Chloe sells cupcakes to save money to start her own bakery. This 11 year old also donates hundreds of cupcakes to cancer fundraisers. She gets a wonderful story in the local paper about her beautifully decorated creations.
Naturally, this out of control menace to society had to be stopped!
And so comes Illinois' Madison County Health Department to rescue the public by shutting her down. Read the story here. By law(?), she can't use the family kitchen. That's the crime. Baking cupcakes in the family kitchen. That's right up there with the lemonade bust of a 10 year old I wrote about in a previous post.
Apparently our local governments think that the number one problem we face is the epidemic of cupcake and lemonade slinging children. Now, let's arrest all those girl scouts peddling cookies and our streets will once again be safe.
What do you think?
Showing posts with label goverment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label goverment. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Missouri Cracks Down On Milk Hustling Sisters
The Bechard family owns and operates a farm in Missouri. They sell raw milk (it hasn't been homogenized and pasteurized) to their customer base. You can pick some up at the Bechard farm or they will fulfill your order in the parking lot of a local grocery store in Springfield. Their truck has the milk that has been pre-ordered by customers who would pick up their order on the appointed day.
In April, two health inspectors approached the Bechard sisters who were fulfilling customer orders. The inspectors asked if there was any extra milk for sale. It was the end of the day and a couple of customers had failed to show up for their milk, so the sisters sold the milk to the undercover inspectors. Now the Attorney General for Missouri has filed a lawsuit against the Bechard family to prevent them from distributing milk. (WTF?!?)
Missouri law makes it OK for dairy farmers to sell milk on their farm, deliver milk to customers, and set up a distribution point for pre-paid orders. They are NOT allowed to sell raw milk off of their farm (as the sisters had done). Now we've seen some stupid sting operations (a la the Lemonade Stand), but this one is taking some heat from locals who are wondering if this is really the priority for the Attorney General.
What are they going to claim - this is a starter crime?
First, they get you hooked on raw milk. Then, fresh fruit. Finally it's broccoli and then you are healthy for life . . .
What do you think?
In April, two health inspectors approached the Bechard sisters who were fulfilling customer orders. The inspectors asked if there was any extra milk for sale. It was the end of the day and a couple of customers had failed to show up for their milk, so the sisters sold the milk to the undercover inspectors. Now the Attorney General for Missouri has filed a lawsuit against the Bechard family to prevent them from distributing milk. (WTF?!?)
Missouri law makes it OK for dairy farmers to sell milk on their farm, deliver milk to customers, and set up a distribution point for pre-paid orders. They are NOT allowed to sell raw milk off of their farm (as the sisters had done). Now we've seen some stupid sting operations (a la the Lemonade Stand), but this one is taking some heat from locals who are wondering if this is really the priority for the Attorney General.
What are they going to claim - this is a starter crime?
First, they get you hooked on raw milk. Then, fresh fruit. Finally it's broccoli and then you are healthy for life . . .
What do you think?
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Dumping Debt On Our Children
Something really pissed me off today. I'm going to talk a little politics, but I think you will agree with me regardless of your political affiliation.
Take a look at this chart and you'll immediately understand what I mean. It's time to take a hard look at our political system in this country.
1) In the past 37 years, every administration regardless of political party has increased the level of government spending. Clearly both parties are horrible at managing taxpayer money.
2) Politicians cannot be re-elected by voting for budget cuts. Every cut take money away from *someone* who will be pissed at election time. Politicians who advocate budget cuts are charged with not caring about the poor or the elderly or children or national defense, etc. So the budget must continue to rise as new programs are added while nothing is deleted.
3) The government is an expense that produces nothing. While there is a need for some national programs, the government simply takes taxpayer dollars and redistributes those funds. Government produces nothing. Government is inefficient. Our tax burden, both as a percentage of income and percentage of economic output continues to rise over time. This is an unsustainable trend.
The chart shows future national debt levels based on projections by the Congressional Budget Office AND the White House. The numbers are a nightmare and likely understated! Government projections have a long history of being too optimistic.
As citizens, we need to make it clear to our leaders that enough is enough. We cannot continue to fund everything for everyone. Our tax burden is among the highest among industrial nations and growing every year. This is not only going to affect our children, but likely will put *us* into an economic depression if we allow it to happen. Perhaps a Balanced Budget Amendment is necessary. Perhaps a tax revolt a la the Boston Tea Party. I don't know the answer, but I know that our leaders are rapidly driving us toward a cliff and it's pissing me off!
What do you think?
Take a look at this chart and you'll immediately understand what I mean. It's time to take a hard look at our political system in this country.
1) In the past 37 years, every administration regardless of political party has increased the level of government spending. Clearly both parties are horrible at managing taxpayer money.
2) Politicians cannot be re-elected by voting for budget cuts. Every cut take money away from *someone* who will be pissed at election time. Politicians who advocate budget cuts are charged with not caring about the poor or the elderly or children or national defense, etc. So the budget must continue to rise as new programs are added while nothing is deleted.
3) The government is an expense that produces nothing. While there is a need for some national programs, the government simply takes taxpayer dollars and redistributes those funds. Government produces nothing. Government is inefficient. Our tax burden, both as a percentage of income and percentage of economic output continues to rise over time. This is an unsustainable trend.
The chart shows future national debt levels based on projections by the Congressional Budget Office AND the White House. The numbers are a nightmare and likely understated! Government projections have a long history of being too optimistic.
As citizens, we need to make it clear to our leaders that enough is enough. We cannot continue to fund everything for everyone. Our tax burden is among the highest among industrial nations and growing every year. This is not only going to affect our children, but likely will put *us* into an economic depression if we allow it to happen. Perhaps a Balanced Budget Amendment is necessary. Perhaps a tax revolt a la the Boston Tea Party. I don't know the answer, but I know that our leaders are rapidly driving us toward a cliff and it's pissing me off!
What do you think?
Monday, July 13, 2009
At Liberty With The Flag, At Odds With The Police
I have seen too many stories lately dealing with "authorities" pitted against people's "free speech". Today's head scratching tale comes from Wisconsin.
A man was flying the American flag upside down in protest of his village board's decision not to grant his restaurant a liquor license. He had been doing so since the middle of June. Hours before the village's July 4th parade, local police officers took down the flag under the advice of the District Attorney. They returned the flag the next day. (Read the full story here.)
I am reminded of a quote from the movie The American President. "You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours." Freedom of expression cannot simply be reduced to freedom of approved expression without damaging all of us. Freedom requires that we must also defend the rights of those whose speech we do not agree with.
In our Wisconsin story, the local authorities admitted that flying a flag in this manner was not illegal. They simply chose this one day to flagrantly censor a citizens right to free speech in protest of his local government. Whether you agree with the flag protest or not, consider how "free" you would feel if the government decided to forcefully silence YOUR criticism of the way they conducted their affairs.
This is a clear case of government overreach. They should be slapped with a hefty lawsuit to remind them of our constitutional boundaries. What do you think?
* * *
"The test of democracy is freedom of criticism." ~David Ben-Gurion
A man was flying the American flag upside down in protest of his village board's decision not to grant his restaurant a liquor license. He had been doing so since the middle of June. Hours before the village's July 4th parade, local police officers took down the flag under the advice of the District Attorney. They returned the flag the next day. (Read the full story here.)
I am reminded of a quote from the movie The American President. "You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours." Freedom of expression cannot simply be reduced to freedom of approved expression without damaging all of us. Freedom requires that we must also defend the rights of those whose speech we do not agree with.
In our Wisconsin story, the local authorities admitted that flying a flag in this manner was not illegal. They simply chose this one day to flagrantly censor a citizens right to free speech in protest of his local government. Whether you agree with the flag protest or not, consider how "free" you would feel if the government decided to forcefully silence YOUR criticism of the way they conducted their affairs.
This is a clear case of government overreach. They should be slapped with a hefty lawsuit to remind them of our constitutional boundaries. What do you think?
* * *
"The test of democracy is freedom of criticism." ~David Ben-Gurion
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