When the County Gives You Lemons...

I'm not someone who sees every action of the government as a personal affront to my freedom, but there are certainly times when I have to wonder if a particular government body has the proper perspective on the public interest. Though the Midwest has been the most obvious ground zero of political crazy lately, today's specific example is a very local one. Montgomery County Maryland is currently hosting the US Open golf tournament, which is drawing mammoth crowds to Bethesda.

Seeing opportunity in those throngs of visitors, a group of children decided to start their path to entrepreneurship with the classic square-one move, a lemonade stand. Technically, they were actually selling bottled/canned drinks that they bought wholesale (well done, kids) but close enough. Either way, it didn't sit very well with a local inspector who, as reported in the Washington Post and other media outlets, not only ordered the stand to shut down for lacking a vendor's permit but also fined one of the adults who helped the kids set up the stand $500. As it happened, a local TV channel caught the incident on camera, leading the county to back down, at least on the fine.

I don't dispute that the government, especially local governments, play a key role in protecting public safety. That said, at a time when the local school system is laying off employees due to budget deficits, it begs the question of whether hassling well-meaning kids is really the best use of the county's limited resources. Ultimately, common sense prevailed, but the path it took to get there was just a waste.