I am posting two stories concerning the same thing. One is an AP story and one is from New Orleans....see the difference in the reporting???


http://blog.nola.com/times-picayune/200 ... aco_t.html

Jefferson starts citing taco truck locations
Posted by The Times-Picayune July 02, 2007 4:22PM
Categories: Breaking News, East Jefferson, Politics, Rebuilding/Recovery, West Bank
By Mark Waller
East Jefferson bureau

Jefferson Parish began writing violation notices today for the itinerant taco trucks that cater to Hispanic construction workers who came to town after Hurricane Katrina to help rebuild the New Orleans area.

The first stop for code enforcement inspectors was the mobile Taqueria Chilangos at Veterans Memorial and Power boulevards in Metairie, the site that inspired Parish Councilman Louis Congemi to sponsor a new law banning the trucks. They planned to check other locations later in the day.

The Congemi measure, which took effect Saturday, has divided the community. Its backers say Jefferson needs to rid itself of Katrina's lingering symbols 22 months after the storm struck, and to encourage permanent businesses to open in vacant buildings. Opponents say the portable kitchens don't draw business away from conventional restaurants, and that outlawing them smacks of xenophobia.


The Parish Council approved the new law in a 7-0 vote on June 20.

It bans food vendors from many major streets that have special guidelines for landscaping and buffer space, requires that they reapply for permits if they move to a new location for more than 30 minutes and calls for them to provide permanent restrooms. The law does not apply to indigenous vendors such as roving ice cream trucks, fixed snowball stands and roadside carts selling raw seafood outside a building.

Parish officials last week estimated that Jefferson is home to fewer than 10 taco trucks.

At Taqueria Chilangos, inspector Ronald Bicocchi looked over the trucks's permits then told owner David Montes that he would not be shutting down the kitchen. Instead, Bicocchi said the parish will be citing the owner of the lot, site of an abandoned gasoline station.

It's unclear how long the taco trucks will remain in Jefferson Parish. The citations give property owners 10 days to appeal the notice and request a hearing in administrative court, a process that could last for weeks.
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http://kevxml.windstream.net/_1_L63TO10 ... 96&feed=ap

07/02/2007 14:02:56 EST Katrina Brought a Wave of Hispanics
By JOHN MORENO GONZALES
Associated Press Writer

For proof that Hurricane Katrina is transforming the ethnic flavor of New Orleans - and creating altogether new tensions - look no further than the taco trucks.

Lunch trucks serving Latin American fare are appearing around New Orleans, catering to the immigrant laborers who streamed into the city in search of work after Katrina turned much of the place into a construction zone.

The trucks are a common sight in barrios from Los Angeles to New York, but controversial in a city still adapting to a threefold increase in Hispanics since Katrina.

Officials in suburban Jefferson Parish recently banned the trucks as eyesores and health hazards. New Orleans officials said they welcome the new business, but promised to make sure the number of vehicles does not exceed the municipal limit.

The mobile luncheonettes are operated mostly by Mexican and Central American families.

"I'm looking for an opportunity. That's why I left my country, and that's what led me here," said Maria Fuentes, 55, who came to the United States from Mexico a decade ago and settled in New Orleans after the storm. "This is the first time I've owned my own business and my dream is to have traditional restaurants, not trucks, all over this town."

The six-wheel vans have Spanish names emblazoned on their sides like "La Texanita" and "Taqueria Buen Gusto," and, like street vendors in Latin America, serve such dishes as carne asada, or grilled steak, pork and chicken, garnished with sliced radishes and diced cilantro.

Beverages include tamarind- and guava-flavored drinks, often in the old-time bottles that require an opener, just as in Latin America.

The trucks usually park on street corners in areas with heavy construction activity, attracting laborers and native New Orleanians alike.

"It's better than Taco Bell. I can tell you that," said Michael Gould, 53, who lined up at Fuentes' truck during a recent lunch hour.

Still, the Jefferson Parish councilman who restricted the trucks characterized them as unwanted residue from the hurricane.

"We've been trying to handle blighted housing, FEMA trailers, abandoned housing," said Louis Congemi, whose zoning ordinance takes effect this weekend and is expected to clear the parish of taco trucks. "This is just one more thing we're trying to get under control to make sure we bring our parish back to normalcy."

Congemi added: "You have to be concerned about the cleanliness of these vehicles."

Louisiana state records show licenses for about 40 taco trucks in Jefferson and Orleans parishes. They are inspected annually, like all street vendors.

"They're up to speed with their licensing," department spokesman Bob Johannessen said. "We haven't received any sort of complaint about food quality, anything that would indicate a public health concern."

New Orleans officials said that because of the Jefferson Parish ban, they will watch the number of trucks that move to their city and will enforce rules limiting the number of food vehicles to 100 on non-festival days.

Nevertheless, "I'm more than sure it is welcome in the city," said David Robinson-Morris, a spokesman for Mayor Ray Nagin. "It is providing a service, and it is a part of our sales tax revenue."

New Orleans has seen its Hispanic population rise from 15,000 before the storm to an estimated 50,000 now, according to the city. The city's overall population has dropped from about 450,000 before the storm to about 250,000 now.

In the months after Katrina, the mayor created a furor when he was quoted as saying: "Businesses are concerned with making sure we are not overrun by Mexican workers." In his subsequent re-election campaign, however, he praised Hispanics for their work ethic.

Fuentes operates her truck with daughters Karina, 31, Carolina, 20, and business partner Pedro Reyes, 57. They said they rise every morning at 4 a.m. for prep work, then set up shop at the corner of Canal and Robert E. Lee boulevards by 8 a.m.

Their workday ends at 6 p.m., after they have cleaned up the mobile kitchen for the next day.

It took $52,000 in savings to start the business, including $25,000 for the used van. Fuentes said the start-up costs have recently been paid off, and now the family is saving for their first restaurant without wheels.

"That's what they call the American Dream, isn't it?" she said. "I really like the people here in New Orleans and we want to live here and have our business here."



Does anyone see how the AP story puts a different flavor to it than the N.O.'s paper?