Apparently lemonade stands and bake sales aren't the only entrepreneurial ventures children are being forced to shut down because of government overreach. Three siblings from Cornwall, Ont. now face a $240 fine for advertising an earthworm business they've operated for just over a year.
Stu shared his reaction on radio today.
"Now, as a kid, you do things like sell lemonade," he said. "You do things that get you involved in the capitalist system early on so you learn the principles behind it."
While admitting he'd never sold worms, Stu said he could understand it if they happened to be in a community where a lot of fishing was going on, and hey, they're just kids after all.
Many neighbors and others in the community stepped up to support the kids after hearing about the fines they'd been hit with and the young entrepreneurs haven't backed down either.
"There's a lawyer who stepped in and said he'll take this case on pro bono and fight against them. As far as I know they're not stopping selling the earthworms, which I like," Stu said.
Watch Stu and Jeffy discuss in the video below.
Below is a rush transcript of the segment, it may contain errors.
STU: A kid along with his brother being fined $240 a day. Why? They have the gall -- the unmitigated gall to sell earthworms from their front porch.
JEFFY: Okay. And they put a sign out. Okay? Don't make it like they were out there higgledy-piggledy selling worms. It was on their front porch. Where everyone could see that they were selling a product. And there was a sign?
STU: That's true. The sign was there as well. Now, as a kid, you do things like sell lemonade. Or you wash cars. You shovel driveways. You rake leaves. You mow lawns. You do things that get you involved in the capitalist system early on so you learn the principles behind it. You have a work ethic. You grow a work ethic in your child so when they grow up they don't turn out like Jeffy. You want someone who will be an upstanding society.
JEFFY: I can promise you I never sold worms on my front porch.
STU: I never sold worms. But if you're in a community where a lot of fishing is going on, hey, look they're kids.
JEFFY: Oh, man, heck yeah.
STU: And it's great they want to do something to make a little extra money. Maybe take some responsibility on themselves instead of depending on others. That, of course, is offensive in our society.
JEFFY: It sure is.
STU: If you're not depending on the government, then you're not doing the right thing. Now they might have to depend on the government. They have to pay $240 of fines per day. There's a lawyer who stepped in and said he'll take this case on pro bono and fight against them. As far as I know they're not stopping selling the earthworms, which I like.
JEFFY: They're still selling them. And good for them.
STU: It's great.
JEFFY: Did I say good for them? I mean, they should go downtown and get a permit to sell those worms. And they should get a permit from the landowner in which the worms are being taken out of the ground to sell, and then they should go rent or lease a place downtown. A place of business where they can actually hang a sign that said worms. Not too big a sign though.
STU: No. It has to be the right color and style.
JEFFY: Oh, my gosh, it's downtown.
STU: This is where we are in our country. We're fining children. My guess is they're not selling $240 a day of earthworms. That's a good business if they're selling that much.
