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Pennsylvania Pie Fight: State Cracks Down on Baked Goods
Wall Street Journal ^ | April 10, 2009 | Kris Maher

Posted on 04/10/2009 3:09:38 PM PDT by reaganaut1

ROCHESTER, Pa. -- On the first Friday of Lent, an elderly female parishioner of St. Cecilia Catholic Church began unwrapping pies at the church. That's when the trouble started.

A state inspector, there for an annual checkup on the church's kitchen, spied the desserts. After it was determined that the pies were home-baked, the inspector decreed they couldn't be sold.

"Everyone was devastated," says Josie Reed, a 69-year-old former teacher known for her pumpkin and berry pies.

Sold for $1 a slice, homemade pies have always been part of the Lenten fish-fry dinners at St. Cecilia's, located in this tiny city near Pittsburgh. Similar dinners are held in church basements and other venues across the country this time of year.

The problem is the pies are illegal in Pennsylvania. Under the state's food-safety code, facilities that provide food at four or more events in a year require at least a temporary eating and drinking license, and food has to be prepared in a state-inspected kitchen. Many churches have six fish fries a year, on Fridays during Lent. St. Cecilia's has always complied with having its kitchen licensed, so food made there is fine to serve. But homemade goods don't make the cut.

The disappearance of Mary Pratte's coconut-cream pie, Louise Humbert's raisin pie and Marge Murtha's "farm apple" pie from the fish-fry fund-raisers sparked an uproar that spread far beyond the small parish. The local paper dubbed it "piegate," and a nearby bakery donated pies to the church to help fill the gap at the dessert table. There are reports of other churches continuing to sell contraband pastries. Legislation to overturn the baked-goods ban is being discussed.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: church; food; healthnazis; nannystate; pennsylvania
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1 posted on 04/10/2009 3:09:38 PM PDT by reaganaut1
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To: bamahead

Nanny state ping!


2 posted on 04/10/2009 3:12:59 PM PDT by rabscuttle385 ("If this be treason, then make the most of it!" —Patrick Henry)
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To: reaganaut1

It’s good to see the kitchen and pie laws being enforced. I’m being sarcastic of course.....Now if only they will enforce all the other laws that need to be enforced.


3 posted on 04/10/2009 3:13:22 PM PDT by Heavy Fuel
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To: reaganaut1

So now we have pie-Nazis.

Government is truly out of control in most jurisdictions.


4 posted on 04/10/2009 3:14:14 PM PDT by 43north (11.04.08: the day America committed voluntary suicide)
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To: reaganaut1

This is insane.


5 posted on 04/10/2009 3:14:50 PM PDT by Taggart_D
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To: rabscuttle385; Abathar; Abcdefg; Abram; Abundy; akatel; albertp; AlexandriaDuke; Alexander Rubin; ..
A state inspector, there for an annual checkup on the church's kitchen, spied the desserts. After it was determined that the pies were home-baked, the inspector decreed they couldn't be sold.



Libertarian ping! Click here to get added or here to be removed or post a message here!
6 posted on 04/10/2009 3:15:47 PM PDT by bamahead (Few men desire liberty; most men wish only for a just master. -- Sallust)
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To: reaganaut1

Meanwhile, rapes, murders and illegal immigrants go about their business. Don’t taze the priest, bro.


7 posted on 04/10/2009 3:16:52 PM PDT by BipolarBob (I shoot only after kindness fails.)
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To: reaganaut1
Next will be roadside fruit & vegetable stands.

Disgusting!

8 posted on 04/10/2009 3:17:25 PM PDT by airborne (Obama is finishing what Osama started! The destruction of the American economy!!!)
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To: reaganaut1

“Marge Murtha’s “farm apple” pie... “

What happened to her earmark pie?


9 posted on 04/10/2009 3:17:40 PM PDT by Buck W. (The President of the United States IS named Schickelgruber...)
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To: reaganaut1

Would they be able to give the pie away or is it because it is being sold? if they could legally give the pie away I’ll bet the donations would far outstrip the $1 per slice. After all government is all about FREE PIE!


10 posted on 04/10/2009 3:20:06 PM PDT by Ditter
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To: Buck W.

I’ll bet her “farm apple” pie is a bigger hit than her “road apple” pie was.


11 posted on 04/10/2009 3:22:25 PM PDT by Beagle8U (Free Republic -- One stop shopping ....... It's the Conservative Super WalMart for news .)
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To: reaganaut1

This is the sort of crap that was going on in England, and one of the reasons I left! (Nanny state, that is, not pies specifically, although come to think of it...)


12 posted on 04/10/2009 3:23:46 PM PDT by MikeGranby
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To: reaganaut1

So our govt can stop us from eating home made pies, but they cannot get corrupt politicians removed from office. hmmmm


13 posted on 04/10/2009 3:26:17 PM PDT by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
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To: reaganaut1

Give the pies free and accept donations. Problem solved and folks get a tax deduction.


14 posted on 04/10/2009 3:27:25 PM PDT by Raycpa
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To: Owl_Eagle; brityank; Physicist; WhyisaTexasgirlinPA; GOPJ; abner; baseballmom; Mo1; Ciexyz; ...

ping


15 posted on 04/10/2009 3:30:20 PM PDT by Tribune7 (Obama wants to put the same crowd that ran Fannie Mae in charge of health care)
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To: reaganaut1

Government gone wild, Part ten million.

Eventually this will catch up to the “eat local” crowd, which contains lots of libbies.


16 posted on 04/10/2009 3:31:09 PM PDT by Boiling Pots (The Politicians think we're all stupid, and they're largely correct.)
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To: reaganaut1

17 posted on 04/10/2009 3:33:08 PM PDT by Bean Counter (Stout Hearts.....)
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To: reaganaut1
"Under the state's food-safety code, facilities that provide food at four or more events in a year require at least a temporary eating and drinking license, and food has to be prepared in a state-inspected kitchen. "

Pretty soon, they'll require you to have a license to cook food, and serve alcoholic beverages at your home for family get-togethers. Plus, they'll probably limit the number of people you can have in your house at one time.

18 posted on 04/10/2009 3:34:19 PM PDT by mass55th (Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway...John Wayne)
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To: bamahead

That pic becomes more relevant by each passing day.

I loved those movies.. little did I know we would be living them.


19 posted on 04/10/2009 3:39:58 PM PDT by Gator113 (For America to Survive, Obama Must Fail..... Obama=Failure in Chief with the Audacity of Dope.....)
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To: reaganaut1

Publicity for HR 875. Change you can believe in!


20 posted on 04/10/2009 3:40:13 PM PDT by JavaJumpy
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