Needing a little more Insight on door-to-door sales...

originally published Aug. 14, 2011 at ElectMyAss.com

Okay, based on what I have gathered from the News and Tribune article, Insight Communications is requesting to renew its solicitation permit, which would allow them to resume door-to-door sales.

The city's Board of Public Works and Safety has tabled the request, as it wants further information, such as routes and number of sales reps door knocking, but Board members said the request would likely have been denied, but the company owns the cable franchise rights in the city. The Board has not approved a permit since 2009, when Insight, the only business in town to have such a permit, was approved.

So, the only company of its kind in the city needs a permit to conduct sales of a certain nature, and will probably get that permit, based on the fact it is the only company of its kind in the city?

This makes my head hurt.

Why is a company's ability to conduct sales being determined by the Board of Public Works and Safety? With all due respect to the Board, they should at most be providing input to the City Council, as the Council makes it determination on an issue like this.

Why is this permit even needed in the first place? Even though door-to-door sales have apparently not been allowed in the city since 2009, that has not stopped two guys selling steaks, half a metric flock of religious representatives, and oh yeah...three Insight sales representatives from knocking on my door in the four years I have lived in my apartment.

Better yet, I think I might just explore applying for a solicitation permit myself, so I can engage in door-to-door campaigning. I'm sure it's probably exempt, but now I'm curious about the process...