Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Free Gasparas!

I can't help but hope for the best for this guy. He sounds confident in his case, anyway. Problem is, it wouldn't surprise me if the powers- that- be try and make an example out of him regardless of how sound a case he might have. People who challenge authority don't often fare well in the courts.

11 Comments:

At 9:32 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Are you serious? Challenge authority? This guy is a nut job who is endangering people's health. If you got sick after eating there you'd be the first one to scream about the health department not doing their job. Get real.

 
At 9:53 AM, Blogger Fred Mangels said...

People already get sick from food at licensed restaurants, Bayview Country Club being the latest the comes to mind.

 
At 12:25 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Fred, it's Baywood and nobody got sick from food, they got sick from a virus.

The guy sells food to everyone. I went in there once and he offered to sell me some Indian food, but the place looks dicey (sterno?really?) so I passed. Selling food but not regulated by the health department and irate about it? These are the people who own our local pot 'clinics.'

Arcata i-Center---that's the one that had dogs inside all the time and random people there late at night, across from Patriot Gas right?

Have you seen it? That place is a medical dispensary the way Tip Top Club is a halfway house for unwed mothers.

-JMan

 
At 12:49 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hell, they didn't get sick from the food - the health department checked out the kitchen. Someone came in sick and infected people. Come on Fred.

No, this guy should be shut down if he refuses to get the appropriate permits. But - why can't the city of Arcata do it in an administrative abatement hearing. Pulling this in the criminal arena is as stupid as when the city of Eureka got the DA to file against the Eureka Inn. No, Roasts to the City of Arcata for whimping out.

Just have an abatement hearing and put a lock on the door closing it down completely unless this idiot complies with the permits necessary for food.

 
At 5:57 PM, Blogger Pogo said...

Gee; JMan "passed" based on his own evaluation? Imagine that. We can't have that sort of situation. The government must be the only entity to decide the suitability of a place of business and collect protection fees for issuing its approval.

 
At 7:45 AM, Blogger Fred Mangels said...

Jman wrote, "I went in there once and he offered to sell me some Indian food, but the place looks dicey (sterno?really?) so I passed.".

Good to see you had the sense to not eat somewhere you felt uncomfortable with.

Hey, I'm easy. I'm willing to compromise a little, but I don't think a restaurant should be required to get a permit from a health department any more than some kid running a lemonade stand or some charity running a bake sale should.

How about we do this:

Sure, we can have a health department. They can even issue permits and do inspections. But they'll be voluntary. The only requirement will be (similar to what it is now?) that the permit be displayed prominently where it can be seen by customers of the restaurant.

If you don't have one, customers will notice you don't have a permit (or are they considered licenses?) from the health department. It would be the customer's choice whether to eat at your place, or not.

This might actually give eateries with health department permits an advantage over their rebel brothers and might prompt the rebels to voluntarily go through the hoops and acquire a permit. If they chose not to, though, it's between that eatery and you as to whether you end up eating there.

Fair enough?

 
At 7:24 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

So Pogo is such a Libertarian nut-job that he sees no need for the health department?

Just let the buyer beware? "Hey, don't eat there, a couple of people have died from bacterial infections."

 
At 5:32 AM, Blogger Pogo said...

The function of the Health Department should be to enforce compliance with sanitation laws. What does that have to do with the collection of protection fees by the government prior to engaging in an otherwise lawful business?
I don't recall professing membership in any particular political party. Let's just Pogo is not insulted by such a remark from one who appears to be intellectually challenged and harbor fascistic sympathies.

 
At 8:05 AM, Blogger Joel Mielke said...

Protection fees? Pogo really is nuts.

 
At 1:43 PM, Blogger Pogo said...

For drywall, carson park ranger and residents of Hydesville; try operating a lawful business (be that ever so unlikely) without first obtaining a certificate that you have paid your protection fee (business license) and find out how fast agents of the government descend on you demanding their "cut". And of course this will be in addition to regular taxes.

 
At 7:19 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

pogo may be nuts but seems to have an IQ greater than his shoe size.

 

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