications Coordinator, Matt Powers explains that Roundtree is not alone.
Cities across the country often impose strict regulations that make it nearly impossible for food trucks to operate. In 2011, IJ launched its National Street Vending Initiative to fight these laws.
In Baltimore, the Institute for Justice (IJ) is challenging a ban on food trucks parking within 300-foot of a brick-and-mortar business that sells the same type of food. In Chicago, IJ is challenging regulations that bans food trucks from operating within 200 feet of a brick-and-mortar business serving food and forces them to install GPS tracking devices that broadcast their every move. And IJ is challenging a Louisville, Kentucky, law banning food trucks from operating within 150 feet of any restaurant selling similar food.
These strict regulations are ostensibly designed for food safety, but in reality, serve to raise revenue for the state and limit established restaurants’ competition. They also stifle economic growth.
As the IJ noted:
It is not only during times of crisis that food trucks contribute to their communities. According to IJ’s report Streets of Dreams mobile vending businesses help people escape poverty and unemployment through affordable start-up costs which creates the initial economic opportunity for upward mobility. IJ’s report, Seven Myths and Realities found the presence of food trucks can actually help local restaurant industries by attracting new customers and serving as incubators for new restaurants. Cities should embrace food trucks and liberate them from onerous regulations so they can enjoy the benefits these businesses bring.
When people in need are denied food they are willing to purchase because government workers aren’t in the office to sell the maker of that food a permission slip, something is wrong in the land of the free.
As TFTP reported earlier this month, this problem is everywhere. It stifles local economic growth, persecutes the poor the hardest, and turns hard-working entrepreneurs into criminals, ripe for the extortion of state.
Luckily, thanks to Martin Flores, who filmed an innocent hot dog vendor named Beto get robbed by a Berkeley police officer for selling hot dogs, Americans are seeing the harsh reality that is making a living in a police state.
Matt Agorist is an honorably discharged veteran of the USMC and former intelligence operator directly tasked by the NSA. This prior experience gives him unique insight into the world of government corruption and the American police state. Agorist has been an independent journalist for over a decade and has been featured on mainstream networks around the world. Agorist is also the Editor at Large at the Free Thought Project. Follow @MattAgorist on Twitter, Steemit, and now on Facebook. This article first appeared at The Free Thought Project.
Image: Triple J’s BBQ, Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TripleJsBBQ12/
We’re from the government……….and we’re here to lie, steal, confiscate, fine, regulate, impose jail and murder. Have a nice day!
These corporations think they are sovereign and their corporate rules apply to men and woman which they did not create and have no control over without consent so they use force to get their way.
That’s when you go to the city manager’s house and make yourself at home in her kitchen, say thanks, and head back to work cleaning up.
Freedom…
The City Manager needs to feed the clean-up crews herself! Pompous Bitch.
If you call the prices “suggested donations” , they can’t touch your earnings. Just saying.
BADGES ARE REDCOATS! who was it exactly that forced him out? who is it that ALWAYS uses force by the state!
Not blaming cops, is like the founders not blaming the redcoats because they were “just following orders”
The cops who were stupid enough to follow those instructions are a s dumb as rocks. Sometimes you gotta use your brain and common sense.
if you score too high on intelligence you are placed in a lower tier, or Dq’d outright.
Another freedom lost. You gotta ask the tyrant gobbermment may I, PLEASE help these fellow humans. For those with your head stuffed up your lower orfice, Take note, your day is coming!
These COMMY city officials need to get a permit to BREATHE any longer.
When they say we are here to protect the public, then steal your money from you and ticket you it’s demonic-rats politics! It’s all about them and their schemes for more money!
it’s about time for civil war or a comet to hit us. either or, is needed to correct all of the evil going on today.
Government to the population: “F**k you” peon’s.
Don’t blame the people in GCS. Corrupt government is a way of life.
Thank you anti freedom libtards! You see the problems with over legislation?!
“The beatings will continue until morale improves”
Seems the only time americans will wake up is after it all has crashed and burned. But it’s too late then isn’t it.
A people deserve any regime they endure.
We are getting the government we enable.
When we have lost everything so shall we lose our fear, and then natural law will take place.
Just a shame it has to come to that.
Natural law is the highest law on this earth man has come to the time where natural law will be the only way to rid themselves from man made corrupt law
As MR said, the Declaration of Independence said G*d grants US our rights, not Government. But government has kicked G*d out of your lives so that only government can grant you rights, not G*d.
This is what is happening today. Yet the Constitution (that spells out the Declaration of Independence) was granted by its citizens to their representative (we don’t have leaders only representatives) to secure these godly rights.
Less G*d means more Government.
These people should have told them, I am exercising my Godly rights guaranteed by my Constitution to care and feed people and help them when I can and support my family. NOW GET OUT OF HERE! You don’t grant me any rights.
I FIND THIS DOWN RIGHT DISGUSTING OF THE FLA GOV. ——-THIS IS YOUR ATTITUDE WHEN PEOPLE COME IN TO HELP FEED THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING TO REPAIR YOUR DAMN STATE.——–REALLY THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY SOMEONE FOR HELPING. AND YOU WONDER WHY YOUR STATE IS IN TROUBLE FINANCIALLY. YOUR GREED IS GOING TO GET YOU IN TROUBLE. GET OUT OF THE PEOPLES WAY ——THEY CAN DO BETTER WITH OUT YOU LIKES OF THE FLA. GOV.!
The Cajun Navy was saying that they were having a hard time getting down to The Keys to help people after Irma. They said that they were being kept out…I haven’t heard a more recent update.
Is this official in question a democrat? It sure fits their M. O.
Insanity, greed, all the bad things we can think of, prevail. Let’s just hope the people of that community when voting for city and county council members, remember this. Get’em on outta there. We should talk, our county council even after we voted out the Red Light Cameras, said heck no, the cameras stay! Insanity, or greed, I think greed.