What say the people of Puna to this?

[PaulW]

"I know a young farmer threatened with fines for selling his crops out of his car near a farmer's market because he can't afford the fees. "

He thinks fees don't apply to him? Why doesn't he sell them somewhere else?

[Kelena]

I definitely think there should be a tax on anti-government hysteria and false outrage. The first 50 violations get a warning. After that, you are not allowed to use roads, parks, bridges, receive civil defense warnings, Social Security, Medicare or US Mail until you exhibit some understanding of why we have a government in the first place, and laws.

The alternative is every-man-for-himself-anarchy. That leads to some guy grabbing the runoff that would have gone into a trickly little river that serves an entire community, just so he can have a duck pond or something.

This wild-eyed libertarianism that people are trying so desperately to import to Hawaii is obnoxious. The culture here is one of interdependence and efforts made for the common good. That wouldn't include snagging every one else's water so you can have duck ponds or whatever this guy was doing.

[Chunkster]

"This wild-eyed libertarianism that people are trying so desperately to import to Hawaii is obnoxious." - - Kelena

It's not obnoxious. It's called a free exchange of ideas, which is something most of us like about Punaweb. Are you a government employee, Kelena? You sound like someone who has never seen a tax, government program, or regulation he/she didn't like. We need some of those for sure, but it's not obnoxious to question them from time to time. It's healthy. Now Hawaii does have some contracting policies and government employee union deals that ARE obnoxious.

As far as the subject at hand, I've never lived in an arid place, but I can see the reasons for watershed restrictions in them. Damming a stream creates evaporation and ground absorption losses that can't be recovered. Hence, the need for strict controls.

[Rob Tucker]

Chunkster,

You are baiting. That's not a free exchange of ideas. That is trolling. Cut it out.



Assume the best and ask questions.

Punaweb moderator

[DanielP]

An old saying in some farming areas:
You can steal my money, you can sleep with my wife, but you better keep your hands off my water!

[liskir]

Is there something difficult to understand that he was trying to sell his produce somewhere else because he can't afford the fees???

quote:

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Originally posted by PaulW

"I know a young farmer threatened with fines for selling his crops out of his car near a farmer's market because he can't afford the fees. "

He thinks fees don't apply to him? Why doesn't he sell them somewhere else?

---

SECRET KNOWLEDGE - "NOT FOR US TO KNOW"? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91qs9v-upWI

[kalakoa]

Take it one step further: why are the "fees" so necessary for commerce? Are they in the form of rent on private property? Permission to engage in commerce on that property is a government-granted monopoly, and its enforcement is taxpayer-funded.

Safe bet the roadside food vendors aren't paying any "fees". For that matter, some of them are clearly not "certified" or "inspected", at least by any governmental agency.

"Selective enforcement" anyone?

[Bullwinkle]

and a public health issue if rat lungworm is passed on by the vendor - who are you going to sue? You can bet the majors have a product liability policy... its called overhead.....

[PaulW]

"Is there something difficult to understand that he was trying to sell his produce somewhere else because he can't afford the fees???"

Is it difficult to understand that he is selling his stuff "near a farmer's [sic] market" because he wants to profit from the crowd it attracts yet doesn't want to contribute to the inevitable costs of organizing a market?

If he can't afford to invest twenty or thirty dollars in himself, which he should be able to earn back at his stall anyway, then I suggest he find a line of work that he is better suited to.