Honestly, I hate to say it, but this is why many of us in middle America look at the coastal states with disdain (and it's not a "red" state "blue" state issue). We have kids here with lemonade stands, mowing lawns, baking cookies, selling crafts, and working their butts off to earn a few dollars.. and we support and encourage that. Seems out there on the East coast you all see kids as a nuisance to your busy lives. Sad.

It's a shame what happened to those kids. Their spirit of enterprise and ambition is being squashed. I admire kids that are willing to work for what they want. What next? Should kids that are willing to cut grass, shovel snow, do odd jobs for people be squashed also? The kids weren't out getting in trouble, or sitting on their butts playing video games, they were learning one of life's hard lessons, that being if you want something you have to work for it. I congratulate them for their ambition.

Someone should put a foot in that councilman's butt!! Don't you have anything better to do with your time? Get a hobby.

This poll wasn't slanted in the least (sarcasm).

I firmly believe in lemonade stands, lawn mowing, etc. for enterprising kids, and I support them when I see it.

However, the bottom-line of this example was that the kids weren't doing it in their neighborhood, they were doing it in a regulated area. This would have been a great opportunity to teach these kids a good thing about business, while encouraging their initiative.

Instead, all it taught them is that petty people will call the cops on them behind their back.

What rules their 13? how'd you make money when you were a kid?

This is why if elected as president my first official act will be to start the Department of Commonsense.

The DOC will look at things like this and tell the kids good luck, put the public official in a headlock and give him a nuggy for being a bonehead.

This politician wasn't worried about what these kids were doing, he just wanted to make sure he was getting his cut, (permits, license fees).

This country needs fewer laws and more COMMONSENSE

Futureshock2012 You are just a discriminating ass. It has nothing to do with East coast and middle America. It is one country and we have rules. Rules are what makes this country work, no matter what part of it you live in.

The FDA allows tainted and toxic foods into our supermarkets yet some have a problem with 2 kids selling homemade cookies.

Baby sitting probably requires a PHD in early childhood development according to this person..

Amen. They'll figure out it's easier to sell dope on the street than cookies. That politician should be ashamed of how he handled the situation.

2 more kids that grow-up knowing society has rules to protect all citizens. 2 more kids that, when they are old enough to start a restaurant, get the proper permits and permission. 2 more kids that realize it would be nice to have parents that have common sense!

Reminds me of an Arizona straight A High School Girl. Was working on a project with a neighbor girl one night, was arrested for curfew for crossing the street to her friend's house. Police took her 13 miles to the station, while her frantic parents were trying to come to her aid. Spent the night in jail with druggies, hustlers, etc. Girl ended up having a total mental breakdown, never returned to school, became unable to recover. One life totally ruined, because some idiot had the power to do it. I hope the so-called official, has his life totally ruined by this, really. The country is being run by idiots, sorry.

Hope you don't procreate Bryan.

Two thumbs up!

No in this country the way you get ahead is lie, cheat, steal, make a sex tape, have an affair with a person of wealth and influence and if all that fails.. try to get on reality TV.

American government needs a wholesale, Russian-style purge to free our country from their grasp. He shut down their business because none of it was going into his pocket.

LOL! So true!

Isn't this supposed to be the richest country in the world? So why would "children" need a permit that charges more than what they are gonna make in the first place? Does this @!$%# congressman have a problem not getting paid enough? or is he on the take? or is he just a fat, greedy bastard who loves to see kids suffer? You're not getting re-elected ever again after this.

PS: This story puts me in the frame of mind of the commercial that repeats "REALLY!" Because I really cannot believe the politician stooped that low.

The politician probably kicks puppies in private and pinches babies when no one is looking (yep, I went there).

Look at statistics today, kids in their teens spend most of their income on taxable merchandise. I started working at the age of 10 and I encourage my 8 year old son and 14 year old nephew not to be afraid of trying to achieve their dreams in life. There are people in this country who can not afford the high price of permits, insurance (no matter the type of insurance) or even the cost of living itself. I am not saying, one should break any laws, but something needs to be done so children can go out and make an effort in trying to achieve their dreams and to help them build up their self esteem and confidence. This was not the proper or moral way of handling things. This person should not be apart of our government and needs to be voted out. I would like to know it he ever put up a lemonade stand or sold any bake goods when he was young. These kids should not let this incident beat them down. They need to know there are people out there who are proud of them for trying to make something of themselves and don't let this politician or any one else stop their dreams. prove that they (the kids are better people than the politicians)

Absolutely agree!!! Instead of slowing down and taking a minute to mentor our youth MR. TattleTell called the police?? This is a man who makes decisions for his community?? Wow, if he can not even handle "setting a good example" why would he be trusted to make appropriate choices for his community??

Where do you live that people die from eating cupcakes? Why didn't the politician just warn the kids they needed a permit and send them on their way? He was being a lazy, arrogant, self-important man who was trying to throw a scare into them for no good reason. He had the "right" to do what he did, but that doesn't mean it was the right thing to do.

It's easy to get sick from eating cupcakes or, god forbid, die. If the cupcakes are produced under unsanitary conditions, or if (as a childish "joke") the baker adds some LSD or other harmful ingredient such as something to which someone is allergic.

More people die from E-Coli in Americas restaurants than have ever died from home baked goods from a school or church bake sale.

In Michigan it is now legal to cook at home and sell to the public.

I have food allergies. I have the right not to purchase the products, but even with my allergies I would buy from those kids to help encourage them to go after their dreams. Does anyone really know what they are eating when the go out? My allergies are corn, wheat, soy, peanut, shellfish and avocados, so if anyone needs to worry about getting sick or worse it would probably be me. People with food allergies educate themselves to survive. Don't use that as an excuse. These are children who need to be given a chance in life not to become a statistic because some politician wanted to stomp on their dreams. The high price of the permits and insurance are down right ridiculous and to expect a child to have that kind of money is unimaginable. There should be an amendment made to that law. Voice your opinion and make a difference in this world for our children.

I think Obama should direct Congress to come out with a new law requiring all kids to purchase vendor insurance, since a great majority will at some point open a lemonade stand, mow lawns, paint fences, sale baked goods, or perform some other summertime odd job to make a few bucks. Please, the government needs to protect us weak-minded citizens from ourselves!

hahahhaa...really? really!! and maybe they should take the time in Congress to come up with requirements for how we tie our shoes, how we spend our days, how we chew our food. Hell, I have no idea how to do anything without direction and instruction. Congress, in my opinion, should be putting their time to good use like figuring a way to get our country out of debt...I know, maybe they should talk to those two boys...sounds like they came up with a solution to earn money for what they wanted....and I bet it did not take days, weeks, months or years to come up with their plan. Sad how it took about ten seconds for some arrogant @ss to come along and crush them.

That crackhead would've taken it too, corrupt idiots.

Itinerant merchant laws are code for protecting the status quo..ie..mall landlords and the rich. The only reason for them is to keep the poor out of the most profitable area of commerce...the downtown. You don't pay the landlord...you don't sell here.

I'm sure it didn't ruin their lives, but my guess is they'll just sit around and play video games instead of taking any intiative because that just became a whole lot easier. It's the government mentality: Doing nothing is easier than doing what's right. Maybe they'll grow up to be politicians.

I agreee with Futureshock in that lives weren't ruined and this will probably have a negative impact on these kids when they think about government and politicians. Maybe when these kids get older they will remember this and it will prevent them from becoming an evil Liberal.

Lol my generation has utterly, totally given up on the thought of police, government and politics being in any way helpful to us.

Truth be told, I'll pay my taxes just like any other citizen, but if I ever start caring about the welfare of my property or well-being, I'll just start paying protection to some street gang because the police don't do anything except to protect corporations and people with money...and that's just the way it is.

Insurance will always try to fight you for you to get your money (or property) back...street gangs at least produce results.

Oh, please. The notion of "all of a sudden we have kids hawking goods for their parents on every street corner" is downright ludicrous. Those permit laws weren't created to keep that from happening. I'm sick of the notion of a nanny state, creating laws to protect us from things that haven't even happened yet. IF anything like that was to happen, that's the time to deal with it.

CRAP! I liked your post until I read your stupid political rambling at the end. Pathetic.

Ebay is not free to sellers. They charge the sellers fees.

Ebay or Craigslist for cupcakes? Really? The point of their little table was to sell cupcakes to passers-by, and to get real-life experience interacting with customers, counting money, and giving change. I never thought I'd hear someone suggest a kid do something on the computer instead of outside...

Double post, sorry.