Mayor Closes Children Produce Stand for Lack of Permits
Mayor Gregory Manning in Clayton, California is losing major credibility with kids right now. According to ABC News, he doesn't think two young ladies, three-year old Katie Lewis and her eleven-year old sister Sabrina Lewis, should manage a street corner produce stand where they once sold surplus crops like zucchini and melon from their family's garden. When the police recently showed up, they shuttered the stand for violating zoning and traffic laws, only because of one complaint to the mayor's office.
"They may start out with a little card table selling a couple of things, but who's to say what else they have," warned Manning, who fears for a raucous future involving eggs and chicken sales. In response, Sabrina has authored a petition, which is fast receiving neighborhood support. She is a hero for little entrepreneurs and lemonade stands everywhere. Or are you siding with the mayor?
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27 Comments:
Lick your wounds and find something else to do kids. You're lucky they didn't tase you.
Asado at 1:22PM on 08/26/08
Absurd. This mayor has nothing better to do? I wonder who the complaint came from; I can imagine some angry old lady peering through her lace curtains, scowling, and calling city hall... And shame on the cops for enforcing this too. They could have just chosen to look the other way, the way they tend to do with so many other things. Power tripping a-holes, all of them.
simon at 1:23PM on 08/26/08
Instead of protesting laws that are in place for a good reason, I would suggets the parents teach the kids about giving what you don't need to the needy. Take the surplus produce and donate it to a local shelter or community kitchen.
Houndstooth Gourmet at 1:24PM on 08/26/08
As much as I dislike government intervention, I would side with the mayor on this.
What use is there of having any law (outside of protecting idiots from themselves and miscreants) if it won't be enforced? Why make exceptions? If exceptions are allowed, where is the line to be drawn? When the kids are 12? 16? 25? Making $30/week? $300/week?
What happens if someone gets injured on the premises?
What happens if someone gets sick from products they sold?
Tax? (although the parents are taxed on the interest that they earn off the free money kept in savings)
Cassaendra at 1:29PM on 08/26/08
nice job, mayor. Those kids are probably going to apply for unemployment benefits now.
mr guy at 2:01PM on 08/26/08
give me a break people! Let them sell vegetables already! You want them to do that or sell/use drugs? rediculous
ryan86 at 2:06PM on 08/26/08
Isn't the whole point of setting up a produce/lemonade or whatever stand.....the chance to teach kids responsibility, entepreneurship, a sense of pride in their work, customer service skills, money handling skills, and a myiad of other important lifeskills?
It's a shame that kind of opportunity is taken away from them and from the rest of their community. How sad.
(I do like Houndstooth soultion of having them donate to a foodbank)
bisbee at 2:07PM on 08/26/08
This can not be serious. . . I can not imagine these children had enough produce for ANYONE to worry about it being taxed. And as far as getting sick - the FDA didn't do such a great job keeping people from getting sick and they are hurting farmers with their wonderful tomato recall. I can't find a freakin' jalapeno anywhere now!! I say go kids!
csbrown at 2:09PM on 08/26/08
WHAT A BUNCH OF GRUMPS!
(signed) An Old Lady
islandexile at 2:09PM on 08/26/08
I side with the mayor, for all the reasons Cassaendra gave.
What would be the message to kids? That laws don't apply to them?
Don Luis at 2:11PM on 08/26/08
Fire the mayor...
ronzoni at 2:13PM on 08/26/08
The kids ought to go about getting a permit then and the mayor ought to go about getting a life.
gastronomeg at 2:22PM on 08/26/08
This is typical of the fearful nanny state we're becoming. Zero tolerance for any deviation from the rules, and unlimited catering to grumps, cranks, and imaginary lawsuits. Leave those kids alone!
pourgirl at 2:41PM on 08/26/08
ah geeeezz....
suburbangourmet at 3:02PM on 08/26/08
In the words of Barney Fife: "Nip it. Nip it in the bud." That seems to fit in this situation. Can't have these kids doing productive work when they could be in front of a playstation. That's just not healthy.
beth1 at 3:16PM on 08/26/08
Look, I hate the idea of kicking the kids out just as much as the next guy, but Cassaendra has a great point. If you want to teach them entrepreneurship and responsibility...why not start with how you are legally supposed to run a business in America; why not start in teaching them how to follow the law? Go get a permit and move on.
I understand why the mayor did what he did. As soon as something/anything goes wrong, everyone is going to blame the authorities for not doing something about it. If you think they are getting upset at this...now...think about it when someone get's sick on the food. Think about it when someone trips over a leg on the table and someone gets hurt. The mayor has to protect himself...because in the end that's his job on the line. That's money he no longer can take home to support his family because he lets things slip here and there.
Sure, now it's trivial...but you've got to draw the line somewhere.
jami52 at 3:37PM on 08/26/08
Ahahahahahahahaha this gave me the biggest chuckle of the day... Yes the mayor should get a life, the kids should have been told that there's a law - explained nicely to them - stating they can't do this, and everyone moves on. I'm sure lemonade stands are probably not DOH-approved, either... it's a good lesson for the kids but really? A petition? What does it say? "Please sign this so we can break the law because we're little kids who don't know better and are kind of cute"
HAhahahahahahahaha...
feistyfoodie at 3:37PM on 08/26/08
None of us has enough information about the stand or the city codes in Clayton to judge whether the mayor is right or wrong.
But I don't think the lesson Sabrina would take home from her petition succeeding is that cute kids get what they want - rather, the mayor would be forced to reexamine the entire permit process and how it's applied. Perhaps a category of exceptions to the permit requirement - small stands below a certain size and bringing in a certain limit of revenue - could be created. Even if the petition fails, they'll have learned an excellent lesson in citizenship and participatory democracy.
producestories at 4:16PM on 08/26/08
God forbid someone be allowed to buy zucchini that haven't taken a beating from "inspectors" & disease-carrying fruit pickers & chain store employees.
Furthermore, God forbid some kid decides to do her own thing rather than merely becoming the wage slave the public school system ended her to be.
Finally, no offense to Houndstooth, I'm all in favor of willing acts of charity, but there is nothing wrong with these kids making a profit either. The kid is raising money for college...charity begins at home.
KitchenHawk at 4:22PM on 08/26/08
@KitchenHawk: what disease-carrying fruit pickers and chain store employees? How many zucchini buyers have "taken a beating" from these people?
I'm sure god has nothing to do with this, but I doubt the choices for these girls are "sell zucchini" or "become "wage slaves", even if "the public school system ended her to be".
Finally, where does the conclusion that "The kid is raising money for college" come from? Certainly not from the article. Which of the two kids? Will the other become a disease-carrying fruit picker or a wage slave? I'm guessing no.
Don Luis at 5:32PM on 08/26/08
Does anybody think a 3yo is capable of growing her own vegetables?
This is obviously the parents sticking two cute kids as the front for their operation. Like when people use their kids to beg. They are counting on the cuteness to get around the rules. At least until someone eats a bad egg, then they will sue the city for not enforcing the law.
The parents should have gotten a permit, like everyone else is required to.
Pupster at 5:40PM on 08/26/08
So those of you that think the Mayor was right, does this mean that kids should have to get permits for lemonade stands as well?
FoodPorncess at 7:30PM on 08/26/08
Good! I prefer not to buy stuff with obvious snot and kid spit on it!
Pointy at 9:26PM on 08/26/08
Permit? Geez, are we all that grumpy now? When I was 8 (I'm 41 now), I went around the neighborhood with my Ryder wagon selling the surplus vegetables from our garden.
Get a permit? Yeah, like that's really going to be issued.
Regulations are good ... when they are reasonable. This is just people being nasty.
KuyasKitchen at 4:55AM on 08/27/08
I'll sum this up in 3 simple words:
LIABILITY, LIABILITY, LIABILITY...
RichardCrystal at 9:56AM on 08/27/08
I think the city government is just trying to cover their behinds because, even though I'm sure this family has no ill intent, someone MIGHT get sick and it MIGHT be from their produce. Governments usually throw around rules in order to protect people, whether or not it's in the best interests overall.
I think it would be best to take down the stand but let people know that if they want some produce, it can be done under the table. My grandmother buys eggplant, bitter melon, and other items from a lady down the street for a few bucks. No one seems to complain about that.
Jikuu at 10:03AM on 08/27/08
The laws are in place for a very good reason. Parents should teach their children that the law must be obeyed. Either get the permit or stop whining.
MollieBeth at 10:57AM on 08/27/08