Change is Good

Every once in a while, things have got to change in order for things to get better. If you become stuck in the same old rut, things won’t get better. Trust me.

That being said, next month SCN will be increasing its price to $2 for the public. Vendors will pay 50 cents, but will make a $1.50 profit.

Why the increase? I know our executive director explained it already, but let me give it to you in laymen’s terms or in vendor speak: We need to make money, which was the feeling expressed by the vendors when they were asked about an increase. After a spirited debate during last month’s vendor meeting, they voted unanimously for it.

It will, however, be a trial period to see if it actually works, and I can’t see why it wouldn’t.

Change is hard, but it’s probably harder for me than others. I didn’t think an increase would work, and I didn’t think we could sell it to the vendors. But I’ve been wrong before: remember I was the guy who said a street paper would never work? The increase should work too; there’s no reason why it shouldn’t.

As a vendor myself (yes, I still sell papers once in a while), $2 should be easy with a little hard work, and believe me folks, selling newspapers, especially street papers, can be difficult. We need to be out there in the heat, rain, cold and snow, and sometimes we have to put up with insults. The old “get a real job” crowd will likely show themselves before the end of the day.

Then there are panhandlers who love to jump in front of you and sometimes threaten you with bodily harm, and the classic people who won’t even acknowledge your presence. You know the type: You’re standing on a corner trying to work and a group of people walk up talking and stand right in front of you like you’re not even there, even when you clear your throat.

So, yeah, a raise is definitely in order. There are those in the general public who feel that this increase subjugates the vendors. No, it does not, and if it did, you all know that yours truly would make a stink about it.

This is also about the future of SCN. We need to grow, so this increase is part of that.

Change is good. It may not always seem like it, but it is. We, the vendors, look forward to your continued support.