It apparently bothers some businesses in San Juan County, Wash., that street vendor Gary Franco has sold fresh vegetables and fruit for decades — at a lower cost than the stores sell similar goods.
Last year, county officials, claiming to protect “public health,” adopted an ordinance ordering such vendors to pay a $50 daily fee and to get permission from nearby stores before they may sell their wares.
A lawsuit has been filed to strike down the law, but Mr. Franco has to tolerate this anti-competitive scheme in the meantime: “Failure to comply triggers a penalty of $250 per hour,” Reason magazine noted.
It is never a pretty sight when free markets are supplanted by government-imposed protection rackets.