Classic: Gov't Enforcer Shuts Down Lemonade Stand

[AZGrizFan]

http://www.twiceright.com/2010/8/5/gove ... cs/by/alex" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The girl worked on a sign, coloring in the letters and decorating it with a drawing of a person saying "Yummy." She made a list of supplies. Then, with gallons of bottled water and packets of Kool-Aid, they drove up last Thursday with a friend and her daughter. They loaded a wheelbarrow that Julie steered to the corner of Northeast 26th and Alberta and settled into a space between a painter and a couple who sold handmade bags and kids' clothing. ...

After 20 minutes, a "lady with a clipboard" came over and asked for their license. When Fife explained they didn't have one, the woman told them they would need to leave or possibly face a $500 fine.


Surprised, Fife started to pack up. The people staffing the booths next to them encouraged the two to stay, telling them the inspectors had no right to kick them out of the neighborhood gathering. They also suggested that they give away the lemonade and accept donations instead and one of them made an announcement to the crowd to support the lemonade stand.

That's when business really picked up — and two inspectors came back, Fife said. Julie started crying, while her mother packed up and others confronted the inspectors. "It was a very big scene," Fife said.

We're fucked.

[AZGrizFan]

I guess if we can't control our borders, at least we know all those damned illegal lemonade stands are under control.

[houndawg]

I guess if we can't control our borders, at least we know all those damned illegal lemonade stands are under control.

That girl might be here illegaly. Did anybody check her papers?

[dbackjon]

Just local government doing it's job.

If this was a street corner if front of her house, no biggie. But a public fair where everyone else got a permit, too bad, get one yourself.

[dbackjon]

Plus, it is very irresponsible of the parents to allow their 7 year old to do something so risky as peddle goods in a crowded public area.

[AZGrizFan]

Just local government doing it's job.

If this was a street corner if front of her house, no biggie. But a public fair where everyone else got a permit, too bad, get one yourself.

I'd expect nothing less from you, you big gov't shill.

[dbackjon]

Just local government doing it's job.

If this was a street corner if front of her house, no biggie. But a public fair where everyone else got a permit, too bad, get one yourself.

I'd expect nothing less from you, you big gov't shill.

I thought you liked local government - so you are an anti-American Anarchist?

[AZGrizFan]

I'd expect nothing less from you, you big gov't shill.

I thought you liked local government - so you are an anti-American Anarchist?

I don't like anybody that's a power hungry POS. This "lemonade enforcer" fits that bill perfectly.

[houndawg]

Just local government doing it's job.

If this was a street corner if front of her house, no biggie. But a public fair where everyone else got a permit, too bad, get one yourself.

That's the crux of the biscuit right there. Otherwise next week some tea party peckerwood will want to work without a permit and accuse the city of playing favorites because the kid didn't have to buy a permit.

[dbackjon]

I thought you liked local government - so you are an anti-American Anarchist?

I don't like anybody that's a power hungry POS. This "lemonade enforcer" fits that bill perfectly.

So you are against any food permit requirements

[grizzaholic]

I don't like anybody that's a power hungry POS. This "lemonade enforcer" fits that bill perfectly.

So you are against any food permit requirements

God you are retarded.

[houndawg]

So you are against any food permit requirements

God you are retarded.

Get a hold of yourself, son, you're becoming embarrassing. The eyes of Montana are upon you, this is a football forum.

[JoltinJoe]

Tax dollars being used to pay someone to shut down a seven-year-old's lemonade stand.

[JohnStOnge]

I don't believe in the whole concept of government requiring a permit to engage in commerce. Yes, I can anticipate the arguments. But the point of this country wasn't public health and safety. It was Liberty. Requiring permits to operate businesses implies that engaging in commerce on the selling side is a privledge and not a right. It is, or should be, a right.

I'd have no problem if government limited itself to validating things. For instance, a business could seek a government certification that it is operating in a certain way and meets certain standards if it thinks that would give it a competetive advantage. If you want to eat food processed and distributed by a certified firm you could do so. But if somebody who isn't certified wants to sell food and somebody else wants to buy it, it should be none of government's business.

Bottom line is that nobody should be subject to mandatory government inspection and authorization before they can sell what they want to sell. It should be up to the consumer to decide whether or not they want to buy from somebody like that or not.

[houndawg]

Tax dollars being used to pay someone to shut down a seven-year-old's lemonade stand.

So what happens next week whe people show up demanding the right to peddle their wares without a permit, just like the kid?

[JoltinJoe]

Tax dollars being used to pay someone to shut down a seven-year-old's lemonade stand.

So what happens next week whe people show up demanding the right to peddle their wares without a permit, just like the kid?

[Skjellyfetti]

As long as the lemonade is being sold it's ok. If lemonade is being given away for free... Conks get in a hissy fit.

The three young girls -- under the watchful eye of a nanny, sitting on the grass with them -- explained that they had regular lemonade, raspberry lemonade, and small chocolate candy bars.

Then my brother asked how much each item cost.

"Oh, no," they replied in unison, "they're all free!"

I sat in the back seat in shock. Free? My brother questioned them again: "But you have to charge something? What should I pay for a lemonade? I'm really thirsty!"

His fiancee smiled and commented, "Isn't that cute. They have the spirit of giving."

That really set me off, as my regular readers can imagine.

"No!" I exclaimed from the back seat. "That's not the spirit of giving. You can only really give when you give something you own. They're giving away their parents' things -- the lemonade, cups, candy. It's not theirs to give."

I pushed the button to roll down the window and stuck my head out to set them straight.

"You must charge something for the lemonade," I explained. "That's the whole point of a lemonade stand. You figure out your costs -- how much the lemonade costs, and the cups -- and then you charge a little more than what it costs you, so you can make money. Then you can buy more stuff, and make more lemonade, and sell it and make more money."

I was confident I had explained it clearly. Until my brother, breaking the tension, ordered a raspberry lemonade. As they handed it to him, he again asked: "So how much is it?"

And the girls once again replied: "It's free!" And the nanny looked on contentedly.

No wonder America is getting it all wrong when it comes to government, and taxes, and policy. We all act as if the "lemonade" or benefits we're "giving away" is free.

http://www.suntimes.com/business/savage ... agearticle" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[JoltinJoe]

As long as the lemonade is being sold it's ok. If lemonade is being given away for free... Conks get in a hissy fit.

The three young girls -- under the watchful eye of a nanny, sitting on the grass with them -- explained that they had regular lemonade, raspberry lemonade, and small chocolate candy bars.

Then my brother asked how much each item cost.

"Oh, no," they replied in unison, "they're all free!"

I sat in the back seat in shock. Free? My brother questioned them again: "But you have to charge something? What should I pay for a lemonade? I'm really thirsty!"

His fiancee smiled and commented, "Isn't that cute. They have the spirit of giving."

That really set me off, as my regular readers can imagine.

"No!" I exclaimed from the back seat. "That's not the spirit of giving. You can only really give when you give something you own. They're giving away their parents' things -- the lemonade, cups, candy. It's not theirs to give."

I pushed the button to roll down the window and stuck my head out to set them straight.

"You must charge something for the lemonade," I explained. "That's the whole point of a lemonade stand. You figure out your costs -- how much the lemonade costs, and the cups -- and then you charge a little more than what it costs you, so you can make money. Then you can buy more stuff, and make more lemonade, and sell it and make more money."

I was confident I had explained it clearly. Until my brother, breaking the tension, ordered a raspberry lemonade. As they handed it to him, he again asked: "So how much is it?"

And the girls once again replied: "It's free!" And the nanny looked on contentedly.

No wonder America is getting it all wrong when it comes to government, and taxes, and policy. We all act as if the "lemonade" or benefits we're "giving away" is free.

http://www.suntimes.com/business/savage ... agearticle" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That's the flip side and just as

[coastal89]

This is an obvious case of Adeism. Everyone knows beureacrats prefer kool-aid.