Maryland Closes Nightmare Unpermitted Kids' Lemonade Stand

Haha, here is the best argument ever made for shutting down the entire U.S. government bureaucracy:  a Maryland county inspector fined a group of children $500 for selling lemonade to raise money for a children's cancer charity, because these small freeloaders did not have a permit. No permit, no cure for cancer, children!

The kiddies were selling lemonade not far from the entrance to the U.S. Open, and plenty of nearby rich homeowners paid a $300 permit fee to charge fans upwards of $50 apiece to park on their huge lawns andearncollect thousands of dollars. But don't stop dreaming, children! Some day you may be able to save 72 months of allowance to buy a permit or make a "campaign donation," which is as good as a permit. In the meantime, someone will probably look after those children with cancer.

The video shows one of the mothers of the children arguing with the classically villainous-looking inspector, who tells her it would be one thing if they made only $5 or $10, but the children have "coolers and coolers" full of lemonade.

From the NY Daily News:  

"Does every kid who sells lemonade now have to register with the county?" asked Carrie Marriott, one of the children's incensed mothers.

After a public outcry, Montgomery County officials allowed the children to reopen their stand -- in another location -- and waived the fine.

Jennifer Hughes, the director of permitting for the Washington, D.C. suburb, told WUSA9 that although lemonade stands are technically illegal, inspectors don't usually go after them.

But this stand, the inspector told Marriott, was too large not to be noticed.

Lemonade stands are apparently now illegal in America? Good, we didn't like the children stealing American jobs, anyway. [ NY Daily News / CNN ]