Our girls have been begging us to let them put up a lemonade stand. Good thing we don't live in Montgomery County where kids were fined $500 and shut down by county inspectors for running a lemonade stand without a vendor's license.
The savvy entrepreneurs -- who were actually raising money to fight pediatric cancer, heartless kids that they are -- had set up shop to take advantage of the U.S. Open traffic.
The mom asked the inspector if all kids had to be licensed vendors to run a lemonade shop. The county said only the good ones needed it:
“Cute little kids making five or ten dollars is a little bit different than making hundreds. You’ve got coolers and coolers here,” the inspector responded. “To raise money for pediatric cancer,” Marriott replied.
When I think of freedom, I think of the government shutting down a lemonade stand raising money for pediatric cancer. I'm sure you do, too.
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Comments :
Jul '10
Re: Government's Just A Word We Use For Things We Do Together ... Like Shut Down Lemonade Stands
Miss Me, Yet?
Apr '11
Re: Government's Just A Word We Use For Things We Do Together ... Like Shut Down Lemonade Stands
You have to do what we do here in Jersey - supply the kids with some cash for bribes and kickbacks. What tremendous life lessons they'll learn!!
Sep '10
Re: Government's Just A Word We Use For Things We Do Together ... Like Shut Down Lemonade Stands
Nothing like the government to go making lemons out of lemonade.
May '11
Re: Government's Just A Word We Use For Things We Do Together ... Like Shut Down Lemonade Stands
Now you see why our forefathers resorted to tar and feathers when the King's tax collectors showed up. I suspect that sometime in the near future that one of these "inspectors" is going to get the same treatment.
Sep '10
Re: Government's Just A Word We Use For Things We Do Together ... Like Shut Down Lemonade Stands
It would be ok with me if they were raising money to purchase disgusting rap videos on iTunes but I guess pediatric cancer is better PR. I wonder if the goon squad is controled by the local constabulary or the monopoly minded PGA.
Mar '11
Re: Government's Just A Word We Use For Things We Do Together ... Like Shut Down Lemonade Stands
Were the lemons organic?
Jun '10
Re: Government's Just A Word We Use For Things We Do Together ... Like Shut Down Lemonade Stands
This story is not funny, not in the least bit. The administrative/regulatory state has arrived in America with a self-appointed mandate to eradicate liberty. Get used to it because it's not going away.
I'm seething this morning after spending two days jumping through hoops to become an ordinary cabbie. I just barely passed a physical that is mandated by . . . are you ready? . . . the Federal Department of Transportation in Washington DC. Now it's off to city hall for a permit, then down the cop shop for a background check. Oh, and the state mandated drug test, can't forget that.
All this for a job that pays the "living wage" mandated by Santa Fe at $9.85 per hour. We have arrived, dear brothers and sisters, at that place we all feared. Nothing short of revolution will undo it. *Sob*
Nov '10
Re: Government's Just A Word We Use For Things We Do Together ... Like Shut Down Lemonade Stands
When life gives you ...
Oh wait. Forget it.
Aug '10
Re: Government's Just A Word We Use For Things We Do Together ... Like Shut Down Lemonade Stands
I particularly enjoyed this comment on the linked article left by SRL 1972:
"I hope they are fined $500 a day for every day they are open! I am SO sick of adults and children not following the rules! PARENTS you should be ashamed of yourself. You are doing NOTHING but teaching your children entitlement behavior and a rules don't apply to me attitude"
So you see, it's not about freedom or entrepreneurship, it's about an "entitlement attitude"... because... when you're a Statist, there is no freedom, only entitlements.
I guess...
Jul '10
Re: Government's Just A Word We Use For Things We Do Together ... Like Shut Down Lemonade Stands
Government bailout money has to come from somewhere.
Mar '11
Re: Government's Just A Word We Use For Things We Do Together ... Like Shut Down Lemonade Stands
Unless the Montgomery County Code has a permit exception for charitable vendors, the inspectors can’t reasonably ignore the lemonade stand and try, for example, to shut down a taco stand that opens next to it. If they do, I foresee much litigation. I don’t want the government picking and choosing when (or against whom) to enforce the law. We can either do the libertarian thing by scrapping the permit requirement entirely and opening the streets to all vendors; or we can enforce the permit requirement without regard to the warmth and fuzziness of the vendors.
I also don’t see what the parking situation has to do with the price of golf balls. According to the linked article, those selling parking spaces on their property have to purchase permits just like other vendors. Where are the “two different perspectives on entrepreneurship” cited by the mom?
Aug '10
Re: Government's Just A Word We Use For Things We Do Together ... Like Shut Down Lemonade Stands
Instead of busting them for running a business without a license, I think they should start busting parents for violating child labour laws. I'M KIDDING, by the way...
Aug '10
Re: Government's Just A Word We Use For Things We Do Together ... Like Shut Down Lemonade Stands
I wholeheartedly disagree there, and I think one of the problems of American culture (speaking as an outsider looking in who has no right whatsoever to judge American culture but I'm gonna do it anyway) is the primal fear of officials with the authority to make judgement calls.
American legislation has gotten so dang long (Obamacare: 2,700 pages and counting. Canada Health Act: 16 pages.) because US lawmakers do not feel they can give officials the authority to make judgements and interpret the laws. For some reason, only judges have that authority nowadays. That's incredibly inefficient and expensive.
I see no problem allowing a cop the authority to judge whether a lemonade stand violates the spirit of the law, even if it violates the letter of the law. If the taco stand owner tries to use that in a lawsuit, the judge should have the authority to make the judgement, and not have his hands tied by the letter of the law.
This all stems from The Death of Common Sense, which I cannot recommend highly enough.
Mar '11
Re: Government's Just A Word We Use For Things We Do Together ... Like Shut Down Lemonade Stands
Misthiocracy
I see no problem allowing a cop the authority to judge whether a lemonade stand violates the spirit of the law, even if it violates the letter of the law. If the taco stand owner tries to use that in a lawsuit, the judge should have the authority to make the judgement, and not have his hands tied by the letter of the law.
I'm not sure I'm quite that sanguine about the wisdom of granting such discretion to the cops. But I'm pretty sure our balkanized and litigious society makes doing so impractical. Witness the rise of "zero tolerance" policies in the schools.
Dec '10
Re: Government's Just A Word We Use For Things We Do Together ... Like Shut Down Lemonade Stands
Basil Fawlty: Unless the Montgomery County Code has a permit exception for charitable vendors, the inspectors can’t reasonably ignore the lemonade stand and try, for example, to shut down a taco stand that opens next to it. If they do, I foresee much litigation. I don’t want the government picking and choosing when (or against whom) to enforce the law. We can either do the libertarian thing by scrapping the permit requirement entirely and opening the streets to all vendors; or we can enforce the permit requirement without regard to the warmth and fuzziness of the vendors.
I also don’t see what the parking situation has to do with the price of golf balls. According to the linked article, those selling parking spaces on their property have to purchase permits just like other vendors. Where are the “two different perspectives on entrepreneurship” cited by the mom? · Jun 17 at 9:43am
I think most people here are of the opinion that these permits are totally unnecessary and should be done away with, not that the kids should get a pass.
Personally, I am sick to death of permits for every damned thing a person tries to do.
May '10
Re: Government's Just A Word We Use For Things We Do Together ... Like Shut Down Lemonade Stands
This is so discouraging. Goodbye, sweet America.
Mar '11
Re: Government's Just A Word We Use For Things We Do Together ... Like Shut Down Lemonade Stands
CoolHand
I think most people here are of the opinion that these permits are totally unnecessary and should be done away with, not that the kids should get a pass.
Personally, I am sick to death of permits for every damned thing a person tries to do. · Jun 17 at 10:57am
As a neighbor of the Peoples Republic of Montgomery County, I tend to agree. But the people who actually live on Persimmon Tree Road might not.
Aug '10
Re: Government's Just A Word We Use For Things We Do Together ... Like Shut Down Lemonade Stands
Obamacare will take care of pediatric cancer, so what's the problem?