'Money pours in to replace hot dog vendor's equipment destroyed at Capitol

Lansing — Viral Internet video and photographs of right-to-work protesters tearing down a tent and trashing a Lansing hot dog vendor's catering equipment has sparked an online fundraising drive to help a man known by most as "the hot dog guy."

During Tuesday's mass demonstrations that attracted an estimated 10,000 to the Capitol lawn, protesters of the right-to-work law the Legislature was passing and voting on tore down a tent rented by the Michigan chapter of Americans for Prosperity. Witnesses and Internet videos show protesters, some wearing union clothes, using knives or box cutters to cut the tent's ropes.

Clint Tarver, owner of Clint's Hot Dog Cart, said he was trapped inside as the tent came down and damaged about $400 in catering equipment. Tarver's hot dog cart, which is usually parked outside Lansing City Hall along Capitol Avenue, was not on the Capitol grounds during the incident.

Images and video of the incident went viral on social media, prompting an aide to state Rep. Al Pscholka of Stevensville to start an online fundraising drive to help replace Tarver's damaged equipment. Lorilea Zabadal initially set a goal of $2,000, but by late Wednesday afternoon more than $15,000 had been donated through an account at www.gofundme.com after what happened to Tarver spread among state government employees and lobbyists who frequent his stand. Zabadal said Wednesday donations were coming in from across the country.

"I never expected it to get this big," she said.

Tarver, who had to crawl out of the collapsed tent on his knees, was overwhelmed Wednesday by the outpouring of support.

"I had no idea so many people cared about 'the hot dog guy,'" Tarver said.

Tarver, who is black, said the protesters called him an "Uncle Tom" and the n-word for working for Americans for Prosperity, a conservative group supporting the right-to-work law.

"I've been called worse than that," he said.

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20121212/POLITICS02/212120459/1361/Money-pours-in-to-replace-hot-dog-vendor-s-equipment-destroyed-at-Capitol



Typical of the racism rampant in unions and their democrap masters. Thankfully, conservatives supported him.

how is it known whether his supporters were conserv/lib or repub/dem?

Wasn't mentioned, and what does that matter?

The guys stuff, and to a degree his person, was damaged by idiots, and others (of whatever group) felt a desire to show their support of the innocent vendor.

Stupidity has no politics, just lots of fodder to nurture itself within all parties!

We love them hotdogs.

Hey! PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE A LIVING.

Unions used to be a good thing, but have they turned into thugs now?
Why would they want to make a bad name for themselves?

Are the large corporations trying to get rid of unions so they can go back to slave labor or are unions become money grubbing power brokers and thugs?

I'm mostly self employed so I don't understand Unions.

Seriously?

Labor unions in the USA have had strong ties to the Democratic Party for a long time.

The people who support right-to-work laws tend to have ties to the Republican Party.

That hot dog vendor was working on behalf of people who supported right-to-work laws.

The odds are in favor of those Michigan union members being Democrats.

Would it surprise you to learn that there are still racists in the Democratic Party?

As well he had a right to do so.

But I think he was just helping to feed some people and making a living.