What is Wrong with This Picture?

Redding Makes National News Headlines....and is this ever RIDICULOUS?
OK, so I am reading the USA Today while on vacation on Monday and there in bold California state news it is: "Redding: 85 year old disabled man is the target of Shasta County Environmental Health for Selling Fruitcakes to supplement his social security income". Using an obsolete law, our county "watchdogs" are at it again, spending taxpayers money and wasting a huge amount of time and energy to prevent an elderly, but creative, 85 year old senior citizen from doing something that hurts absolutely no one, namely selling homemade fruitcakes at Christmas to friends, neighbors, and even strangers, without a permit. So big deal. He has been doing this for a number of years and who is complaining? Who has gotten sick? Who is begrudging the "ol fella" a few extra bucks. Well, guess who? It is our ever present not-enough-to-do county employees that, in fact, apparently do not have enough to do to protect our environmental health standards that they have to go out and find this guy. A number of things really bother me about this story, thus this blog.
1. How far do you take this "obsolete law?" Does this say that every "bake sale" conducted by children and youth groups, from the scouts to the local church, can no longer "sell their goods in front of WalMart?" If so, then consistency is demanded, so guess who will be doing this policing and who will pay for this use of county employee time? County employees paid by you and me.
2. How do you determine if the kitchen facility that our elderly gentleman is using to bake the fruitcake is not up to the "standards" required by the Health Department? As we all know, these standards are to a degree subjective, in that all of us have eaten in restaurants that are barely above "filthy and disgusting". When was the last time one of us went into a restaurant restroom that was repulsive, only to read the small scratched over sign "employees wash hands" (expected to do so in the grimy smelly sink)?
3. Not too many years ago, various Farmers Markets sold a whole assortment of various foods, both cooked and raw, and even non-organic that was grown with various fertilizers. In many areas, this has gone on for years, and in many areas still is going on. From breads and cakes to soups and even salads, visitors could go from booth to booth to both sample and buy "home cooked goodies"....all done without any kind of "permitting". Have we ever heard of a disease like Cholera or Hepatitus being contacted at a local Farmers Market? In fact, do you ever hear of someone getting "food poisoning" at a Market? We do hear this said of restaurants that are inspected by the County and "permitted", don't we?
4. Lastly, in the interest of time and space, what really makes this ridiculous is the time, energy, and expense that this kind of activity on the part of our rather highly paid County employees is costing us. Especially when this same department supposedly has such a heavy workload that they cannot get to "approving a septic system plan" for a new home for weeks; cannot do an inspection of a foul smelling and looking well water complaint fin Anderson for days; or cannot review the plans for a lot line adjustment for weeks. This is the department that frequently puts you into voice mail only to call back in 2 or 3 days. Where are their priorities might be a logical question. From this incident, it must be to chase down a handicapped 85 year old fella to check out his "fruitcake". Well, good luck at budget time, as the economy slows and job cutbacks will come.
Again, I ask, what is wrong with this picture? And, it is a shame that this is what gets national news, when we have so much going for us that is never noted, like the quality of life, the tourism, the natural beauty, and the great things that are happening by caring folks on a daily basis. And, I will be criticized by the County leadership that we must have laws, even if they are obsolete, for this brings order to our society. My answer to this is simple....we had plenty of laws to control big business and banking 2 years ago, and look where we are today. I rest my case, and have a good day. Redding Makes National News Headlines....and is this ever RIDICULOUS?
OK, so I am reading the USA Today while on vacation on Monday and there in bold California state news it is: "Redding: 85 year old disabled man is the target of Shasta County Environmental Health for Selling Fruitcakes to supplement his social security income". Using an obsolete law, our county "watchdogs" are at it again, spending taxpayers money and wasting a huge amount of time and energy to prevent an elderly, but creative, 85 year old senior citizen from doing something that hurts absolutely no one, namely selling homemade fruitcakes at Christmas to friends, neighbors, and even strangers, without a permit. So big deal. He has been doing this for a number of years and who is complaining? Who has gotten sick? Who is begrudging the "ol fella" a few extra bucks. Well, guess who? It is our ever present not-enough-to-do county employees that, in fact, apparently do not have enough to do to protect our environmental health standards that they have to go out and find this guy. A number of things really bother me about this story, thus this blog.
1. How far do you take this "obsolete law?" Does this say that every "bake sale" conducted by children and youth groups, from the scouts to the local church, can no longer "sell their goods in front of WalMart?" If so, then consistency is demanded, so guess who will be doing this policing and who will pay for this use of county employee time? County employees paid by you and me.
2. How do you determine if the kitchen facility that our elderly gentleman is using to bake the fruitcake is not up to the "standards" required by the Health Department? As we all know, these standards are to a degree subjective, in that all of us have eaten in restaurants that are barely above "filthy and disgusting". When was the last time one of us went into a restaurant restroom that was repulsive, only to read the small scratched over sign "employees wash hands" (expected to do so in the grimy smelly sink)?
3. Not too many years ago, various Farmers Markets sold a whole assortment of various foods, both cooked and raw, and even non-organic that was grown with various fertilizers. In many areas, this has gone on for years, and in many areas still is going on. From breads and cakes to soups and even salads, visitors could go from booth to booth to both sample and buy "home cooked goodies"....all done without any kind of "permitting". Have we ever heard of a disease like Cholera or Hepatitus being contacted at a local Farmers Market? In fact, do you ever hear of someone getting "food poisoning" at a Market? We do hear this said of restaurants that are inspected by the County and "permitted", don't we?
4. Lastly, in the interest of time and space, what really makes this ridiculous is the time, energy, and expense that this kind of activity on the part of our rather highly paid County employees is costing us. Especially when this same department supposedly has such a heavy workload that they cannot get to "approving a septic system plan" for a new home for weeks; cannot do an inspection of a foul smelling and looking well water complaint fin Anderson for days; or cannot review the plans for a lot line adjustment for weeks. This is the department that frequently puts you into voice mail only to call back in 2 or 3 days. Where are their priorities might be a logical question. From this incident, it must be to chase down a handicapped 85 year old fella to check out his "fruitcake". Well, good luck at budget time, as the economy slows and job cutbacks will come.
Again, I ask, what is wrong with this picture? And, it is a shame that this is what gets national news, when we have so much going for us that is never noted, like the quality of life, the tourism, the natural beauty, and the great things that are happening by caring folks on a daily basis. And, I will be criticized by the County leadership that we must have laws, even if they are obsolete, for this brings order to our society. My answer to this is simple....we had plenty of laws to control big business and banking 2 years ago, and look where we are today. I rest my case, and have a good day.