Local Officials Shut Down 11 Year Old's Cupcake Business as a Threat to Public Health

Yahoo Voices ^ | January 30, 2014 | Mark R. Whittington

[Marcus]

11 year old Chloe Stirling got some great accolades from her local newspaper for the cupcake business she had started out of her parents' kitchen. Unfortunately the local health department took another view and shut her down.

The sticking point was that not only did she lack the proper permits and licenses to run a food business, but according to local and state law she would have to either own her own bakery or have a kitchen separate from that of her parents to continue cooking cupcakes for money. Since this was clearly impossible, Stirling is no longer able to run a business. Thus she has learned at an early age that the biggest obstacle to entrepreneurism consists of government rules and regulations.

[P-Marlowe]

. I never said to shut her down. If her kitchen passes a health department inspection for cleanliness then I’m in her corner all the way.

You cheered when the nanny state bureaucrats shut her down and now you claim that you would be in her corner if her kitchen passed a health inspection for cleanliness.

Either you didn't read the article or you are an idiot. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt pending your response to this post.

Let me emphasize that her start up business was not shut down because of any cleanliness issue. It was shut down because of onerous and unnecessary regulations regarding permits and fees and the fact that she didn't have a commercial location and a separate kitchen.

This girl is prohibited by child labor laws from learning this trade in a commercial establishment and it costs a lot of money to buy the ingredients to bake cupcakes in order to perfect her art. She is free to give these cupcakes away to the public, bit she is prohibited by government regulations from selling any of them to recoup the cost of baking them.

You applauded the regulators for crushing this little girl's dream and then try to claim to be the most anti-big government person on this forum.

Admit it. You were wrong to give a knee jerk thumbs up to the clowns who shut her down

[driftless2]

You asked for it amigo.

[P-Marlowe]

From the Daily Caller:

And before the government took her oven mitts, the sixth grader charged $10 for a dozen cupcakes and $2 for each specialty cupcake. However, she was also known to donate her time and sprinkles to charity. When a boy in her school was diagnosed with cancer in 2012, she donated cupcakes to help raise money for his treatment. Adding a personal touch, she made them orange and blue because he “was a really big Cubs fan.” Her largest order ever, amounting to 220 cupcakes, was also for a cancer fundraiser.

It should also be noted that her parents were willing to give in to every demand by the bureaucrats except to build a separate kitchen (which would probably have cost $20,000).

Cleanliness was not the issue with the Government. They insisted on a demand that the cupcakes be made in a kitchen where nothing else is cooked.

So you have your choice. You can apologize to everyone on this thread for cheering the government nazis on in their efforts to shut down this wonderful girl's dream or you can withdraw your claim to be one of the most anti-big government people on Free Republic.

This case is a blantant example of government overreach.

This kid is prohibited from working for someone else because of child labor laws. She started this business in order to be able to buy a car when she turns 16. But she is now shut down because her parents can't afford to build a new kitchen.

Of course, they could have resolved this problem the old fashioned way. They could have slipped a couple of hundred dollars into the inspector's pocket.

[xrmusn]

Of course, they could have resolved this problem the old fashioned way. They could have slipped a couple of hundred dollars into the inspector’s pocket.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Doubt you could ‘buy’ one of these bureaucrats off...Much more fun harassing people that can’t really defend themselves.

When the dynamic duo of BO/JOBAMA/HOLDER get through the Fed will be sending out ‘hit squads’ to round up all these 12 yo lawbreakers....

Ayn Rand 100% correct - make enough dumb laws and we can turn everyone into criminals.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Of course, they could have resolved this problem the old fashioned way. They could have slipped a couple of hundred dollars into the inspector's pocket.

And then fat Amy Yaeger would have blown it all on cupcakes.

[P-Marlowe]

If Chloe were an illegal alien on welfare and used the welfare money to front her cupcake business, the county inspectors would never have questioned her.

And if this were in Colorado, she could have laced the cupcakes with Marijuana (all at taxpayer expense.)

The laws only apply to the law abiding.

[panaxanax]

This was not some little girl selling a cupcake or two in front of her house. She and her Mommy, Heather, were operating a bakery without a valid license or health inspections.

Picture this, if you can. Two bakeries, one with a “Notice of Approval” from the Illinois Health Dept. posted in their front window, the other with a notice saying that they were NOT inspected and NOT approved to sell to the public. Which one are you going to eat at?

You can continue with your juvenile over-reacting arguments without me. I assure you that posting to me will be futile on your part. That’s all I have to say about this issue.

From FOX News:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/01/29/11-year-old-illinois-girl-cupcake-business-shut-down-by-county-officials/

“Amy Yeager, a health department spokeswoman, told the newspaper the county was only applying the law governing businesses that sell and distribute food to the general public.”

“The rules are the rules. It’s for the protection of the public health,” Yeager said. “The guidelines apply to everyone.”

Chloe Stirling:
“Well, I think it’s just the rules are rules and they kind of need to be followed. I really don’t blame the health department because it’s not really their fault,” she told the station.

“KSDK.com reported that many people have offered to open up their county-inspected kitchens to Chloe. The family is also considering building a second kitchen in their basement so she can continue baking.”

[ZinGirl]

Thank you for that. I’ll confess I was picturing little Suzy and some friends out front with a cupcake stand on a Saturday. My apologies if I was harsh.

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

Chloe learned an important lesson, the kind you don’t learn in school.

[zeugma]

Picture this, if you can. Two bakeries, one with a “Notice of Approval” from the Illinois Health Dept. posted in their front window, the other with a notice saying that they were NOT inspected and NOT approved to sell to the public. Which one are you going to eat at?

Well now, there you go. I think it would be a great idea. She could have a little sign made up that says "Our kitchen has not been inspected by agents of the police state." That pretty much solves the problem. The customer is fully informed, and is able to make their own choice, rather than have their choices artificially limited by the aforementioned police state diktat.

As for the quote you mentioned, “The rules are the rules. It’s for the protection of the public health,” Yeager said. “The guidelines apply to everyone.” I believe the classic rendition of that is "we were just following orders". We've heard it before, and some of us would prefer to make decisions on our own, thank you very much.

Another way of looking at this is, would you rather buy a cupcake made by some impersonal conglomerate staffed with union labor that loads up their product with God only knows what kind of preservatives and artificial ingredients, or one made at home by a girl with a strong entrepreneurial spirit?

I know which way I'd go.