CITY COUNCIL DECIDES TO GIVE CAPITALISM A TRY DOWNTOWN

Free- market capitalism means small-city chic. And by the way, try to get along.
From time to time Stratford city council is in the difficult position of trying to serve two masters.
That was never more the casethan this week when the city threw open some food vending spots in Stratford that have historically been the sovereign ground of the current users.
For generations, Ken's French Fries has been selling its wares from a spot directly behind city hall.
For less time than that, Mr. Dog has set up shop downtown, overlooking Memorial Gardens, at the junction of Ontario, Erie and Downie streets.
This is not a food or resturant review but, to be honest, those two street food vendors have served ou downtown well, even through changes of ownership.
They sell good food (as in taste good, not necessarily good for you), evidenced by the lineups during peak periods.
And unlike downtown Toronto, where there is street meat every few feet, the limited number of vendors in Stratford is not intrusive and, if anything, these two vendors add to the catchet of our downtown.
Big cities would have no clue what we're talking about, but the leasing of the street-vending spots has been controversial.
On one hand, Mr. Dog and Ken's French Fries have managed to do what good businesses do and it is somewhat unfair that the market and clientele they have created are no being offered up to others.
On the other hand, however, the city has to embrace the principles of a free market capitalist system. Tenders for work should, for the most part, go to the lowest bidder and, by extension, spots for food vendors should go to the highest bidder.
So earlier this year the city threw open the bidding on the two prime locations and now there are three suitors for hotdog cart on Ontario St. They have been given a week to pitch why they should get the nod.
The city is committed to providing business stability and will sign a five-year deals sith the successful vendor.
As fate would have it Ken's French Fries is safe for another five years as there were no other applications.
So the city has opted for free market principles by opening up the spots but stopped just short of throwing the doors wide open.
In a decision that will protect the aforementioned catchet of the downtown, the city has said there will be just two food-vending street spots downtown.
There's no sense going overboard with this whole capitalism thing.

BY JOHN KASTNER
STRATFORD BEACON HERALD