Posted on 11/15/2010 11:13:00 AM PST by Falcon28
Alert the authorities! Some kids in New York apparently think it’s still okay to engage in capitalistic ventures in America!
Think again, kiddos:
A politician in a New York suburb called police on two 13-year-old boys for selling cupcakes and other baked goods without a permit, according to a report Monday.
The Journal News in Westchester County said the boys, Andrew DeMarchis and Kevin Graff, had a brisk business selling cupcakes, cookies, brownies and Rice Krispie treats for $1 each in a Chappaqua park.
However, New Castle [which includes Chappaqua] Councilman Michael Wolfensohn called the police after discovering the sale was not for charity, the newspaper said.
Kevin’s mother, Laura Graff, said the teens were “good kids” who were scared by the police call.
“I am shocked and sad for the boys. It was such a great idea, and they worked hard at it,” Laura Graff, Kevin’s mother, told The Journal News. “But then some Town Board member decided to get on his high horse and wreck their dreams.”
DeMarchis, Graff and two other friends, Zachary Bass and Daniel Katz, had hoped they would make enough money to open a restaurant, the paper said, adding that they made $120 on their first day.
$1 per cupcake? $120 in one day?! Obscene profiteering!!
(Excerpt) Read more at theblaze.com ...
Then you are a fool who doesn't know the meaning of freedom. Children are not adults and they do not pose a threat to other businesses and certainly not to any of the other reasons that licensing and permits are required. The main reason most businesses need permits and licenses is MONEY, revenue to the city and the state and the feds. In some cases licenses are required in order for "journeymen" to keep others out of their trade. Most permits and licenses are unnecessary and hurt small business people.
They should pack heat and sell drugs. Then the cops are afraid to come after them and would have left them alone.
They would have made a lot more money too.
This is NY we’re talking about, the most business-unfriendly state in the entire nation!!
He won’t get voted out!!
I'm assuming the cops told the kids to pack up their stuff and go home. Suppose they didn't. They would have attempted to detain/arrest the kids. Suppose they resisted vigorously?
As I said, all laws are ultimately enforced at the end of a gun, and with government force. That is not, in and of itself a bad thing, and I made no value judgment to that effect. I'm perfectly happy with many laws being made effective by having the force of government behind them. Others, not so much. It's like Washington said, government is like fire: a dangerous servant and a fearful master. That's not to say life is better without fire...we need warmth, hot food, industry, etc. We just need to tend it carefully and closely so it doesn't spiral out of control, because it doesn't discriminate in whom gets burnt.
A severe case of pubic chin.
Appropriate.
This report is from my area. The kids were selling in a public park to save money to open a restaurant. They started with cakes and made $130. Then they bought a wagon and added drinks. Now town law says you must have a 1 million dollar insurance policy and also pay $150 to $350 for two hours. The parks department will make an exception for charity. (IE: Girl scouts or such)
On the one hand if we make exceptions for these kids who else should we exempt? This was not a lemonade stand it was a business. Using a paid for by the public, park. The public decided if you want to open a business in our park you must pay for it. They did not.
As far as we know no one told the kids the rules of selling for profit in the park. The cops did not fine them did not arrest them just told them sorry you must pack up and go.
How is a kid with an entrepreneur spirit to start? If our schools were doing their job for all the money we pay there would be an entrepreneur club that could sell on school grounds or something. But we will never see it in today’s schools. They are too busy teaching political correctness, feel good studies and other never in the real world skills.
>>Another little hitler telling kids what to do.
This should be encoraged, not discouraged.
Open up the parks for bike rentals, boat rentals, food vendors.
Drop this licensing crap. Let the buyer beware.<<
I kind of agree with you. But until the licensing is dropped, it is irresponsible to allow our parks to be turned into New Delhi markets.
I agree with your post in principle. I think freedom is a very important principle. But I am not a fan of anarchy.
I would like to walk through a park without being accosted by vendors. Our laws help with that.
If a kid want’s to open a lemonade stand in front of his house, that is a different thing. It’s very much about location. A kid could make some serious coin doing this sort of thing. :)
This was Chappaqua, with median household income at $200K and a 90% white, 6% Asian population.
no wonder....another fat faced thick necked jerk who thinks everything should be under the thumb of the govt.....
If anybody feels like dropping this @ss clown a note:
mbwolf@town.new-castle.ny.us
You are not obsolete!
Common Cathy, these rules are idiotic. There is no reason PUBLIC property should not be used by the public.
Sarah Palin would have you read the book “Saving Capitalism from Capitalist.”
Never been to Chappaqua but I don’t think anyplace is safe from criminal or gang activity.
OUT OF STATER!!!
It’s Pike Place Market. ;)
And yes, my wife and I love to visit there, but only before nine AM on Saturdays or on Sundays, due to parking. Heck, the musicians even have to get a permit to perform, IIRC.
I really don’t have a problem with the rules at parks. I would also like to see a law making it illegal to conduct business from your car with someone outside your car, while you are in a traffic lane. It would eliminate the beggars at freeway offramps and popular intersections. Sure, they can do it, but if anyone gives them money from their car, they will be pulled over and ticketed for obstructing traffic.
I don’t want to conduct business in a park unless it is in a specific area set aside for such purposes. And the permit does not have to be punitive, but the process is necessary to keep things from getting out of hand.
OUT OF STATER!!!
It’s Pike Place Market. ;)
And yes, my wife and I love to visit there, but only before nine AM on Saturdays or on Sundays, due to parking. Heck, the musicians even have to get a permit to perform, IIRC.
I really don’t have a problem with the rules at parks. I would also like to see a law making it illegal to conduct business from your car with someone outside your car, while you are in a traffic lane. It would eliminate the beggars at freeway offramps and popular intersections. Sure, they can do it, but if anyone gives them money from their car, they will be pulled over and ticketed for obstructing traffic.
I don’t want to conduct business in a park unless it is in a specific area set aside for such purposes. And the permit does not have to be punitive, but the process is necessary to keep things from getting out of hand.
Yes, the councilman could have handled it different, but the kids need to follow the rules, too. I like the entreprenurial spirit, but you’ve got no competition because no one else can sell in the park.
This is a very highly affluent neighborhood, why did the parents have to contact the newspaper? Just to get back at the councilman??
I have. The median home price is $1.1m. Think Newport Beach, but with more money.
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