Ten years ago, the Salisbury City Council passed the Culinary Bill, new legislation to protect the interests of local non-franchise restaurants. Of the 120 local non-franchise restaurants in Salisbury today, 85 opened during the last ten years. Clearly the Culinary Bill has caused a surge in the number of local non-franchise restaurants operating in Salisbury over the past ten years. Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?
A: All economic indicators suggest that household incomes in Salisbury have risen substantially over the past ten years.
B: The Culinary Bill provides no benefit to restaurants that are members of national franchise chains
C: Most of the consumers in Salisbury who patronize these local restaurants are aware of the provisions of the Culinary Bill and approve of them.
D: Of the local non-franchise restaurants in Salisbury ten years ago, fewer than 85 have closed.
Choose A, B, C or D as your solution.
D