Monday, June 24, 2013

Updating the Floyd County Health Department's "Beer Pour War" of 2013.


As for frequently asked questions, no, I've received no official communication from the health junta as to the hearing date of our appeal, or even if I'll be allowed to attend it. It has been suggested to me by a knowledgeable party that in such appeal cases, a health department board committee screens complaints privately before adding them to the docket. We'll have to wait and see.

As for me, I've plenty of work to do this week as pertaining to running the day-to-day business. Surely bureaucracies routinely count on the workload of small business people to discourage them from participating in the process of disputing bureaucratic directives, and while I'm unwavering in the sense of exercising my right to question a bureaucratic dictate I view as unjustified and without precedent,  I cannot allow the health department's calculated new policy of beer server harassment to detract from my fundamental obligation, as a beer business, to pour more (and better) beer.

It may seem that business in a general sense returns to usual, and it may appear that nothing's happening, but trust me: I won't let go, even if it takes a very long time, and ends by being decided at the state level.

Valuable principles must be defended from vandals, bureaucrats and second-raters, don't you think?

Here's a recap.

---

The summary of events as of Friday morning, June 21: Jeeebus, what a week. Here's a review.

... Let's slow down this game for just a moment. In the short term, we will comply with the health department's demands for tribute, however specious, and pay $20 each time we pour pre-packaged alcoholic beverages into plastic cups. We will do so under specific written protest, each and every time. In these instances, we will comply in such a manner as to fulfill ATC regulations, which we regard as pre-eminent, and that we always seek to implement.

One way to verify the health department's claims is to look at the record, and so I broached the topic of Indiana Public Access: Roger has issued a Indiana Public Access request to the Floyd County Health Department.

... the Health Department's food/beer temporary permit citation history needs to be examined for rampant doublespeak, and so yesterday I hand delivered the following letter to the Health Department. Notice how I identified the actual statute, rather than refer to it in the abstract sense preferred by Dr. Harris. That's because it's our information, isn't it?

It never rained downtown last Friday during the Ballroom Blitz show, but the anticipated Tom-foolery unfolded exactly as predicted: Bureaucrats, potato chips and the need for a city health department.

Public health was heroically protected when we were told to remove a bag of potato chips from the railing where the beers are poured. Thus, the only item approximating food could not be present where a food permit (now, newly, for the first time in the history of Floyd County habitation) is required to operate. This is how Dr. Tom Harris sublimates ambulance envy.

No comments: