8 year old girl's lemonade stand shut down

[teacherone]

California city shuts down girl's lemonade stand (http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/73160.html)

By Eddie Jimenez | Fresno Bee
Eight-year-old Daniela Earnest has made lemonade out of lemons in more ways than one this week.

Hoping to raise money for a family trip to Disneyland, the Tulare girl opened a lemonade stand Monday. But because Daniela didn't have a business license, the city of Tulare shut it down the same day.

From that came a radio station's offer of Disneyland tickets to Daniela's family — in exchange for 30 cups of lemonade — and an appearance in front of the Tulare City Council on Tuesday night that will likely lead to a compromise allowing her lemonade stand and other pint-sized business ventures to operate legally.

The story began Monday morning when Daniela and her stepmother, Marisa Earnest, set up shop at Cartmill Avenue and Hillman Street in north Tulare. The lemonade was freshly squeezed and priced at $2 for a 32-ounce plastic cup.

Richard Garcia, a Tulare code enforcement officer, happened to be at the same intersection to remove illegal signs left behind by someone selling tetherball poles.

Garcia told Daniela and her stepmother that their lemonade stand — on the northwest corner of the busy intersection — was not safe, and also that they needed a business license to sell lemonade.

Ok which one of your wrote this comment :)


The lemonade stand should have been closed down....It did not comport with Fema regulations in regards to the STAND structure, was there diversity in the stand representing minoritys in the workplace. Did the lemonade stand offer a health care program to the workers ? Was the lemonade FDA inspected and approved. Thank God , (excuse me) , thanks to the new CHANGES we all can be regulated spyed on and feel safe again and besides the child and stepmother probably got the idea to open the stand under the dreaded BUSH admin.

[brandon]

Not that I think the lemonade stand should have been shut down, but there is a big difference between this lemonade stand and what you would traditionally think of when you hear "8 year old girls lemonade stand"

Usually, a kid's lemonade stand is in a suburban neighborhood and just serving the neighbors. The lemonade usually costs like 50 cents a cup and most of the time the lemonade stands run at a net loss.

This girls lemonade stand was obviously being run by the mother and they had a significant profit margin selling each cup for 2 dollars. They also were at the corner of some huge intersection.

[acptulsa]

But of course all of our problems come from our capitalism. Never mind that we didn't have half of our current crop of problems back when a child could sell lemonade on the first attempt...

[teacherone]

Maybe you've never been to Cali, but 2 bucks for lemonade is a steal!

[pcosmar]

Having had some experience with "code enforcement" I am convinced that there is an asshole requirement in the job description.

[Krugerrand]

Maybe you've never been to Cali, but 2 bucks for lemonade is a steal!

Yeah ... fresh squeezed ... not some Countrytime mix.

[teacherone]

Yeah ... fresh squeezed ... not some Countrytime mix.


The lemonade was freshly squeezed and priced at $2 for a 32-ounce plastic cup.

32oz! That's a lot of lemons!

[Michael Landon]

Also note, that they were selling the lemonade in 32 oz cups not the typical "dixie cup" size that the kids around northern Minnesota sell for 25 cents or 50 cents. $2.00 for 32 oz is actually a good deal when compared to those sold around here.

- ML

[teacherone]

Maybe the lemonade lobby got them nailed for price cutting.

[acptulsa]

Maybe the lemonade lobby got them nailed for price cutting.

Or Coke for showing Californians how much better the real thing is compared to Minute Maid?

[Krugerrand]

Or Coke for showing Californians how much better the real thing is compared to Minute Maid?

Thanks. Now you have me sining "Ain't nothing like the real thing."

[acptulsa]

Thanks. Now you have me sining "Ain't nothing like the real thing."

:eek: Sorry. Didn't mean to...

[jmdrake]

Not that I think the lemonade stand should have been shut down, but there is a big difference between this lemonade stand and what you would traditionally think of when you hear "8 year old girls lemonade stand"

Usually, a kid's lemonade stand is in a suburban neighborhood and just serving the neighbors. The lemonade usually costs like 50 cents a cup and most of the time the lemonade stands run at a net loss.

This girls lemonade stand was obviously being run by the mother and they had a significant profit margin selling each cup for 2 dollars. They also were at the corner of some huge intersection.

I was talking to one of my kids yesterday about opening a lemonade stand. I suggested charging 50 cents. He said we should charge 3 dollars for a medium, 2 dollars for a small and 4 dollars for a large! :eek: Oh and he's only 7. Kids understand inflation a lot better than you might think.

Anyway this story is sad. Most places you can go beg without a license, but if you try to make an honest living the government wants to get in your business. I could see it if she was operating a hot dog stand. (fire hazard, bad meat etc.) But a lemonade stand? Sad day in America.

On the other hand the officer asking to relocate to a safe place was reasonable. And I do note that she gets to go before the city council on this and that this might open up the door for other micro businesses. Sometimes to best way to get a stupid law repealed is to violate it and get publicity. Chalk one up for liberty! :)

[ChaosControl]

I want 32oz of fresh squeezed lemonade.
They need to set up shop here.

Anyway, I oppose businesses even needing licenses, so stupid.

[Elwar]

I used to charge 25 cents for a small cup of cool-aide.

Yes, we spelled it cool-aide on the sign...we didn't know.

I made about 50 cents...from my friends who helped me set it up.

[dannno]

I was talking to one of my kids yesterday about opening a lemonade stand. I suggested charging 50 cents. He said we should charge 3 dollars for a medium, 2 dollars for a small and 4 dollars for a large! :eek: Oh and he's only 7. Kids understand inflation a lot better than you might think.



Wow, this would be a great time to explain a basic economics lesson to him..

Ask him how much money he would make in revenue if people only bought mediums, and he sold 5 lemonades.

Then ask him how much money he would make in revenue if he lowered the price to $2 and he sold 12 lemonades (because at a lower price, more people will buy lemonade ;)). Then what happens if 20 people buy a medium lemonade if he lowers the price to $1? How much should he charge? You can also introduce fixed and variable costs and calculate profit.. just don't call them fixed and variable costs until you've told him what those costs are and how they work.

[hotbrownsauce]

Ok which one of your wrote this comment :)

I vote this best post and comment of the day you silly people you! LMAO

[hotbrownsauce]

Oh, and now I really want some lemonade.....

[Objectivist]

She should use 16 oz or 20 oz cups at that price, bring up the profit margin to pay for that government imposed overhead. If she sold 8 oz cups she could afford healthcare for her entire staff (family).:rolleyes:

[Optatron]

would this be better?

YouTube - Boondocks Lemonade Stand (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjMutF_jnrU)

[jmdrake]

Wow, this would be a great time to explain a basic economics lesson to him..

Ask him how much money he would make in revenue if people only bought mediums, and he sold 5 lemonades.

Then ask him how much money he would make in revenue if he lowered the price to $2 and he sold 12 lemonades (because at a lower price, more people will buy lemonade ;)). Then what happens if 20 people buy a medium lemonade if he lowers the price to $1? How much should he charge? You can also introduce fixed and variable costs and calculate profit.. just don't call them fixed and variable costs until you've told him what those costs are and how they work.

True. I was merely hoping to help him get practice in counting change. But he only wants to deal with bills. (I guess I could get him to test the psychological effect of charging $1.99 instead of $2.00.) It's funny. At one point he brought up to me how he wanted to start a business making and selling ice cream at a ridiculously low price. (Practically free). He asked why he couldn't just give it away. I explained to him that he had to factor into the cost and charge enough to make a profit. I guess he learned that lesson. I've turned my son into one of those money grubbing capitalist pigs. :D

http://beancounters.blogs.com/parodies/images/ferengis1.jpg

[PaulaGem]

True. I was merely hoping to help him get practice in counting change. But he only wants to deal with bills. (I guess I could get him to test the psychological effect of charging $1.99 instead of $2.00.) It's funny. At one point he brought up to me how he wanted to start a business making and selling ice cream at a ridiculously low price. (Practically free). He asked why he couldn't just give it away. I explained to him that he had to factor into the cost and charge enough to make a profit. I guess he learned that lesson. I've turned my son into one of those money grubbing capitalist pigs. :D



Counting change? That's an obsolete skill. The registers do it all now. I've only had one clerk in about the last two years count my change back to me - and she was the same vintage as I. ;)

[devil21]

Not that I think the lemonade stand should have been shut down, but there is a big difference between this lemonade stand and what you would traditionally think of when you hear "8 year old girls lemonade stand"

Usually, a kid's lemonade stand is in a suburban neighborhood and just serving the neighbors. The lemonade usually costs like 50 cents a cup and most of the time the lemonade stands run at a net loss.

This girls lemonade stand was obviously being run by the mother and they had a significant profit margin selling each cup for 2 dollars. They also were at the corner of some huge intersection.

Ah ok. So someone that actually tries to earn money the old fashioned way should be shut down but the 30% of California's population, more commonly known as welfare leeches, should just collect their free checks, watch Oprah, and complain about how everyone is against them. Makes perfect sense now. :rolleyes:

[jmdrake]

Counting change? That's an obsolete skill. The registers do it all now. I've only had one clerk in about the last two years count my change back to me - and she was the same vintage as I. ;)

True. But somehow people still get it wrong. :eek: Several times this year I've been given the wrong change. Sometimes too much, sometimes too little. So you need to be able to count your own change as a safety check.

[Objectivist]

The registers don't account for you giving the clerk an extra $1 when the total is $6 and you gave the rube running the register $20 to pay. Or the change after they factored it based on a $20, if you know what I'm talking about? Many rubes look at you with a blank stare.

I love the rubes that give you back a bunch of dimes when two quarters would have done fine.

[jmdrake]

The registers don't account for you giving the clerk an extra $1 when the total is $6 and you gave the rube running the register $20 to pay. Or the change after they factored it based on a $20, if you know what I'm talking about? Many rubes look at you with a blank stare.


You're trying to avoid getting ones back.



I love the rubes that give you back a bunch of dimes when two quarters would have done fine.

Could have been out of quarters. ;) My kid was working on a similar problem in his summer math book. He kept using more coins than necessary, probably because he knows how to count by 10 easily but not by 25. That's one reason I'm wanting to do this with him. Get him used to the idea that 2 quarters = 50 cents. Alas the little capitalist isn't buying it. ;) Only wants bills.

[sevin]

I'd like to meet the code enforcement guy who shut this down. What a piece of work. He couldn't just look the other way. This douche needs an ass-kicking.

[Matt Collins]

http://pecuniarities.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/calvineconomics.jpg

[ClayTrainor]

http://pecuniarities.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/calvineconomics.jpg

Dam that's a good one! Watterson is nothing short of a comic genius.

[idirtify]

I could see it if she was operating a hot dog stand. (fire hazard, bad meat etc.) But a lemonade stand? Sad day in America.

So you advocate government intervention into all but the very tiniest enterprises – is that about right?

[Deborah K]

Okay so are the girl scouts next? Should I demand that they get permits when they sell their cookies?

[acptulsa]

I love the rubes that give you back a bunch of dimes when two quarters would have done fine.

If you really want to have some fun, the next time the total comes to, say, three dollars and forty-six cents, give them $ 4.21. Sometimes they look at that twenty-one cents, then look at you, then look back.

'Just punch the amount into the register and see what happens.' :rolleyes: No wonder stores just close down these days when the electricity goes out.

[Krugerrand]

Dam that's a good one! Watterson is nothing short of a comic genius.

And just last night I watched the Brady Bunch episode where Greg buys a piece of junk car. The line of the show was "caveat emptor."

[0zzy]

Yeah ... fresh squeezed ... not some Countrytime mix.

say! I love countrytime!

[jmdrake]

So you advocate government intervention into all but the very tiniest enterprises – is that about right?

My point had nothing to do with the size. :rolleyes:

[Objectivist]

If you really want to have some fun, the next time the total comes to, say, three dollars and forty-six cents, give them $ 4.21. Sometimes they look at that twenty-one cents, then look at you, then look back.

'Just punch the amount into the register and see what happens.' :rolleyes: No wonder stores just close down these days when the electricity goes out.

I know what you mean. Back in the day when the electricity went out we'd pull a hand crank out of the drawer and keep ringing stuff up. POINT OF SALE PEOPLE!

Then we actually count a person change the proper way, BACKWARDS.

[Napoleon's Shadow]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26hlpBnc20o

[Anti Federalist]

Damn it Matt, I log on and think that the FDA launched rolling SWAT platoons overnight to shut down every kid's lemonade stand across the country.

The really sad part is: my first reaction didn't surprise me in the least.

[brandon]

As soon as I saw this thread in my CP i knew it was Collins. Fucking Collins. You're not very good at being anonymous.

[acptulsa]

I thought it was the same thread I posted to a short while ago. Then I saw a post I didn't remember posting--in a response by Objectivist.

Search function isn't just everyone's friend...

[Napoleon's Shadow]

Doing this in DC will lead to arrest:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04MNf1YdNxI&feature=player_embedded