To the editor: What a way to fan the flames of racism among black and brown communities. (“Fontana's black mayor is cracking down on Latino street vendors. Both sides allege racism,” Jan. 29.)
The print headline: “Is it racist for black mayor to target Latino street vendors?” It's pretty divisive. Although the article is about the mayor of Fontana, my first thought was that it was about our own mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass. Has The Times stooped to writing sensational headlines?
It seems the mayor of Fontana has her problems, but a black mayor should not be called a racist for enforcing the law.
Restaurant owners are sometimes harmed by street vendors who set up shop nearby, and many of the business owners affected are Latino. So maybe the title of the article should have been: “Is it elitist to protect Latino business owners?”
Lori Williams, Los Angeles
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To the editor: I owned a small medical transportation business in the Riverside and San Bernardino areas for 25 years until I retired. We were required to have a business license in any city (including Fontana) where we picked up patients.
In many cities we were also required to conduct vehicle safety checks regularly, and some cities would not accept the safety check performed by another city.
If the City of Fontana does not require mobile food vendors to have permits or licenses, it will not be in a position to require such documentation from other businesses of any kind. This is not a racial issue.
Pablo Salerno, Riverside
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To the editor: My father had a limited education and started his 30-year street vending business in the 1970s.
He had to comply with licensing regulations to be able to sell on the street. He was fully aware that failure to comply could mean fines and confiscation of his products. So, he made sure his mobile vending business was licensed: simple.
So no, I don't think what's happening in Fontana has to do with race. All people, regardless of background, must follow the law while running a business.
Don't make this about us vs. them racism. It's about economic justice, health and safety.
Joyce Meyers, Culver City
