Carpinteria hot dog vendor relishes his sales-tax victory

[Chris_]

Carpinteria hot dog vendor relishes his sales-tax victory

As light on his feet as the prizefighter he once was, Bill Connell moves quickly around his Carpinteria hot dog stand, jabbing hot sausages, whipping Monster Dogs into buns, and boasting about the recent knockout he scored against state tax officials.

"They told me the law didn't mean what it said in plain language, and I told them: 'Are you kidding me? I was educated in Catholic schools! I know what the law says!' "

For 16 years, Connell sparred with the state Board of Equalization over the interpretation of an 1872 statute exempting street peddlers who are disabled veterans from paying various taxes. This morning, he'll celebrate his victory by giving away hot dogs and carving up sheet cakes decorated with the Stars and Stripes. Politicians who supported Connell's cause will speechify on a platform set up at his Surf Dog stand, a cart commanding an ocean view that would be the envy of any five-star hotel.

"This was a real David-and-Goliath struggle, and Bill never gave up," said state Sen. Jeff Denham (R-Atwater), chairman of the Senate Veteran Affairs Committee. "It's an emotional issue for him and it's an emotional issue for all veterans."

Denham sponsored a bill, inspired by Connell, allowing veterans with service-related disabilities not to pay sales taxes when peddling things such as T-shirts, tacos and incense on the street. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed it into law earlier this month.

Score a point for the good guys....and the liberal money grabbers can pound sand.

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