gov't enforcement

[libby]

How is it that, as a law abiding citizen, every idea I/my husband, comes up with to increase our income or reduce our taxes burden, is met with some other gov't blockade that makes it near impossible?
No matter how we maneuver our finances, we are getting slammed on taxes. The one business idea I could actually accomplish is riddled to regulations/requirements that make it too much of a risk to invest and have fail, at least at this time in our lives. (side note: I have a new found respect for those food industry folks that took the risk)
Now, the point of this post isn't so much these issues, but the following. Why in Heaven's name can't the gov't bring the hammer down on entitlement fraud?
Seems to me that if gov't officials can show up at craft fairs, etc., to see if you've got a proper food license (and I'm sure their enforcement applies equally to other types of business) then they should be able to show up at a grocery store. When they see an able bodied woman with an iPod, manicured nails and poofy hair, they should immediately confiscate her EBT card and and black list her.
What the he!! is the problem here?

 

[Bird Dog]

How is it that, as a law abiding citizen, every idea I/my husband, comes up with to increase our income or reduce our taxes burden, is met with some other gov't blockade that makes it near impossible?
No matter how we maneuver our finances, we are getting slammed on taxes. The one business idea I could actually accomplish is riddled to regulations/requirements that make it too much of a risk to invest and have fail, at least at this time in our lives. (side note: I have a new found respect for those food industry folks that took the risk)
Now, the point of this post isn't so much these issues, but the following. Why in Heaven's name can't the gov't bring the hammer down on entitlement fraud?
Seems to me that if gov't officials can show up at craft fairs, etc., to see if you've got a proper food license (and I'm sure their enforcement applies equally to other types of business) then they should be able to show up at a grocery store. When they see an able bodied woman with an iPod, manicured nails and poofy hair, they should immediately confiscate her EBT card and and black list her.
What the he!! is the problem here?

You're beautiful when you rant

 

[tommyjo]

How is it that, as a law abiding citizen, every idea I/my husband, comes up with to increase our income or reduce our taxes burden, is met with some other gov't blockade that makes it near impossible?
No matter how we maneuver our finances, we are getting slammed on taxes. The one business idea I could actually accomplish is riddled to regulations/requirements that make it too much of a risk to invest and have fail, at least at this time in our lives. (side note: I have a new found respect for those food industry folks that took the risk)
Now, the point of this post isn't so much these issues, but the following. Why in Heaven's name can't the gov't bring the hammer down on entitlement fraud?
Seems to me that if gov't officials can show up at craft fairs, etc., to see if you've got a proper food license (and I'm sure their enforcement applies equally to other types of business) then they should be able to show up at a grocery store. When they see an able bodied woman with an iPod, manicured nails and poofy hair, they should immediately confiscate her EBT card and and black list her.
What the he!! is the problem here?

Your whining because you are too afraid to take a risk and start a business?

Your whining because the the govt regulates the service of food???

Your whining because you think you should be entitled to run any sort of business you want, in any fashion you want, possibly endangering the public and the gov't is just a "blockade"???

So because you can't get your entitlement no one else should get any benefit from the govt either???

 

[libby]

Your whining because you are too afraid to take a risk and start a business?

Your whining because the the govt regulates the service of food???

Your whining because you think you should be entitled to run any sort of business you want, in any fashion you want, possibly endangering the public and the gov't is just a "blockade"???

So because you can't get your entitlement no one else should get any benefit from the govt either???

That's not quite how I meant it, but if you want to read it that way...sure.

 

[MarieB]

How is it that, as a law abiding citizen, every idea I/my husband, comes up with to increase our income or reduce our taxes burden, is met with some other gov't blockade that makes it near impossible?
No matter how we maneuver our finances, we are getting slammed on taxes. The one business idea I could actually accomplish is riddled to regulations/requirements that make it too much of a risk to invest and have fail, at least at this time in our lives. (side note: I have a new found respect for those food industry folks that took the risk)
Now, the point of this post isn't so much these issues, but the following. Why in Heaven's name can't the gov't bring the hammer down on entitlement fraud?
Seems to me that if gov't officials can show up at craft fairs, etc., to see if you've got a proper food license (and I'm sure their enforcement applies equally to other types of business) then they should be able to show up at a grocery store. When they see an able bodied woman with an iPod, manicured nails and poofy hair, they should immediately confiscate her EBT card and and black list her.
What the he!! is the problem here?

They do make it very difficult to start a small business, especially the one that you had mentioned here on the forum. Unfortunately, some people in that business count on that so they don't have to compete with you, some of which were able to start their businesses prior to the regulation overload. I saw several examples of that where I used to live

 

[GW8345]

Because if this administration went after the entitlement fraud they would disenfranchise the majority of their voting base.

 

[Gilligan]

Your whining because you are too afraid to take a risk and start a business?

Your whining because the the govt regulates the service of food???

Instead of always being such a Debbie Downer, you should regale us with your personal success stories..you know..how you parlayed your vast economic expertise and unparalleled business acumen in to great financial success with the business(es) that you've personally started and run.

Can't wait to hear all about it.

 

[MarieB]

Your whining because you are too afraid to take a risk and start a business?

Your whining because the the govt regulates the service of food???

Your whining because you think you should be entitled to run any sort of business you want, in any fashion you want, possibly endangering the public and the gov't is just a "blockade"???

So because you can't get your entitlement no one else should get any benefit from the govt either???

Aren't you just a ray of sunshine

I don't see whining but rather frustration.

As far as the rest of your post, you sound like an idiot

 

[Vince]

Aren't you just a ray of sunshine

I don't see whining but rather frustration.

As far as the rest of your post, you sound like an idiot

she/he/it always does.

 

[Dutch6]

Aren't you just a ray of sunshine

I don't see whining but rather frustration.

As far as the rest of your post, you ARE an idiot

:fixed:

 

[vraiblonde]

How is it that, as a law abiding citizen, every idea I/my husband, comes up with to increase our income or reduce our taxes burden, is met with some other gov't blockade that makes it near impossible?

Because of people like this:

Your whining because you are too afraid to take a risk and start a business?

Your whining because the the govt regulates the service of food???

Your whining because you think you should be entitled to run any sort of business you want, in any fashion you want, possibly endangering the public and the gov't is just a "blockade"???

So because you can't get your entitlement no one else should get any benefit from the govt either???

It's always amazing to me, the cognitive dissonance of liberals. They hate WalMart - hate hate hate!!!! and hate some more! - yet at the same time they want to make it impossible for small businesses to compete against them.

 

[GopherM]

I have a friend that wanted to start a little side business. The friend and her friend bought a small house in the Ridge area and did an overhaul, including installing a wheelchair ramp for handicap access. Everything was going pretty well until one of those inspectors that makes sure your business site is suitable for everyone's access showed up. The inspector asked a simple question. "Do you plan on allowing your customers to use the bathroom?" The answer was "Yes."

The inspector then said that they had a serious problem (and would not let them retreat from their first answer). The entire bathroom had to be made handi-capable. Obviously a handicap toilet needed to be installed and a sink. The really stupid thing was that they had to replace the bathtub with one that was handicap accessible or install a walk-in shower.

What the heck is with that? I don't know many people that go shopping and get hit with the need or compulsion to take a bath/shower before they leave.

 

[libby]

I have a friend that wanted to start a little side business. The friend and her friend bought a small house in the Ridge area and did an overhaul, including installing a wheelchair ramp for handicap access. Everything was going pretty well until one of those inspectors that makes sure your business site is suitable for everyone's access showed up. The inspector asked a simple question. "Do you plan on allowing your customers to use the bathroom?" The answer was "Yes."

The inspector then said that they had a serious problem (and would not let them retreat from their first answer). The entire bathroom had to be made handi-capable. Obviously a handicap toilet needed to be installed and a sink. The really stupid thing was that they had to replace the bathtub with one that was handicap accessible or install a walk-in shower.

What the heck is with that? I don't know many people that go shopping and get hit with the need or compulsion to take a bath/shower before they leave.

Holy crap! Yeah, that's the kind of stuff I find absurd. For my part, I have not given up trying to accomplish my goal and be in compliance w/ regulations, and I may have a door that just opened.
However, the story of your friend makes me think I'm in for another wall going up. Maddening as heck. I understand the desire to regulate food products to some degree, but when the make the same requirements of me as they would make of...Red Robin...well, that's just ridiculous.

 

[vraiblonde]

When they started taxing yard sales and shutting down lemonade stands for lack of a permit, I thought for sure that had to be the limit of their control freak stupidity.

But no....they had a few other ideas rattling around in their pea brains...

 

[MarieB]

I have a friend that wanted to start a little side business. The friend and her friend bought a small house in the Ridge area and did an overhaul, including installing a wheelchair ramp for handicap access. Everything was going pretty well until one of those inspectors that makes sure your business site is suitable for everyone's access showed up. The inspector asked a simple question. "Do you plan on allowing your customers to use the bathroom?" The answer was "Yes."

The inspector then said that they had a serious problem (and would not let them retreat from their first answer). The entire bathroom had to be made handi-capable. Obviously a handicap toilet needed to be installed and a sink. The really stupid thing was that they had to replace the bathtub with one that was handicap accessible or install a walk-in shower.

What the heck is with that? I don't know many people that go shopping and get hit with the need or compulsion to take a bath/shower before they leave.

I remember reading about an old business in California (hamburger or hot dog joint) closing down in part because of new regulations regarding handicap access to bathrooms. They were already struggling in the economy, and they could not afford to do the overhaul that was required

 

[MadDogMarine]

I have a friend that wanted to start a little side business. The friend and her friend bought a small house in the Ridge area and did an overhaul, including installing a wheelchair ramp for handicap access. Everything was going pretty well until one of those inspectors that makes sure your business site is suitable for everyone's access showed up. The inspector asked a simple question. "Do you plan on allowing your customers to use the bathroom?" The answer was "Yes."

The inspector then said that they had a serious problem (and would not let them retreat from their first answer). The entire bathroom had to be made handi-capable. Obviously a handicap toilet needed to be installed and a sink. The really stupid thing was that they had to replace the bathtub with one that was handicap accessible or install a walk-in shower.

What the heck is with that? I don't know many people that go shopping and get hit with the need or compulsion to take a bath/shower before they leave.

"The inspector then said that they had a serious problem (and would not let them retreat from their first answer). "

This is exactly why you NEVER,NEVER talk to these people. Always demand they express their concerns in writing, then demand to see the law that makes their demands legal. A lot of them proliferate their own rules and when challenged, they lie and completely deny having ever made such a demand.
They are self ordained "little gods" with a massive ego. I call it the "Jesus Christ Syndrome"- a mental disability that makes them think they are within God's calling to save the world from all the evils by one regulation at a time ad nauseam! One of the major symptoms of this mental disease is there is NEVER an end to the regulations they want to impose on those "causing damage" to our beloved world whether it is the type of laundry detergent you use, the carbon dioxide you exhale or the methane gas you fart.

 

[GopherM]

"The inspector then said that they had a serious problem (and would not let them retreat from their first answer). "

This is exactly why you NEVER,NEVER talk to these people. Always demand they express their concerns in writing, then demand to see the law that makes their demands legal. A lot of them proliferate their own rules and when challenged, they lie and completely deny having ever made such a demand.
They are self ordained "little gods" with a massive ego. I call it the "Jesus Christ Syndrome"- a mental disability that makes them think they are within God's calling to save the world from all the evils by one regulation at a time ad nauseam! One of the major symptoms of this mental disease is there is NEVER an end to the regulations they want to impose on those "causing damage" to our beloved world whether it is the type of laundry detergent you use, the carbon dioxide you exhale or the methane gas you fart.

Kind of like our new lightbulb regulation. We save electricity with the CFL bulbs but pour mercury into the environment. I know it is a very very small amount, but they will also close down and evacuate the building and bring in a hazmat team if a old style thermometer gets broken in a science lab.

 

[TPD]

Here is one of my examples of gov't enforcement in my business -

We ship packages via UPS for customers. Because of this, we need a certified scale. To be certified, I pay $50 every year to state government for a certificate saying my scale is certified. Also for that $50, I get a weights and measure official at my store at least once a year to test my scale. Three months ago, said official comes in to do inspection. Everything is good until the 125# weight is put on - my scale is weighing 2.4oz LESS than it should, so 125# is actually reading 124.85 on my scale. FAIL! I explain to the official that this is in the favor of the customer and that the software that UPS provides to us actually rounds up every package to the next pound-no weighing in ounces. NO GO! I'm told I have 30 days to fix the problem. I don't. I call official's supervisor to get sympathy and a waiver. NOPE - The law is the law. I explain that we only use the scale for shipping packages and 95% of our packages are 50# or less, which our scale passes the test with. NADDA! Official comes back in 30 days - same thing - fail at 125-150#. I'm told I get one more chance or scale will be shut down. We get lucky this time and make a 15 minute call to the scale manufacturer for a reprogram over the phone. Next time, it will be a minimum $100 service call - all over 2.4 oz.

Now before you flame me, I understand why we have laws. But sometimes, common sense needs to be the law. Unfortunately, we do not allow our government officials to have common sense. So basically, as a small business owner, I am given a choice to continue paying $50 a year for a visit from a state government official, or I let my customers certify my scale, meaning, if they find out I am cheating them with my scale, they take there business elsewhere until I get my scale in compliance.

 

[MarieB]

Here is one of my examples of gov't enforcement in my business -

We ship packages via UPS for customers. Because of this, we need a certified scale. To be certified, I pay $50 every year to state government for a certificate saying my scale is certified. Also for that $50, I get a weights and measure official at my store at least once a year to test my scale. Three months ago, said official comes in to do inspection. Everything is good until the 125# weight is put on - my scale is weighing 2.4oz LESS than it should, so 125# is actually reading 124.85 on my scale. FAIL! I explain to the official that this is in the favor of the customer and that the software that UPS provides to us actually rounds up every package to the next pound-no weighing in ounces. NO GO! I'm told I have 30 days to fix the problem. I don't. I call official's supervisor to get sympathy and a waiver. NOPE - The law is the law. I explain that we only use the scale for shipping packages and 95% of our packages are 50# or less, which our scale passes the test with. NADDA! Official comes back in 30 days - same thing - fail at 125-150#. I'm told I get one more chance or scale will be shut down. We get lucky this time and make a 15 minute call to the scale manufacturer for a reprogram over the phone. Next time, it will be a minimum $100 service call - all over 2.4 oz.

Now before you flame me, I understand why we have laws. But sometimes, common sense needs to be the law. Unfortunately, we do not allow our government officials to have common sense. So basically, as a small business owner, I am given a choice to continue paying $50 a year for a visit from a state government official, or I let my customers certify my scale, meaning, if they find out I am cheating them with my scale, they take there business elsewhere until I get my scale in compliance.

Zero tolerance laws and policies are creeping into every aspect of our lives, and it's making everything more expensive and difficult and turning some of "us" into robotic morons

 

[aps45819]

When they see an able bodied woman with an iPod, manicured nails and poofy hair, they should immediately confiscate her EBT card and and black list her.
What the he!! is the problem here?

The problem is that you see the government growing a class of people dependent on it as a problem.
The government is actively encouraging people to not work