Hot dog standoff.

• Author: Mangu-Ward, Katherine
• Position: Food cart cronyism - Holland, Michigan's food cart policy - Brief article

LAST SUMMER 13-year-old Nathan Duszynski, whose mother has epilepsy and whose father has multiple sclerosis, wanted to make some money to help out his family. He decided to open a hot dog stand in downtown Holland, Michigan. Duszynski saved $1,200, mostly money he earned by mowing lawns and shoveling snow. He checked with the city to make sure he didn't need any licenses or permits. Then he bought a shiny silver cart with a red-and-yellow umbrella, plus dogs, buns, condiments, and other supplies.

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Ten minutes after Nathan set up shop in the parking lot of a sporting goods store on his first day of business, a zoning official arrived to shut him down. The problem: The parking lot officially falls within the downtown commercial district. Although Nathan got the store owner's permission, the city bans food carts in that area to minimize...