Mich. boy homeless after city shuts down hot dog stand

Nathan Duszynski, 13, set up a hot dong stand to help his disabled parents pay bills. / Mckinac Center for Public Policy

(CBS News) An entrepreneurial-minded Michigan boy and his parents are homeless after the city shut down the boy's hot dog stand for not having a proper permit.

Nathan Duszynski, 13, was hoping to help his disabled parents get through tough times with a food cart business in July. But he told the Mackinac Center for Public Policy that city official from Holland, Michigan shut it down after 10 minutes.

"Nate and I are now in a shelter," Duszynki's mother, Lynnette, told the Michigan nonprofit. "Doug can't stay with us because he takes prescription narcotics to deal with his pain and the shelter does not allow him with those kinds of drugs."

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Lynnette and her husband Doug Johnson, Nathan's step-father, receive about $1,300 a month in disability payments, Medicaid and food assistance. Lynette suffers from epilepsy and Johnson has multiple sclerosis.

Johnson lost his job working as a paralegal at the Michigan Rehabilitative Services in Grand Rapids when his office shut down earlier this summer, MLive reported. Their conditions make it difficult for them to find permanent work. Johnson is reportedly staying at a friend's barn.

Nathan said he went out to help his family by purchasing a hot dog cart with money he saved. He worked out an arrangement with a local sporting goods store, Reliable Sport, to sell hot dogs in a parking lot. The owner also offered Nathan a sales commission if he encouraged customers to rent the store's motorized bicycles.

Lynette said she spoke to an official in City Hall to make sure it was okay to set up a hot dog cart in the parking lot and they were told they did not need a permit.

But it didn't work out. Situated just across City Hall, a zoning official spotted Nathan and asked him to shut down immediately.

The hot dog stand was within the city's downtown commercial zone, where food carts not connected to restaurants are banned. City of Holland Assistant Manager Greg Robinson said the rule was set up to protect restaurants in the area -- it would be unfair for carts, who don't have to pay for property, to compete with restaurants who do.

"This is a great opportunity for him, and it would be great to work with him and we can in many commercial areas of the city. This just happens to be one where he can't," Robinson said in a video posted by the Mackinac Center last week.

The cart was sold to a local businessman, who is letting Nathan keep it for free. The boy has been booking private events in West Michigan, but each event requires a new health department permit. It's difficult for Nathan to make a profit with all the costs.

[kaitlinpg]

Does anyone know if there has been anything set up to send donations to the family?

[loveoflife]

Guys, Guys stop fighting which restaurant is good or not good. let me tell you what I know & has been in the news for the 2 arguing back & forth.

Chipolte was closed down becuase they had illegals, yet hired them. Chino-Latino was closed down for a time because they did not pay the Hispanice guys the pay checks they owed them. They are open again yet I will not eat there about 50 of my friends & I have boycotted the place.

I was living in Manahttan, & saw a Chinese butcher running after a cat in the alley way, I could hear the cat scream & then the manager of the restaurant came outside & put on the sanwich board "new lunch Special". i walked in & said to the manager "is it cat that the butcher killed in the alley"?

Nate, all of us humans have to have something to say, because we live in a country of Free Speech.

Love your Mom & Dad, do as best as youcan with your hot -dog stand

Be well young man

peace of Life

[DastardlyDennis]

"Nathan Duszynski, 13, set up a hot dong stand"

While the City made an error in their reasoning, it's probably a good thing they stopped this little guy from selling hot dongs!

REALLY CBS???

Ok, seriously. To the big boys with all the money, flash car and big houses, get your collective heads out of your rears, stop being so asinine and help this kid out. Tell me, how many kids of this age do you know with the gumption, courage and heart to do something like this to help support their parents as opposed to just blaming them for not having an X-box, computer, I-pad etc. SERIOUSLY!? Is this truly the message you wish to promote?
So, let's revise, millions exhausting the system who don't deserve it sitting pretty, and this this poor kid who gets off his butt and does what he can to help gets slapped down. Yup, we're in America alright, land of the free, land of opportunity! For those who don't deserve it!
This is SO wrong!

[loveoflife]

I have never READ SUCH ANGRY HUMANS IN ALL MY LIFE!!

Do any of you what it is like to be an Epileptic? Do you know what it is like to loose your job being an Epileptic? NO , YOU DO NOT. I am an Epileptic, & have lost jobs because people discrimanate against you.

Its not easy being an Epileptic & there drugs are very expensive too. Why don;t some of you call the Epileptic Foundation & find out before you open your mouths. His father had a job, & lost it.
There are alot of Americans that are on government assistance because they have no where else to turn., nor do they have jobs!!!

However you put a little 13 year old boy down because he just wants to HELP HIS PARENTS. I CALL THAT LOVE & BEING SUPPORTIVE OF HIS PARENTS.

DAMMIT THE HELL, read before you type some nasty words about people.

Nathan, I think this is a very kind gesture of you for helping your parents.
I hope some KIND PERSON WILL LET YOU HAVE YOUR HOT DOG STAND. Also, ask the people to test your hot dogs so they are alright to eat.

For your information, Super Americas around the USA, keep the hot dogs on their burner for 9 hours,
sometimes their fridgation breaks down, and the people use their hands to put them on the grill. I know I worked at one when I was attending the Univeristy, they also drop them on the floor & put them back on the grill. I never eat hot dogs.

I have a job & am going to a Univeristy.

Nathan, have your Mother contact the Epileptic Foundation for help where you live. Mr Keith Ellison's office works with Epileptics , contact his office & ask for Michael his assistant. They will put you in touch with someone that will assist.

Good Luck to Nate

Peaceoflife

[vet97]

Well said and thank you!

[MilitaryRetiree]

Way to go Michigan......fight that crime. After all, it's unsafe to be in ANY city in Michigan, and you start cracking down on a kid with a hotdog stand....sounds like a bunch of cowards who are truly afraid of the big time criminals and have to do something to look as though you're earning you mone.

[lacpeb]

Because that city official moonlights as law enforcement?!

[Rejco100]

So you people would rather eat a Hot Dog at 7/11 that's been spinning for eight hours on its rack in the display thingy?

[lacpeb]

In a 7/11 that has been certified to handle food. You know - proper refrigeration, running water, soap, latex gloves, non-porous utensils, knowledge.

[KWHodges56]

Obamanomics at it's best

[nv89436]

The city can't let just let people set up stands and sell food to others. Food safety isn't simple, and if someone got sick from the food, who do you think they would go after???? The city for letting the child sicken people? Here in Reno, we had an outbreak of something nasty caused by a woman making cheese...IN HER BATHTUB, that she sold. Sad situation, but the kid has no right to sell on the street. Maybe in a third world country, but not here.

[lacpeb]

Just last year Michigan passed a cottage law allowing people to sell home-prepared food items at local Farmers' Markets. I watched one of the cottage bakers licking her fingers while handling a box of cupcakes. Another guy was baking bread in an outdoor oven - in the midst of racoon, squirrel and mouse dung. One of the health inspectors told us that he would not consume anything from an Amish producer because he knows firsthand that they do not have the facilities to follow standard cleanliness practices. You can't blame the current governor for that one. It was Jennifer Granholm's handiwork.

[notsosureanymoremore]

Why would citizens go after the city when it was the fault of the merchant that they got sick? How is that logical? Also, how is it the city's responsibility to keep you safe? Isn't it your responsibility?

If you see any business you don't feel "safe" purchasing from... walk down the street and choose a different merchant.

Also, how isn't it the right of every human to participate in their local and global economy? And how can you equate "food cart" to "merchant stall in a "3rd world" country?

A statement tangential to the main argument:
Do you even know what the definition of the "Third World" is? It's any country that was unaligned during the Cold War, which includes Switzerland. So, tell me... what's the huge different between Switzerland and the United States in terms of civic law/development?

[djseavy]

It's true that his efforts wouldn't put his family in an apartment or house. However, do any of you negative-minded people ever look past your nose? Here's a young boy who's feeling some sense of responsibility to help his family. With all the gang-bangers shooting, raping robbing and pillaging, it's a breath of fresh air when a young person makes the effort to do something positive for the benefit of the family. There's far more at stake here than money. It's called a sense of pride, duty, responsibility, and putting a plan into action. One of the reasons our society is going downhill rapidly is that people believe nothing is worth doing unless you can make a pile of money doing it. At least this boy isn't lazy and brain-dead from sitting in front of a computer or game box all the time. He will do well in life.

[the_blare_wench]

Actually, there is a lot of very affordable housing in Michigan. Working one successful summer could probably give him enough cash to buy a small house here.

[erasmus111]

"Working one successful summer could probably give him enough cash to buy a small house here."

Seriously??

The amount of money he would make at that hotdog stand, he would be lucky to buy an outhouse on a 5 foot square parcel of land.