Minnesota Government Forcing Business to Build a Useless $30,000 Room
by Bob EwingImagine that you are a successful small-business entrepreneur.
And then imagine that the government was forcing you to spend $30,000 to build something utterly useless just to prove that you were serious about your business. Sound crazy? That is essentially what is happening to Minnesota funeral-home entrepreneurs:
Verlin Stoll is a classic American entrepreneur. Although he’s only 27 years old, Verlin opened his first business, Crescent Tide funeral home, in St. Paul last April. He prides himself on being “a different kind of funeral and cremation service” by providing high-quality funeral goods at a lower cost than his competitors.
With basic services at merely $250, Verlin saves his customers serious money. The bigger funeral homes on average charge ten times as much. Indeed, Crescent Tide is one of the only businesses in the area that benefits low-income families who cannot afford the high prices of the big funeral-home companies.
Predictably, Verlin’s business model is a success. And he wants to expand on that success by hiring new employees and building another business so even more Minnesotans can benefit from his services. Unfortunately, there’s an obstacle standing in his way:
Big government.
Minnesota refuses to let Verlin build a second funeral home unless he first builds a $30,000 embalming room. He doesn’t have to actually use the room, it just has to be there. As Institute for Justice economic liberty expert Katelynn McBride explains:
Minnesota’s law is irrational. Embalming is never required just because someone passes away and the state does not require funeral homes to do their own embalming. In fact, it is perfectly legal to outsource embalming to a third-party embalmer. Minnesota’s largest funeral chain has 17 locations with 17 embalming rooms, but actually uses only one of those rooms.
Why is Minnesota forcing Verlin to waste $30,000 on a useless room as a condition of expanding his thriving business?
The answer is clear: Established industry insiders benefit from a law that drives up expenses for low-cost competitors.
Thankfully, Verlin is fighting back. On January 19 he teamed up with the Institute for Justice and filed suit challenging the regulation in state court. And when Verlin wins, he will not only vindicate his constitutional right to earn an honest living, he will help protect entrepreneurs all across Minnesota from pointless laws and needless bureaucracy.
For the past 20 years, the Institute for Justice has been suing the government—and winning. IJ enters state and federal courtrooms across the country to defend private property rights, economic liberty, free speech and school choice.
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68 Comments
Crony capitalism: The more expensive funeral homes in bed with the government to control competition.
A useless $30,000.00 room?
I would think they could build something more utilitarian and worthwhile, like a Bowling Alley. http://larrybrownsports.com/everything-else/obama...
What would you expect from the state whose state bird is the loon and has produced such fine politicians as al franken, amy klobuchar, keith ellison, mark dayton and the always bubbly jesse ventura……
At least he doesn't have to join a union………does he?
Control…why don't people lighten up. Patriots across the country are waking up to save the nation, slowly but surely.
The solution is simple enough. Sue the State for 50 Billion Dollars.
While we are at it let's eliminate the laws requiring a casket to be purchased in some states.
A story like this, among the countless others I see daily, is just more evidence were living in an idiocracy
Well sure. Wasn't it the Quakers who were building and selling cheap wooden caskets to support themselves that were shut down because they were cutting into "Big Casket's" profits?
Are any of the other racist on this board slightly interested in the name of that biz… ? >;-]
There is one word in there that gives me pause…
In this day and time, in Minnesota, no less, why would anyone use that word in the name of their biz, unless they were attempting to cater to a certain group, who seem to always seek special exemptions to normal state and federal laws.
.
Hahaha. That's awesome. Too bad it's a hoax. I think it's actually one of the best marketing ideas I've seen in years.
Hmmm. Makes me think. What if someone took over an alley that had bowling on two sides. If they called one side the "left wing," and the other side the "right wing," and painted ALL the most hated politicians in the country from both "wings," don't you think that would be a total success?
Driven Mad: Trucking Industry Collapsing Under Regulation Foolish laws are hampering America's lifeblood industry, and making drivers more tired to boot.
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/driven-mad-trucking-...
Interesting catch, one. You're thinking it's low-cost burials for the muslim community?
I guess you wouldn't want to be burdened with high-cost burials for your "honor" killings. : )
Nor would you want to be touched by infidels during prep for burial… would you? I have no idea what the truth is, but this story might need a little more sussing out before I want to take up this "entrepreneurs" cause…
Jest Sayin'… :-]
John,
I am curious.
Have you, are anyone else here seen or heard from Joe Doakes?
He no longer posts.
Good ole Wash. You always come up with the best links.
The only place I would alter the article is here:
"Regulations which are often written by people with no idea of the realities of the road — not one sitting congressman has ever been an OTR truck driver"
It's even worse that that, because it's not even "sitting congressmen" that write the regulations, but totally unelected, unrestricted bureaucrats. That's where our problems lie. Where Congress fails is when they don't review these regulators the way they're supposed to.
Good memory John! It is actually the Monks of the St. Joseph Abbey down in Loiusiana. We are representing them, and I wrote about the case at Big Government here: http://biggovernment.com/bewing/2010/08/12/licens...
Crescent Tide?
Maybe that is how they are getting buried so cheap.
Probably has a big dumpster and a JV with Waste Management.
It is a somewhat redundant topic that most already are aware of. So, I thought I would add some spice to this topic, by slightly altering it a little bit. We need jobs don't we? Those in Washington only offer lip service so I hope somebody knows somebody who can forward this to somebody who can help! Thank you, for your kind remarks as well.
Think back to earlier this week.
Remember the Thread about Warren Buffets cho-cho train?
Ol' Warren would like to put the trucking biddness out of biddness………..
According to the website, the cheapest provision for human remains is $750.00. You can find the $250.00 fee among the expenses listed but that will not be your final cost.
$750 is still around $1000 cheaper than the average minimum cost in the U.S for a basic cremation/service.
There are lots of Somalians in that area. I wonder if they offer the "Bin Laden" ice fishing and burial special.
The answer is so simple, just don't die until YOU can afford IT!!…Maybe Obama's new consumer protection agency will solve this problem with a quickness.
Just a quick googling will probably get you something cheaper. I found a service in my area for $900
"Crescent Tide." That DOES raise some red flags that I wouldn't have picked up on.
One of the last comments I saw from him he was telling that he would no longer be allowed to make his long posts, and he left a link to keep up with him as well. You might check out his archive and find that link.
Thank you, sir. My memory might be foggy, but it's not non-existent. I am SO appreciative of your efforts in that case.
How is THAT case proceeding?
Hummm… Well, that's not the method the Somali's used to honor the body of U.S. military in Mogadishu, was it?
Take the cheapest dirt nap you can, Wes.
Nope, it wasn't and what they did made me sick.
Never take no for an answer. Stand up to the bullies of the world and you'll surprised how many and how quickly they'll back off. This has been a public service announcement.
It makes one wonder how much the price of federal, state, county and local regulations the average dearly departed has to pay.
Made any true-blue red-blooded American sick to death!!!
.
Any patriotic president would have scorched that place so bad, weeds would not have grown there for decades. Of course, Slick Willy let it slide.
Go to my archive, click on the avi of the owl sitting in a tree, that is DB523. She follows him, I think. From her archive you can probably find his.
Yeah, I agree… where are those little neutron bombs I've read about, when ya need one?
.
Lets see can we connect the dots: Tim Pawlenty (R) to Mark Dayton (D) and you want to know why the Gov is forcing a needless room? Look at the party afflilation.
Democrats cannot help it: They like spending other peoples money.
Soon, only the rich will be able to afford death, (sarc), I would chip in on a couple of rich liberal democrats.
The answer is clear: Established industry insiders benefit from a law that drives up expenses for low-cost competitors.
Yup and I wish Proggies would get it clear this is almost always the reason for any regulations… to benefit the established big kids who cannot compete.
Same as the laws in Louisiana that require flower arrangers to get certified which requires them to be appraised by already established flower arrangers. Gee I wonder if there is an incentive for the old business owners to prevent new comers into the market.
Net Neutrality is the same raw deal. Its only REAL purpose is to prevent competitors from entering the market and to give gov extra power to sniff packets as they please.
Stop feeding the bear proggies. Every time you demand more regulations you're just handing Boss Hogg more deputies to bribe.
Hey Verlin, Can you come and get me here in Virginia when it is my time?
I spent a lot of time in Minnesota and specifically in St Paul. People in government there are just crazy. They think of stupid Ideas and then force everyone else to implement their stupid ideas. Minnesota is the only place I ever saw that had to have regular public service announcements telling people to move out of the way for emergency and police vehicles. You get a few of them on the freeway and they all pace each other blocking traffic for everyone else. Little old ladies will run you over in the parking lots and in winter all they talk about is ice fishing.
Corn,
Thank you.
On another entirely unrelated matter, do you have anyone you know down in Brewster County, and again down in Kerrville? I need someone dependable, someone you trust. I'm trying to get a reference on a couple of people. Thanks in advance for any help you might give.
and another piece of the puzzle falls into place.
It is infinitely easier to control freight moved by rail compared to truck freight, our telepromted tyrant probably has wet dreams about that.
Also note that the owner operators are the ones hurting the most here.
It's Minnesota where the Coen brothers situated "Fargo."
I hate crony capitalists more than I hate communists.
No CL, sorry I don't know anyone in either of those areas you mention. I think you can find Joe by goggling intensedebate.com/people/ _______the name of the commenter you want to find in the blank space at the end. For some reason the moderator won't let me submit it as it would appear with Joe's name in the blank. He must'a really pissed um' off about something. I'm getting pretty damn tired of this BS of the administrator needing to approve my comments before they can be posted.
Spot on! People don't understand that lots of Big Businesses support Big Government because of the barriers to entry it places on small business.
"And when Verlin wins, he will not only vindicate his constitutional right to earn an honest living, he will help protect entrepreneurs all across Minnesota from pointless laws and needless bureaucracy."
Pray tell, what law will he cite? The Tenth Amendment? Which has been interpreted by the courts to mean that the Federal Government cannot be a totalitarian state but thanks to how they interpret the Tenth Amendment, the state and local governments can be totalitarian states.
Nuke that stupid line of jurisprudence, and big government collapses at the state and local level.
The truly sad and maddening thing about the virtual monopoly the "Old Boy Network" of established funeral homes have enjoyed for so long is that the self proclaimed champions of the little people both in and out of government have done little or nothing to stop the abuse of bereaved families.
This is what happens when state and local governments can be totalitarian.
What else is new, back in the "good ole days" (around late 1800's) there was a law in San Francisco that Chinese laundry shops had to pay an extra tax because they delivered laundry by foot instead of horse drawn wagon and oh btw the Chinese laundry shops were cheaper as the established shops.
the land of al franken, mark dayton, jesse ventura.
lmfao.
when he wins?
lol, we will see
ah, just jump in the bay and let the crabs finish wich u
nah u just have them throw u in da ocean
they are in china dude
and being readied for the good ole usa.
You might be on to something! Save the bay and some coin, Feed the Crabs Funeral Home.
And remember, you're not really dead if you can still vote!!!! But with obamacare, we can't afford to have you living either.
"Crescent Tide" may just be a good marketing decision on his part. last i heard, muslims die, too, and for all i know may have certain burial rituals & customs peculiar to their religion that Mr. Stoll caters to. good for him. many an entrepreneur has made his fortune by identifying an unexploited market niche…
and Bachmann and Pawlenty
3 to 2! We Win! Minnesota Loses!
San Francisco was just being "Green", even way back then! Reducing Equine flatulence fecal matter from the environment.
Nope, nope. 2-2-1. Ventura wasn't republican or democrat
That's why I said he won't win, there is no law he can stand on, nothing at all.
Current jurisprudence says state and local governments are not only permitted to be totalitarian, that's what the 10th amendment means.
or be like Dr. Evil and ask for …$100 Billion Dollars!!!
apologies to those Austin Powers movies fans here at the BG site
Hey Guys! apparently the name of the African country that rhymes "Enya" is on the verboten list here at the Big Site. Don't use any reference to that Kountry or else your post is deep sixed.
and the difference is?
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