Signs of the Apocalypse

[Dover]

No it's not the record breaking drought and triple digit temps that is drying up the lakes and scrambling brains in Texas. That might be expected.
Today it was reported that a health inspector shut down a little girl's lemonade stand
for lack of a permit, health & safety, while also citing the girl's granny with a fine of $180!!!!
If this isn't a sign of the end of civilization, what is? And this happened in the liberal,
free expression town of AUSTIN, TX.!!!!

Two other stories reported today are like two more horsemen of doom. One was about a lone woman who actually stood her ground and refused to be scanned at the Austin airport. She was arrested and fined while blurting out in anger and disbelief that Americans are allowing this kind of loss of rights. The second story was about yet another police security camera being placed around the city, all for our increased protection of course. These are the kinds of decisions that need to be on the ballot and voted upon rather than rammed down our throats, imo.

All this increasing need for control is just a sign of INsecurity for a city, state, a country that has lost it's grip and is grasping and gasping to hold on to fading power. Sad and pathetic and
certainly NOT the kind of weird Austin would like to be known for.

But hey, keep your chin up and remember that spirited and enterprising Americanism...when you get lemons make lemonade. Just don't sell it for a quarter.

[probama2]

1. you dont understand

You dont understand how dangerous it is out there
The Government is just here to protect us . I dont know where people get this fear of our government from
They are putting cameras on every corner to deter criminals from committing crimes .
and these heros that shut down that Little nazi Lemonade girl, she totally deserved to be shut down She was charging $2 per ounce on that Cyanide tainted Lemonemonaid

[chalky]

2. What is with the crackdown on lemonade lately?

First this--
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1498302

And now here in Austin. Was the lemon voted in as the new demon fruit?

[Dover]

3. Probably some wealthy republican trying to corner the lemonade market...

and oust the competition.

And when Austin joins ranks with Georgia in such a matter, the end is near.

[xmas74]

4. In my town

the stand now has to have a business license, a semipermanent structure that must be inspected by the fire marshal, and a certificate from the health inspector stating that the stand has been inspected and is now allowed to operate. In order to get the certificate from the health inspector the child must pay for them to inspect the premises and must submit a menu that cannot offer any deviation. (Example: if one day they make and sell chocolate chip cookies and the next day they make peanut butter-nope, not allowed. You must put it exactly on the menu and recipes must be submitted to the inspector.)

In other words, my kid was informed at the start of the summer that she could no longer have a lemonade stand in our front yard, either for profit or for free. (Similar set up if product is given away-structure check and health department. Only difference is the business license, unless tips are accepted. Once tips are accepted then a business license is required.)

[Art_from_Ark]

6. That's just so crazy

We certainly didn't need any license to set up a lemonade stand in the '60s. In those days, it was probably understood that Mom would make sure that everything was clean, and we used disposable Dixie cups with a dispenser.

And in 1978, I was sure glad that some kids had set up a stand in Hickman, Kentucky, because I was really thirsty after a day of bicycling in the hot sun.

[xmas74]

7. It is crazy.

It's a new law that was just enacted starting April 1st. It was done to stop groups like the Girl Scouts (yep, the Girl Scouts) from selling their cookies in parking lots and from selling drinks at local activities.

(Why doesn't this affect the Boy Scouts? Because their troops have sponsors and the sponsors have concession/lunch trucks they loan. Oh, and they have better connections. Girl Scout troops don't need a business/organization sponsor so they don't have the support that they'd need to fight this.)

[Art_from_Ark]

10. What the...???

That is just too unreal-- passing laws to keep the Girl Scouts from selling cookies and drinks! :banghead:

How times have changed since the days when they had Girl Scout cookie commercials on TV and I looked forward to seeing the girls come up to the house with their boxes of peanut butter and mint cookies.

[xmas74]

12. Not around here.

A few people complained to the city council year after year and eventually something was done about it. They now have to have a permit for sales-in the case of cookie sales it can be a peddler's permit for door to door or a business license if they set up a table/booth.

Like I said, the Boy Scouts don't get treated the same way, because they have more support.

[aquart]

8. Good lord. Bridge table and a kitchen chair won't do?

[xmas74]

9. Not any more.

It used to be the lawn furniture and the patio table but that's no longer allowed.

It is now very expensive to run a lemonade stand in my town. The talk has been that they might start demanding other groups get business licenses, like Mary Kay and Avon sales. Should be very interesting.

[aquart]

15. My city...I can't bear it....banned bake sales in schools!!!!!

[xmas74]

18. We did that years ago.

Not only bake sales but any kind of fundraisers dealing with food. No candy bars, no cookouts, nothing. Now they sell "Major Saver" cards, candles, and other crap that no one wants.

[The Doctor.]

5. Stark raving truth here;

"All this increasing need for control is just a sign of INsecurity for a city, state, a country that has lost it's grip and is grasping and gasping to hold on to fading power."

What's funny is how the harder they push for control, the easier it is to fuck with them.

Have people stage 'theatrical burglaries' in front of those cameras (with appropriate disguises, of course), and see their resources stretched.
I'm not advocating for mischief, just giving an example of what can happen. There are dozens of ways to mess with every new echelon of control.

[CanSocDem]

17. Indeed.

You have to believe that the majority of these absurd 'social' restrictions are just 'theatre'. Somebody strutting in front of the camera....because they can.

"There are dozens of ways to mess with every new echelon of control."

Guerrilla theatre is a good one.

.

[Kennah]

11. How long before there's a crackdown on high school kids doing car wash events?

[xmas74]

13. There's been talk of that in my town.

Supposedly the girls in the bikini tops have had quite a few complaints since it "distracts" the drivers.

[Kennah]

14. Well, that's an easy fix

Have the guys wear the bikini tops and let the girls go topless.

[xmas74]

19. Gotta love small, conservative towns! nt

[Dover]

16. bake sales, girl scout cookies, car washes, ....WTF is going on?!!!

This alone is deserving of a peasant (yes the middle class is dead) uprising.

[kick-ass-bob]

20. I've seen at least 2 other of the same story about lemonade stands.

One outside the Masters and one in NC.

This is ridiculous.

[Dover]

21. When a particular story crops up repetitively like that it makes me wonder

if there is some cordinated effort going on. Toward what purpose I can only imagine, unless it's to distract or just keep picking away at things that make up the core fabric of communities and people's sense of security that comes with familiar things.

Why are states suddenly cracking down on these kinds of things?

I have wondered about this before with stories like the bed bugs. Just keeps people off balance and anxious...