# NJ cops bust teenagers shoveling snow without a permit



## sectlandscaping (Sep 7, 2009)

NaturalNews) I remember being a 15-year-old boy looking for ways to make money on my summer vacation. The whole world seemed to lay ahead of me, and I wasn't about to sit and watch it pass me by. I remember taking $50 out of my $100 savings and purchasing a tabletop snow cone machine, some cups, bags of ice and a handful of flavored snow cone syrups.

That summer, I started a snow cone business, without permits, without taxes, without government interference. I freely delivered snow cones to the neighborhood that summer for 50 cents each, operating right out of my bedroom window. After two months, I had made enough profit to buy my first car: a $500 used Chevy Beretta. I even had enough profit left over to give to a local community organization. I was proud of myself. The neighbors were happy. Everything was full of abundance in my mind.

That summer, so full of wonder and excitement, is what a free market should look like: someone (me) investing in an idea and serving the surrounding community in the way I knew best. The people in the community are free to choose whether to buy the product or pay for the service. If the market conditions are right, the entrepreneur is compensated for his hard work.

In this free market, there is no one coming along to steal from his service, his business. There's no government looking to tax him. The prosperity was not created by a government bureaucracy and it should not be micromanaged by one. The prosperity remains decentralized and rightfully so. The individual is free to manage the fruits of his own labor. In my case, I bought my own modest car and donated the rest.

What we are seeing today is the opposite of free markets. Children who start lemonade stands are now targeted by government enforcers who force the children to shut down the lemonade stand or face permit fines.

The human spirit seeks to provide and share, to do work that matters, to serve and be independent. The government is now a vehicle that takes from these endeavors, forcing individuals to submit, comply, and become docile and dependent.

Teenagers face $450 permit fee for wanting to shovel the snow off neighbor's driveway
The free market is under attack in America today. It's so under attack that teenagers looking to make some extra money shoveling snow can now be stopped in their tracks and forced to pay erroneous permit fees.

That's the case for Matt Molinari and Eric Schnepf, two 18-year-olds from Bound Brook, New Jersey. On January 27, they traveled door to door handing out homemade flyers offering their snow-shoveling services. The weather forecast predicted several inches of snow the next day, and school had already been canceled. The boys were looking to serve their neighbors and make some extra cash.

Local news reports in Bound Brook report that local law enforcement told the boys to stop going door to door. The cops said the boys were not allowed to solicit business door-to-door without obtaining a permit from the local government.

The permit cost $450 and is good for 180 days. Fees like this make any small service not worth it at all. Imagine making a hundred dollars shoveling snow one day only to be forced to fork over all of the earnings, plus $350 extra dollars from your savings account just to satisfy the local government permit masters.

When did we become a nation that discourages servitude, hard work and decentralized business that benefits the community?

When did we write laws that intimidate the free market, forcing people to give up and be dependent or be fined until they are dependent?

When did a piece of paper (a permit), get in the way of the free and independent American spirit? What kind of bizarre police state are we now living in?

When are fully reasonable officers of the law going to stop and say, "Hey, I'm not just going to take orders anymore! I'm going to do whatever I can to restore what makes this country, and this world a better place."

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/048868_free_market_snow_shoveling_entrepreneurism.html#ixzz3Tik9tEaM
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The article is a bit bias.... The example of a lemonade stand makes sense and if my daughter was selling lemonade. I would not let police stop her. I would stand my ground and tell them to kick rocks.

The boys shoveling are old enough to run a business and or work a regular job. To me thats just skirting laws we have to follow as business owners. That gives them a unfair advantage if we have to pay permits, insurance, and taxes. Its only illegal to go door to door too. So they have option of free ads and whatnot to attract customers legally. There really getting in trouble for knocking and not shoveling.

To complicate this more the door to door law is to discourage people from knocking on your door and evading your privacy. Its not the normal tax of doing business. I want to be free not to be bothered in my own home. I already get dozens of spam calls and emails. The last thing I need is a line of people on my doorstep.

Perfect example is I partially backed into my neighbors driveway and he called the cops. Hes a ass for that but whatever reason he didnt want people on his property. Its his right. Hes a dick and I wouldve been like dont back in my drive but some men wear panties.
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## jerpa (Feb 4, 2014)

While the article may be a bit dramatic I agree with the idea of it. The $450 fee only discourages those without money. We have laws in place to keep people off our property. Post a no trespassing sign and if someone violates it intentionally or repeatedly they can be prosecuted.

I also don't think 18 year old kids, yes kids since they are still in school, should be discouraged from this behavior. All I ever hear is how these kids don't show initiative, don't have a work ethic, don't want to do real work, and are looking for handouts. I wonder why? The attitude of a lot of parents explains it all. I can't say I'm surprised that you would see the situation differently if it were your daughter selling lemonade and the health department was requiring permit fees and an inspection but it is the same.

The greatest blow to the entrepreneurial spirit of this country was when common folk were convinced that starting your own business was such a risk and employment for others is so much "safer". I'm amazed that betting on one's own abilities, desire, and resolve is seen as a gamble. I am thankful that I have never understood that point of view but distressed that it is a view seemingly shared by the majority.


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## kimber750 (Sep 19, 2011)

No wonder most kids sit around playing video games. They go out and try to make a little money and get slapped with a $450 fine.


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## sectlandscaping (Sep 7, 2009)

If they were 12 or 14, I would agree but these arent kids. I talked to 16 yr olds on forums who were starting businesses. If they want to be entrepreneurs thats what they would do. 

Not much different then every other guy with a mower or plow. If you want to be in the business. Be in the business.


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## procut (Dec 1, 2004)

Couldn't resist, lol.


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## jhenderson9196 (Nov 14, 2010)

Procut is right. If 2 kids ( or 2 men) with shovels can take work from you, you didn't deserve the work to start with. Time to put on your big boy pants.


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## kimber750 (Sep 19, 2011)

sectlandscaping;1977148 said:


> If they were 12 or 14, I would agree but these arent kids. I talked to 16 yr olds on forums who were starting businesses. If they want to be entrepreneurs thats what they would do.
> 
> Not much different then every other guy with a mower or plow. If you want to be in the business. Be in the business.


10, 12, 16 or 18 they are still in school. Took the initiative to go try and make some money. Printed out home made fliers. And they got punished and made an example of.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Instead of getting upset about them not playing fair, why don't you get upset that you have to pay the same stupid fee they do?


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## sectlandscaping (Sep 7, 2009)

Mark Oomkes;1977377 said:


> Instead of getting upset about them not playing fair, why don't you get upset that you have to pay the same stupid fee they do?





kimber750;1977268 said:


> 10, 12, 16 or 18 they are still in school. Took the initiative to go try and make some money. Printed out home made fliers. And they got punished and made an example of.


Im not upset. Theres not a fee to solicit here and we dont go door to door. I dont see how kids shoveling in New Jersey takes work away from me in Connecticut.

They wouldve been able to put up yard signs or a craigslist ad. They just couldnt knock on doors. Just like we cant put flyers in mailboxes.

Shouldve paid more attention to the article. Cops bust teenagers implies they were arrested. The boys didnt pay a fine and werent arrested. They were told to stop knocking door to door because someone complained. The issue I have is the article is misleading. It goes on about free markets and fails to connect the two. Then along the way it talks how people or businesses shouldnt be regulated at all.


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## Diesel_brad (Sep 20, 2010)

Just the government wanting to get their hands in EVERYTHING


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## ppkgmsy (Jan 18, 2008)

I think part of the problem is that cops these days aren't usually part of a neighborhood. When I was a kid, the local cops knew everyone and everyone knew them. We kids had to call them "Officer" but I believe the adults were all on a first-name basis. They had a certain amount of freedom to allow things to slide that weren't hurting anyone. Like if a kid had a lemonaide stand, no one would expect him to get a vendors license. But if the kid started selling lemons by the dozen, the local grocery mght object and the cop would step in. I guess everything is "by the book now."

I still live in a small town and everyone knows the local cops. I bought a truck from one cop and a woodstove from another. They are held responsible in an informal way. After all, we all see each other on the street and our kids go to the same school.


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## On a Call (Jan 14, 2015)

Man am I glad I dodged that bullet years ago. 

With the strong unions around here I would have had my bike torched.


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## 32vld (Feb 4, 2011)

Just as with a kid selling lemonade is not going to put a restaurant out of business. Two HS boys are not going to put me out of business or take work away from me.

I get that people want someone that will show every storm this year and the years after.

The people that will hire me are willing to pay me well for the quality and dependability I provide.

The people that hire the HS boy's will never hire me because they are not will to pay my prices or commit to service for the whole season.


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