LETTER: 'Is It Time to Give Up on My Community?'

Editor,

Is it time to give up on my community?
 
I own a family business in the San Fernando Valley and have worked here for 27 years. 
 
I'm not sure what bothers me the most:

1. The retail shops (selling vacuums, stereo's, etc.) that open up every Friday afternoon on the front lawn of busy corners;
2. My wife getting cooed at by the 20 men at the gas station soliciting for work;
3. All of the Illegal food venders that pop up after 1 p.m.

I will have to pick illegal food carts for the moment.
 
I have sent many complaints to the Los Angeles Health Department for several months and have had little or no response. After issuing a minor ticket, the vendor is back the next day. The public gets concerned when big grocery stores sell tainted food with ebola or salmonella, or when children receive poor quality food at school but the city allows this to go on every afternoon.

We have no idea where this food comes from, they are unsanitary, unregulated, have no wash stations, and many times they are caught going to the bathroom in a bucket stored underneath their cart.
 
Is it time to give up? Should I relocate my business? I am willing to go to any lengths to save my community but we all need to participate. Thanks for listening.
 
Frustrated Citizen,
Joe Galvin