Local time where you're at. ("Where you're at"?)

Those of you who aren’t&#160 the Uninitiated&#153 probably already know of this story, where Big Government&#153 descends upon a 7-year-old and her first lemonade stand and demanded tribute of $120 for her to keep operating said stand in what has to be the most offensive shakedown since…well, since Bambi extorted twenty extra-extra-extra-large a couple of months ago from BP.

Turns out that kids’ lemonade stands — those constants of summertime — are supposed to get a permit in Oregon, particularly at big events that happen to be patrolled regularly by county health inspectors.

“I understand the reason behind what they’re doing and it’s a neighborhood event, and they’re trying to generate revenue,” said Jon Kawaguchi, environmental health supervisor for the Multnomah County Health Department. “But we still need to put the public’s health first.”

That is just so.&#160 Much.&#160 Bullshit.

Yeah, the law&#160 in Sorry-gun may technically&#160 state that all food vendors have to be licensed, but this is a kid’s lemonade stand, for Cthulu’s sake.&#160 Hell – it wasn’t even real&#160 lemonade – just some bottled water & packets of Kool-Aid&#169.&#160 At $.50 a 4-ounce cup, for crying out loud.

After 20 minutes, a “lady with a clipboard” came over and asked for their license. When Fife explained they didn’t have one, the woman told them they would need to leave or possibly face a $500 fine.

At which point, I think I’d’ve gotten nose-to-beak with that Cupid Stunt&#153 and informed her that she was leaving – either voluntarily or by force.

Surprised, Fife started to pack up. The people staffing the booths next to them encouraged the two to stay, telling them the inspectors had no right to kick them out of the neighborhood gathering. They also suggested that they give away the lemonade and accept donations instead and one of them made an announcement to the crowd to support the lemonade stand.

That’s when business really picked up — and two inspectors came back, Fife said. Julie started crying, while her mother packed up and others confronted the inspectors. “It was a very big scene,” Fife said.

And I’d have done the same with these two bastards.&#160 With The Insurance Policy&#153 in my hand.

To others, this may just be an isolated incident involving an overzealous flock of gummint buzzards.&#160 To me, it’s a portend of things to come – at least, economically speaking.

The US economy is about to collapse.&#160 All the signs are there – continued high unemployment (the “jobless recovery”), stagnant economic growth (2.4 percent?&#160 Seriously?!) and a major tax increase looming over the horizon (January 1, 2011, when the Bush tax cuts are set to expire).

If steps are not taken between now and 12/31/10 to boost the private sector – and note that I didn’t&#160 say “boost the economy”; Bambi can crow all he wants about the 250,000 jobs he’s created, but they’re all in the public sector, not on Main St. – if a tax rate hike hits in the middle of such an economy, another recession will result (the “double-dip” recession we’ve all been warned about), and the United States will have a very difficult time surviving it.

At that juncture (and this is my point), the underground economy that’s already out there will gain strength – and Al-Obambi will do its dead-level best to crack down on it.

Don’t believe me?&#160 When was the last time Donks openly talked about not raising taxes when nothing was standing in their way over it?

Bottom line, Denizens:&#160 Lock & load.&#160 They’re coming…and as Jefferson said, resistance to tyrants is obedience to God.