Declaration of Principles on Vending

by Scott Savitz

In the spring of 1998, the administration of the University of Pennsylvania aimed to eliminate street vending in the area surrounding the campus. A large number of hard-working, entrepreneurial immigrants had, until then, served food to a wide range of students, faculty, and employees of the University. The administration wrote a proposed bill on vending, and was then able to manipulate Philadelphia's City Council into passing it. The following piece was written in an effort to avert this unfortunate, undemocratic, and unprincipled action.

When, in the course of human events, a large and powerful institution attempts to squelch its economic competitors by force of legal fiat, it becomes necessary for those whose livelihoods are under attack, and those who depend upon them, to state the reasoning behind their case.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that American society has long been strengthened by the laissez-faire system advocated by Adam Smith; that the inadequacy of both command economies and crony capitalism has been demonstrated by the collapse of the Soviet Union and Asia's economic setbacks; that free markets provide for better allocation of resources than do systems which foster excessive regulation; that movement of a single organization towards domination of a market is inherently unfair, if competition is a viable alternative; that the role of government in economic matters should be to level the playing field, rather to tilt it in favor of those who are most influential.

The history of the present vending proposal is replete with attempts by the administration of the University of Pennsylvania to usurp control of a market from the City of Philadelphia, its citizens and government. Let these facts be submitted to a candid world.

Penn has aimed to corral the vending carts, as its own officials have admitted, in order to raise the value of Penn's own retail investment.

It has sought to compel vendors to pay the university in order to stay in business; though this fee is to be nominal at first, it will undoubtedly rise with time.

It has used the subterfuge of concerns about aesthetics, safety, health, and noise in an attempt to confine and enervate its competitors.

It has attempted to manipulate City Council members into doing its bidding by citing its already prodigious economic and political influence.

It has subverted the intentions of its founder, a longtime proponent of liberty in commerce as elsewhere.

In every stage of the legislative proceedings, students and employees of Penn (as well as other individuals) have stated their opposition to this measure. These voices have been largely drowned out by the concerted, well-rehearsed, and well-funded responses of the university.

Therefore, we call upon City Council, as a body which represents and is elected by the people, to oppose the vending ordinance as proposed. With a belief in the values of democratic liberty, with an affirmation of our embrace of the American economic system, we mutually pledge to each other our staunch opposition to this proposed measure.

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