Posted on 09/06/2014 12:57:09 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
On the corner of Patricia Avenue and San Salvador Drive in a Dunedin, Fla., neighborhood, 12-year-old T.J. Guerrero operates a lemonade stand to raise money for summer activities with his friends and family.
His stand is usually open in the afternoon, and customers line up to sample his lemonade and baked goods. “I tried the strawberry before and it’s perfect,” one customer commented, according to the Tampa Bay Times. “That’s what it’s about. He’s willing to work.”
Hard work and business skills are the lessons learned in this venture. “It’s all about profit,” T.J. noted. He operates his stand with a little white table and yellow sign on the corner of a grassy lawn. The neighbors enjoy seeing the business flourish in the summer months, reminding them of their childhood. “I had one when I was a little kid. We all did,” said Vincent Titara, who lives nearby T.J.’s lemonade stand. “I think it’s cute.”
But not everyone in the neighborhood was happy with the young boy’s little business.
Wilkey asserts that T.J.’s lemonade stand is an “illegal business” that causes excessive traffic and noise that could reduce his property values.
In a scenario reminiscent of the relationship between fictional characters Dennis the Menace and Mr. Wilson, an older neighbor became increasingly upset with the placement of T.J.’s lemonade stand near his house and tried to force the city government to shut down the boy’s business.
Doug Wilkey, a 61 year-old resident of this Florida neighborhood, emailed City Hall at least four times in two years and requested the police to intervene. Wilkey asserts that T.J.’s lemonade stand is an “illegal business” that causes excessive traffic and noise that could reduce his property values. “The city could possibly face repercussion in the event someone became ill from spoiled/contaminated food or drink sales,” Wilkey speculated in one email.
The Tampa Bay Times reported that in one email to City Hall, Wilkey vented his frustration and wrote this summer that the stand was back “AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Despite the impassioned arguments by this disgruntled neighbor, cooler heads in the local government prevailed. The mayor of Dunedin, Dave Eggers, showed his support by visiting the stand himself and sampling T.J.’s lemonade. “I think it is a great show of entrepreneurship,” Eggers explained. “This 12-year-old is setting a great example. I don’t know what the other neighbor’s problem is, but I would like to talk to him to try to figure it out.”
All across America, busybodies in local government and police are clamping down on “dangerous” food and drink stands.
Dunedin planning and development director Greg Rice summed up the city’s response as simply applying common sense: “We’re not in the business of trying to regulate kids like that; nor do we want to do any code enforcement like that,” he said. “We are not out there trying to put lemonade stands out of business.”
In a strange bit of irony, the Tampa Bay Times discovered that Wilkey himself is running an unlicensed business operation from his home, and is skipping out on paying required taxes. Rice noted that, “[t]he irony is [Wilkey's] not following the rules either, or doesn’t seem to be,” and could face fines up to $250 per day until he comes into compliance. What goes around comes around.
While T.J. will continue to operate his business without interference, other young entrepreneurs have not been as fortunate.
All across America, busybodies in local government and police are clamping down on “dangerous” food and drink stands.
In contrast, the story of the Dunedin government’s response to T.J.’s lemonade stand is encouraging. It can be tempting for a local government official or police officer to respond to every complaint by shutting down a roadside business, or arresting someone to keep the peace. That easy route often ends with a citation, a mug shot or a jail cell. It takes courage for officials to exercise discretion by choosing not to intervene.
While there might be continued pressure from T.J.’s neighbor, Wilkey, to shut down the lemonade stand, the local government in Dunedin can be proud that they stood back and allowed a young entrepreneur to follow his dreams.
And we can all drink (lemonade) to that.
Another take. Government done the right way.
Annoying Busybody Nanny State PING!
Should zoning be illegal?
If I had to guess, this guy is a state or Federal government employee in some useless alphabet agency, or local college professor. I don't know, its just a guess.
“Wilkey asserts that T.J.’s lemonade stand is an ‘illegal business’ that causes excessive traffic and noise that could reduce his property values.” No, I think Mr. Wilkey is taking care of that all by himself - at least when it comes to the houses on his left and on his right.
I doubt Odumbo was able to operate lemonade stand.
What a lovely strawman you have there. Please show us in the article where the child was violating zoning laws.
This guy is old enough to have lived through the free and prosperous years in America. He should be proud of this young American for being an enterprising youngster who’s willing to work - AND NOT TO BE A SLAVE TO ANY GOVERNMENT OR CORPORATE PAYCHECK!!!
Ship this idiot to No. Korea.
He simply sounds like a crabby old guy - the kind who used to yell “Get off the lawn!” at kids like me. Personally, I don’t understand how one can sell lemonade that people genuinely want to buy. In my day, people bought it to humor us dopey kids.
Liberals want the kid to steal the lemonade from a store instead of create his own. He’ll be a loyal Democrat if he starts stealing.
And this, boys and girls, is why it is important to be involved in your local government, know who you are voting for, where they stand on issues and run yourself.
At the local level is where things get started. The next city over when faced with the same issue can give the same response. This is what is known as building consensuses.
Why doesn’t he just buy them out and shut it down himself. That’s what companies do to stop other companies. Surely he could afford a hundred or two, and the kid goes away happy with the proceeds.
I DON’T BELIEVE IT! COMMON SENSE IN GOVERNMENT? RATIONAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES?
If they are not careful a rational government of the people, for the people and by the people might emerge.
I would guess he is a retiree.
He sounds like my neighbor from whatever northern liberal utopia that probably kicked him out. He’s been in the south for years and apparently hates it. Why he won’t go back or to some enclave in another area is beyond me.
This guy bullied the neighbor next door to him who was a widow who just wanted to work in her garden and be left alone into an over priced survey over 3 inches of ground.
The neighbor is a busybody. In two or three years, TJ will have moved on to something else. His property values won’t be hurt.
Love it!
So are the vast majority of the other people who brought us to our current pass. Say what you want about "stupid young people," but they didn't pass the laws, they aren't the regulatory employees, they aren't the judges. Those are all people old enough to know exactly what they're doing and the harm they're causing.
Looks like Douglas D Wilkey is running is financial advisory company——Bayport Financial Service——out of his residence at 1550 Patricia Avenue.
If your neighbor opened up a permanent hot dog stand or a snow-cone business next door in his front yard - you wouldn't have a problem?
I totally get the occasional lemonade stand - but I'm not going to get my outrage going by this story. Sorry to disappoint.
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