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 Connell, all is well. He claims the state owes him $30,000 in sales taxes he paid over the years, but his pending lawsuit is a fight for another day.

"He's an individual," Jorgensen said. "In Sacramento, they hate people like him."

[Thank you Bill.]

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