Atlanta's Job-Killing Street Vendor Monopoly
The Institute for Justice filed a lawsuit yesterday challenging Atlanta's grant of an exclusive vending franchise to a single company, which now enjoys monopoly powers over all street vending on public property. Among the many losers in this sweetheart deal are longtime street vendors Larry Miller and Stanley Hambrick, who have spent years running successful merchandise stands outside of the Atlanta Braves stadium. Now each man faces upwards of $20,000 per year in rent if they want to occupy a state-sanctioned kiosk in the same location. So much for the city government supporting small businesses and fostering entrepreneurship.
For more on the case, check out this video produced by the Institute for Justice:
